COASTAL VESSEL BUFFETED BY HUGE SEAS
WELLINGTON, June 30. Unahi e t.o see land in any direetion, the 555-ton eoastal vessel Holmlea, iiound from Dunedin to Wellington was fqreed to weather the worst of th«_ Veeent southerly storm in the open sea to the south of Cook Strait. Hove tu from 11 a.jn. Friday until 5 o'clock Barurday afternoon, she . was. shippmg water continually. The erew, whose quarters are situated forward, were foreed to rernain in the ship's galley ,.md store-room while ofl' watch. Although the ship was just moving into Ihe seas, keeping otf" the dangerous lee shores presented by Palliser Bay and the south coast of the North Island, she was damaged by gigantic rollers whien swept her from stem to stern. A lite4oat on the starboard side was stove m . and a water tank on the forecastle heaa wrenahed away from its fit.tings. The ship's third engineer, , Mr. ±". Gleeson, had a narrow escape from drqwning when a big sea came ahoara gt the height of the storm. He was racing aft in front of the water when he slipped and the wave overtook him. Pioking him up hodily it carried him almost half the length of the ship to the stern. As he was on the point oi being swept overboard, his feet hecame ( entangled in the steering mechanism which is, raised above the deck. The water receded leaving him bruised hut safe "Had we had sight of the coast during our ordeal, " said the master of the Holmlea, Captain R. Rutledge, "we wquld have sought shelter perhaps qnder Cape Campbell but with visibility rgduced to less tlian 50 yards and our iast sight of the coast taken off Aka--roa, it was too dangerous to approaen tJie'shqre in any direetion." The Holmlea made the port of Wellington on Sunday morning. Three cqlliers from the W-est Coast, expected in Wellington on Friday, the Kaimai, Karu and Wingatui, arrived. today. Unable to make progress against head seas in Cook Strait, they anchored beliind Long Island in Queen Charlotte Sound tlxroughout the weekend, •' " - J
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Chronicle (Levin), 1 July 1947, Page 5
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344COASTAL VESSEL BUFFETED BY HUGE SEAS Chronicle (Levin), 1 July 1947, Page 5
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