KOTITI SAFE.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 19140, 25 October 1927, Page 11

KOTITI SAFE.

TOWED TO PORT BY TUG. The small motor vessel Kotiti, the non-arrival of which from Kaikoura caused some anxiety in port over the week-end, was brought into port by the Harbour Board's tug yesterday afternoon, neither the ship nor the crew being any the worse for the experience. For the previous 24 hours the little vessel had been 'iding out a terrific south-easterly gale. Yesterday morning someone rang up the Sockburn Aerodrome and reported that a vessel answering to the description of the Kotiti was anchored off the New Brighton Beach, down towards the Waimakariri. A little later a telephone message was received by the Harbour Board Signal Station at Adderley Head from Waikuku, stating that the Kotiti could be seen about three miles off shore, near tho Waimakariri. Both messages stated that tlie vessel had been there since Sunday. Mr F. E. Sutton, the agent for the Kotiti at' Lyttelton, immediately arranged for the tug Lyttelton to go out and bring her in. Stores were placed aboard the tug in case those in the Kotiti should have run short of food, and the tug left at 11.50 a.m. Continuous heavy squalls of sleet, rain, and snow made the task of picking up the little vessel a difficult one, but she was eventually sighted and taken in tow at 2 p.m., port being reached at 3.30.

In addition to Captain C. • Anderson, tho Kotiti carries the following crew: —C. Anderson, jun. (mate), R. Rutherford (engineer), B. Anderson (A.8.), and Q. Lane (ordinary seaman). When they arrived the last of their food had just been eaten, but they still had the life-boat stores, which would have lasted a few" more days. Nevertheless, a huge billy of hot broth, which was placed aboard, proved very welcome. The crew were quite comfortable and dry.

Captain Anderson had little to add to the story already published. He said that for the first \fevr hours on leaving Kaikoura the wind was favourable and they made good progress; then the wind dropped and they drifted until Friday. It was Thursday that the Kaikoura launch spoke them. On Friday the wind freshened again and the Kotiti sailed as far as Gore Bay. The wind then changed and they were blown back some distance. On Saturday the wind was south-west and little progress was made, bub early on Sunday morning the wind backed to east-south-east, giving them a .good lead until off the Waimakariri. As she could not then tack off shore, the Kotiti anchored. In case she should be sighted.by a passing vessel the code signal "Report mo to my owners" was flown, but the weather was too thick for her to be seen except at brief intervals from the shore. Those on board seemed less concerned over their adventures than their friends on shore. It was suggested to one member of the crew that he would no doubt be glad to get homo for a- good meal, and a sleep. "A sleep?" was the reply. "Why, I am invited to a party to-night—and'l'm going." The Kotiti has a spare shaft at Lyttelton, and she will be placed on the slip to-day and the new shaft fitted. It is expected that she will resume running to-morrow. The motor trawler Pioneer, which' sailer! from Lyttelton on Sunday night in search of the Kotiti,' went as far as Motunau, and returned to port at ten ' o'clock yesterday morning, after being severely handled in the southeasterly gale. Visibility was so poor that although she must have passed the Kotiti twice, she saw no sign of lior.