SHIPPING MISHAP

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 11, Issue 8, 21 March 1947, Page 5

SHIPPING MISHAP

S.S. OTIMAI ON SAND BAR

WHAKATANE HEADS INCIDENT Floated off yesterday afternoon, apparently none the worse for her ordeal, the Northern Steamship Company’s M.V. Otimai, arrived at the Whakatane wharves to discharge cargoes after spending a day and an anxious night stranded on a sand-bank at the Whakatane Heads bar. Her stranding on Wednesday afternoon when . seeking to negotiate the western channel caused considerable public interest and large crowds of onlookers attended at the Heads until well into the night.

Arriving off the bar on Wednesday aftei’noon, the Otimai was met by the Port Whakatane, the Harbour Board’s launch. The eastern channel which is normally used was found to be unworkable owing to its shallowness, the seasonable result of the continued dry spell. The ship drew 7 feet, and it was considered in view of the calm weather that by keeping close to the rock channel on the western entrance a good passage could be made. With the Otimai in tow this was attempted by the ,‘Port’, and good headway was made until opposite the ‘Welcome Rock’ when the vessel fouled a shelving sand-bank and remained fast.

On the falling tide all efforts to move her had to be abandoned and she was made fast by an after-line to ‘Welcome Rock’ for the night. Some concern was felt in the early evening when the sky became overcast and threatening weather gathered. However the clouds cleared away and at 4 a.m. a further attempt was made to dislodge the stranded vessel. Unfortunately at the psychological moment the line to the rock snapped and though the vessel momentarily floated free she quickly stranded again, and in the darkness it was found impraticable to make fast a new line. The attempt was abandoned until yesterday afternoon, when with the rising tide a combined effort by the Harbour Board’s launch, newly attached lines and the vessel’s screws turning up the sand she freed herself and entered deeper water. The Otimai was captained by her master, Captain L. Johnson. She was direct from Auckland, with a full load of general merchandise and Paper Mill equipment, and with Whakatane as her first port of call. Dur-ing the latter part of yesterday, her cargo was lightened by ‘ the dumping overboard of a considerable number of petrol and oil drums, which though full floated shorewards on the incoming tide and were all safely retrieved. This action must have played a substantial part in her successful refloating. As far as can be ascertained, there is no actual damage to the hull, and the vessel is discharging her cargo today.