Wanganui Tug Departs For Wellington

Wanganui Chronicle, 21 January 1947, Page 5

Wanganui Tug Departs For Wellington

The Wanganui Harbour Board’s twin-screw salvage tug Kahanui departed from CastieelilV at 10 o’clock last night for Wellington, where she is due between 7 and 8 o’clock this morning. The tug is under the command of the harbourmaster, Captain R. D. Stewart, and will assist in made to-day to refloat the liner Wanganella, aground on Barrett’s Reef. The Kahanui is well equipped, with salvage gear and was especially built for this class of work. She is manned by a Wanganui crew, mostly members of the Harbour Board stall. The duration of her slay at Wellington will depend on circumstances. When the Wanganui Harbour Board heard of the Wanganella's plight, it ottered the services of the tug Kahanui. Tite vessel was lying at Castlecliff and ready for any emergency, having recently completed her annual overhaul and survey. The board's offc. wa s accepted and late yesterday afternoo. a start was made with raising steam, assembling a crew, and taking on board stores and equipment. Within a few hours ,nf tlie decision to s end the tug she was ready for sea, having previously played a useful part in salvage operations ,n tne coast. Mate of the Kahanui on her trip to Wellington is Captain J. W. Knox, of the Wanganui pilot staff. The chief engineer is Mr. W. H. Bellman, who has with him Mr. R. Geaty (second engineer) and Mr. R. S. Hardaker (third engineer). Last night the weather in Wanganui was line and calm, but a weather report received before tlie Kahanui sailed indicated that there was a light southerly in Cook Strait.

The Kahanui is equipped with powerful engines, however, and even against the southerly was expected to make Wellington in under 12 hours. She is in first-class condition after her recent overhaul, and has been back at Wanganui for more than a year after service, witli the Royal New Zealand Navy. Her a period the vessel was engaged as a naval tug at Auckland, after which she went to Wellington for various wartime duties. Lip till 1940 she was used extensively in assisting oversejs sitips loaded with phophate to turn and berth at Castlecliff. One of her most notable exploits on the coast was when the coastal steamer Gale broke adrift front another tug while being towed from Wanganui to Wellington. The Gale had damage.d her propeller while entering port and a tug cantc up from Wellington to take her south for docking. After their departure from Wanganui a westerly gale sprang up and the disabled steamer broke adrift. She wallowed helplessly in heavy seas and drifted in toward the Rangitikei Beach and a dangerous lee shore. The vessel’s plight was known at Castiecliff and within a very short time the Kahanui was under steam and heading out to sea. When she reached the Gale and succeeded in making a line fast, the broken-down coaster was almost in the surf. In spite of the westerly, the Kahanui was successful in towing the Gale to Wellington. Later, this incident was followed by an interesting salvage claim and a writ was nailed to the mainmast of the Gale. Th? Kahanui's crew shared in the proceeds. In later years the s.s. Gale was sold to an Australian firm and renamed Wooton. She left New Zealand in 1935 and was replaced in the following year by a new coastal motor-ship of the same name.

The Kahanui also assisted in the un-succes-ful attempts to refloat the Pore Eowen after she went ashore at Castlecliff in 1939.