WANGANELLA FREED FROM REEF

Chronicle (Levin), 7 February 1947, Page 4

WANGANELLA FREED FROM REEF

Press Association

THOUSANDS SEE LINER REFLOATED AND TOWED SAFELY TO PORT

By Telegraph — j

WELLINGTON, Feb. 6. The Wanganella was freed from Barrett's Reef at 9.10. tonight. She had been stranded there since the night of Sunday, January 19. After being freed, she proceeded in tow to port. The final stages in the freeing of th'e Huddart Parker Company's 9576 tons t\yin-screw motor vessel were watchec^. j by thousands of spectators on the foreshore and from the hills. When she hit water and hegan to move, it was the signal for a prolonged tooting of' motor horns and the cheering of the shore spectators. The sirens of the three tugs hooted and morse signals from the ship worked in somewhat of a triumphant display. The Wanganella proceeded stern first in tow, e'dging her way almost imperceptibly in cairn waters. The weather was . overcast and still with a light northeriy breeze. The shfp was fully illuminated and the scene, except for the reduced speed, tugs and spectators, could not have been much different from that on the night she struck. She appeared to be well down at the bow. She was e*ot off hrst of all bv haul- the Toia and other tugs, several hun-

ing on the mushroom anehors with her winches and using the full power of her propellors so far as it was possible in the depth of water. The tug Toia was pulling her stern almost due east. The bow had obviously been lightened possibly l)y the use of compressed air. This gave her just enough freedom to permit thft swinging of the stern to the east. The first moVement of the stern was in the order of 30 to 35 degrees east witli the bow, in the course of the movement, reeeding off the reef. Her list of 10 to 15 degrees whieh was previously to star board, went to port. She began to' roll between her list and vertical and this, with the pull of the tugs and pull on the mushroom anehors, allowed her to be gradually swung off the reef. She finally eame off in line east and _west having previously been north and south. The first real signs of movement off the reef came at 7.50 p.m. with the Toia pulling the Wanganella 's stern towards Pencarrow Ilead. The liner then had ? slight list to port and was being eased gently backwards and forwards in a turning motion. At 8 p.m. the Express steamer, Wahine, steamed out of the harbour, slackening speed as she passed the Wanganella. Shortly after this the Wanganella righted" herself slowly and toolc a list to starboard. The Toia continued pulling and at 8.15 p.m., as the last light faded from the sky, the Wanganella swung through about 70 degrees, thus presenting her starboard side to the shore onlookers. This" was the signal for tlae sounding of thousands of horns on parked cars ashore. From Beacon Hill came resounding eheers from excited throats and the ni'ght was hushed with expectancy for the next movement. The Toia slackened ner tow rope at 8.35 p.m. and steamed up alongside the Wanganella. A few minutes later she moved avmy again to her towing position. It was now dark and all that could be seen, apart from the ship, was the flashing of ' ' blinlciug billy ' ' reef buoy light. The liner herself was a blaze of lights with contrast given by the less splendid displays of

dred yards to port. Flashes and sparks„could be seen from shore at 9.3 p.m. from tlxe position on the stern of the ship, apparently as the wire cables to the mushroom anehors ! were cut with a- blow toreh. The masthead navigation light fiashed on and off several times and a great clieer went up from the shore erowd as the Toia pulled the Wanganella 's stern round towards the harbour entrance. Fifteen minutes later the Wanganella, with her stern high out of the water, was towed slowly away from the reef and up the harbour entrance, her bow well down. The vessel came alongside the north end of Aotea Quay at 11.30 p.m. It was a great feat of seamanship. Towed bow first she came in without a hiteh. She used her own serews and was drawing 36 feet forward. The serews were threshing as she came alongside and half her rudder eould be seen. She had a list to port of -between 5 and 10. degrees. Her forward well deck, whieh, on the way in, seemed almost level with the. water, was below the jetty. The pumps were g'oing and pumping will be continued with wharfside pumps to reduce draught before the ship can be towed into place on - the floating dock. The tug Terawhiti was pulling the ship with a line on to her bows. The tug Kahunui was alongside. The Wangauella's air conipressors set up a steady roar but her main engines did not appear to operate until she slowed herself.' As the mooring lines went asllove at Aotea Wherf, the stern was high out of the water so that the rudder and tip of the propeller blade were visible and when the propellers were set. in motion tliev chopped the surface of the water. When she tied up the foreeastle was on a level with the wharf and the forward hatches well below. Alany spectators climbed the fences and had to be kept clear of the wharf 's edge while the ship made fast. There is only five or six feet of freeboard between the water and bawser lioles on the foredeck. She was listing a good 10 degrees to- port.