TOA AGROUND

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 1, Issue 10, 12 May 1939, Page 5

TOA AGROUND

SPENDS SOME HOURS ON SANDBANK REFLOATED ON NEXT TIDE Climax to an eventful period in the working of the port of Whakutane came yesterday when the North ern Steamship Company's Toa ran on a sandbank near the Flat Rock and failed to free herself when the tide turned. She remained on the sandbank all afternoon and did not come off until the tide was high again about 11 o'clock last night. This is the third time that the Toa has touched this bank, but-on prevL ous occasions she has managed to free herself when the tide turned and the bank was cut away under the influence of the current and the wash of her screw. Shipping men say that usually there is a final run-dn from the open sea just on, the turn of the. tide, but it did not help the vessel to free herself on this occasion. The Toa came off last night with. Out any trouble and was quickly berthed alongside the wharf. She suffered no damage as boats of her type are, of course, built for this sort of incident. What is needed is a good flood to scour out the shoals. Just now there is enough water on the bar itself, but the mouth of <the channel up the river is hemmed in with sandbanks and it is. a ticklish business swinging a ship as long as the Toa.