Late Captain George Carey's Career At Sea

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 14, Issue 33, 2 September 1949, Page 5

Late Captain George Carey's Career At Sea

Captain George Carey, Harbourmaster at Whakatane, and former skipper of many Auckland scows, who died recently aged p 2>, had spent a lifetime at sea around the New Zealand coast.

Born at Parua Bay, Whangarei Heads, Capt Carey’s heritage of the sea became apparent. Owning and sailing his yachts in various races, he later sailed engineless scows operating along the coasts North of Auckland. Acquiring his Master’s and Engineer’s certificates he later owned the sleek and powerful tug boat Lady Eva, and also the scows Scott, Alma, Onerahi and Ngahau, the latter two being built under his directions. The Ngahau Capt Carey sailed to a win the 1918 Scows Regatta. His mother and father dy:ng at an early age, Capt Carey was faced with the responsibility of carrying for his brothers and sisters. Of is three brothers two are ownerskippers and the youngest is a marine engineer. ,

Capt Carey soon earned an enviable reputation as a safe and able skipper, respected by any crew under his -command. He was responsible for many a present seaman’s Irst step in this career. An epic of Capt Carey’s colourful career was in crossing the Sumner bar at Christchurch in 1933. His was the first scow to cross ihe bar for some 30 years, and in addition an 80-ton boiler was straddled amidships to a mathematical nicety, dwarfing the craft and providing a thrill to the hundreds of spectators there to witness' the event. The boiler was intended for the gelatine works further up the river.

Capt Carey’s wife died two years ago after a long illness. He is survived by a son, a daughter and two grand daughters.

To keep a cool head: brush the hair upwards with two brushes: rub a hair toniq on the scalp with dabs of cotton wool.