REPORT OF MARINE DEPARTMENT.

17

G.-tfo.

Date of Casualty. Name of Vessel; also, Age and Class when known. Rig. •Is No. of Crew. No. of Passengers. Nature of Cargo. Nature of Casualty. No. of Lives Lost. Place where Casualty took placo. Wind. Finding of tho Court of Enquiry. Name of Master of Vessel. Direction Force. Ci 1871. Feb. 20 Banshee, 6 years. Schooner ... ro: Stranded ; total loss. Danger Reef, Mooraki Bay. N.E. Fresh breeze... Error in judgment on part of master in not ascertaining his position during tho voyage ; and master blamed for not using lead constantly. Stress of weather; no blame to master. J. Eckhoff. Twilight, 2£ years. Ditto Kauri gum Ditto ... Riiliu Boy, near Cape Maria Van Diemen. About 3 miles N.W. from New River. Whole gale ... W. Meiklcjohn. Mar. 25 66 5 2 s.w. ., 27 Hindu, 4 yrs, (Norwegian) Brig 255 li Tea Ditto ... s.w. Ditto Miscalculation of leeway and drift; master blamed for not taking soundings. Broke from hor anchors, and was put on beach to save life. Unable to weather the point owing to fresh inshore wind and heavy C. Sandberg. April 5 Charlotto Cutter 21 3 Flour ... Ditto ... Tahanui Beach, in Hawke's Bay. Kempo Point, 5 miles W. of Jackson's Head, Cook Strait. Moeraki Bay S.E. Gale W. Johnson. n 17 Jane ,., ... Ketch li) 2 Ballast ... Ditto ... S.E. Fresh W. Watts. May 10 Pretty Jane, as., 1 year. Foam Three-masted schooner. Ketch 10 Shooksand coal. Grain ... Stranded j partial loss. Stranded ; total loss. Ditto ... S.W. Strong sea. J. Christian. 90 Master exonerated from all blame. „ 24 40 4 Farewell Spit S.W. Strong gale ... jStress of weather. J. A. Aschman. ,, 27 Tairos, s.s., 6 years. Schooner ... 51 8 2 General... Molyneux River Bar Westerly Moderate Master committed error in judgment in entering the river after dark, and against ebb tide. Owner blamed for sending vessel to sea in a leaky state, and in charge of a young and comparatively inexperienced man. Vessel lost through tho leading marks being blown down. Vessel lost through gear being old, and insufficient ballast. G. M'Kinnan. ,, 28 Julia, 18 years. Ditto 15 2 Firewood Ditto ... 1 Taketu Point, Kawau Passago, Hauraki Gulf. N.E. Strong breeze Murdock M'Kay. June 1 Industry, 12 years. Eclair, 111 yearB. Ditto 3 Timber... Ditto ... Waikato Bar Westerly Ditto J. Hay. 21 „ 22 Cutter 17 2 Ballast ... Ditto ... Tairua Harbour, inside tho Bar. E.N.E. Moderate gale J. Stevens.

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