Shipping News

Press, 11 April 1979, Page 29

Shipping News

Former ship’s officer recalls tug trauma

A photograph which appeared in “The Press” ] yesterday prompted mixed i memories for Captain H. J. I Gordon, who is the manager of the R. A. Owens Groups i Lyttelton office of Seaport i Operations, Ltd. The photograph showed the former Wellington steam tug Taioma being taken by 1 trailer from the Bay of Plentv Harbour Board’s slipway to the Tauranga District ( Museum. Mr R. A. Owens gave the Taioma as a memorial to the merchant seamen who were killed in two world wars. The tug’s records list the name of Second Officer H. J. Gordon during the salvage of a Union Steam Ship Company vessel, Waiana, in 1959. Captain Cordon said vesterday that he remembered the incident well. At the time he was second officer on the WellingtonPicton ferry Tamahine. He was called from his Wellington home in the' early hours of the morning: during a severe storm to loard the Taioma and assist with the salvage. The Waiana was a cargo >hip on the Australian trade which ran aground at French Pass, near the enrance to Golden Bay, with a targo of salt on board. All power had been lost on the Waiana, and it took; he Taioma, carrying emer-l gency generators and light-

tng equipment, more than 12 hours to battle the heavy Cook Strait seas and reach the' stricken vessel. The Waiana was eventually refloated and was able to make her own' way to Nelson; she actually beat the Taioma to the port. It took the stout tug several days to make the return journey, making little progress against head winds and high seas at the height of the storm. Captain Gordon intends to keep his options open on whether he will inspect the tug on his next visit to Tauranga. “I saw quite enough of her during my temporary service,” he said. ARRIVALS Sinaia <3.30 p.m.), 10,838, Konstanza (Guthreys). DEPARTURES Nil. EXPECTED ARRIVALS Hanka Sawicka, Wellington, today. Coastal Trader. Dunedin, today. Union Hobart, Wellington, today. Union Hobart. Dunedin, April 14. Kangourou. Wellington. April 15. .Holmdale, Chatham Islands, April j 15. 1 Coastal Trader, Auckland, April 16. Union Lyttelton, Wellington, April 17. PROJECTED DEPARTURES Coastal Trader, Auckland, today. Union Hobart, Dunedin, today. Sinaia. Rumania. April 12. Union Hobart, Wellington, April 14. Coastal Trader, Dunedin, April 16VESSELS IN PORT Isinaia. Cashin Quay No. 1. ■ Khudozhnik Deyneka No. 3 West.