IN VICIOUS SEAS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 20190, 5 July 1928, Page 7

IN VICIOUS SEAS

SCHOONER HAUTURU Captain’s Story of Fight With Elements I Special “Chronicle*’ Borvice. j AUCKLAND. July 4. The Northern Steamship Company’s auxiliary vessel Hauturu, which left Onehunga for Hokianga on Thursday evening and took shelter from the gaie at Spirits’ Bay, near Cape Mria Van Diemen, arrived at Hokianga harbour this morning and berthed at Kohukohu this afternoon. Captain W. Robertson, in an interview, said that the barometer indicated threatening weather after crossing the Manakau bar, but the conditions did not indicate anything very serious. The wind was north-west, but toward midnight veered to west, and the sea came up very suddenly. He saw it would be useless to attempt to re enter Manukau harbour or cross the Hokianga bar. so he decided to keep well out and to shelter when round the Cape. “The sea gradually increased,’’ said the captain. “I have seen bigger seas, but never nastier ones; the waves were short and vicious, the second catching us before we had cleared the first. 1 was glad wo wore not inshore. Had we been caught in the breakers that wore curling up in 126 fathoms of water off Cape Maria, we would have rapidly foundered.’’ The Hauturu exceeded best expectations. She took the seas beautifully, and with the exception of a little of the bottom cargo that was wetted by bilge water in the excessive rolling, nothing was damaged. The engines worked throughout the gale without a miss, and the ship still had 30 hours’ supply of oil. The crew did not go without a hot meal throughout the whole trip. Captain Robertson said the vessel had weathered without hurt the biggest gale she was likely to meet on this coast in ’0 years- While the Hauturu may well merit her captain’s eulogies of her seaworthiness, a great deal of credit is also duo to the seamanship of the vessel’s captain, officers and crew.