STEAMER ASHORE

Waipa Post, Volume 44, Issue 3183, 28 May 1932, Page 4

STEAMER ASHORE

ON THE GREYMOUTH BAR. (By Telegraph. Press Association). GREYMOUTH, Friday. The Union Company’s cargo steamer Kaponga, 2344 tons, when sailing with a full cargo of 2900 tons oil coal this afternoon for Auckland, became stranded on the Grey bar, where she now remains awaiting an effort to refloat her on to-morrow morning’s tide. All on board are safe. The vessel carries a company of 33: The bar was sounded at 1.0 p.m., Captain Gray being present, and the depth was then 13ft, indicating 21ft 9in at high water, on the peak of which the Kaponga reached the ba;r. That was just about four o’clock. She struck opposite the signal station and subsequently moved out a distance of about twice her own length.

The sea was quite moderate, but the vessel’s bow was gradually veered to the northward by the swell, which was increasing, and the ship then lay across the inner bar, there being a second bar further out. Steam was raised on the Harbour Board’s tug, which arrived at the ship’s side three-quarters of an hour after the stranding. In the meantime the Kalingo which had crossed the bar half an hour before the Kaponga was standing by in the roadstead, but was unable to render assistance. The tug got a line to the stern of the Kaponga but under the strain it broke. A crash was then heard and as the Kaponga’s stern rose the rudder was seen to be broken and hanging loose. The Anchor steamer Titoki then left the wharf and safely negotiated the bar. Passing the Kaponga’s stern the Titoki threw a line to be attached to the Kaponga, but the line was lost and after standing by for some time the Titoki proceeded to Westport. The tug then retrieved the broken hawser and from the bow of the Kaponga a line was earned by boat to the tug, which then went up the river, the strain serving to keep the Kaponga’s bow from veering toward the rocks on the north tiphead. WELLINGTON, This Day. The tug Terawhiti left for Greymouth at 1.45 a.hi.