WAINUI HELD UP

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXII, Issue 19434, 21 October 1925, Page 7

WAINUI HELD UP

CREW REFUSE TO SAIL PASSENGERS RETURN TO HOMES STEAMER’S DEPARTURE POSTPONED INDEFINITELY [Per Press Association.] AUCKLAND, Oct. 20. Declaring that the Wainui was not seaworthy, the crew refused to take the ship to sea to-night just as she was about to sail for Tokomaru Bay, Gisborne and Napier. The action of the men was the sequel to a complaint they made earlier in the day that the Wainui had touched a bank when going out of the Inner Harbour at Napier last week. The master and officers declare .that if the vessel did touch the bank the impact was very slight and was not noticeable bv them. In order to assure the crew that the Wainui was not damaged, the Union Company had the ship inspected to-day by the Government Surveyor of Ships. As a further precaution, the bottom of the hull was thoroughly examined by the Harbour Board diver, who was unable to find any marks to indicate that the ship had recently collided with a submerged object. Both he and the surveyor declared the vessel to be seaworthy. This did not satisfy the crew, who requested that the Wainui should be docked before she left port. As this was not done they declined to take her from the wharf. The final decision of the men was made at sailing time, 8 o’clock, when the Wainui was fully loaded and passengers. about 35, had embarked with their luggage. It being a wet night, the passengers, some of whom were women and children, did not relish getting their luggage ashore and returning to their homes. In consequence of the action of the men, they will be paid off to-day, the Wainui’s departure being postponed indefinitely.