Petrol Barge In Tow Turns Turtle

Chronicle (Levin), 8 June 1948, Page 5

Petrol Barge In Tow Turns Turtle

AUCKLAND, June 7. Carrying 14,000 gallons of petrol in tanks on the deek, the 70ft. barge Katie B, overturned in rough weather off the Thames eoast at 4 o'clock this morning. Hhe was being towed from Auckland to Paeroa by the launeh Phyllis when the accident occurred. There was no crew aboard. The barge Katie H and launeh owned by the Associated Motorists Petrol Co. Ltd., Auckland, make weekly voyages to Paeroa with petrol. Built as' a wooden ketch 40 years ago, the Katie S was converted to a petrol carrier during the war by mounting two 7000 gallon steel tanks on deck. With Mr. L. Curtis as skipper of the Jaimch, the two vessels left Auckland for Paeroa on Raturday. . Mr. Curtis said the bilges were pumped out before they left Te Kouma Bay, south of Coromandel, at 11.40 p.m. on Sunday. They immediately felt the force of the fresh southerly wind and a considerable head sea, and the launeh was forced to run at reduced speed. When the vessels were midway between Tapu and Puru and- about a mile offshore, the accident occurred. "I could not see how it happened," said Mr. Curtis. "It was a piteh blaek night and the barge was in tow 100 yarxjs astern. The barge 's lights were visible oue minute and gone the next.'7 When davlight came the crew of the Phvlli§ cou]d see th.e upturned hull of the Katie S "like a ballroom floor. " The launeh 's anchor was "made fast to the towline Which was dropped and at 5 a.m. thc- Phvllis left the partly submergecl barge for Auckland. Mr. Curtis said he expeeted the vessel would drift slowlv in a northerly direction up the Thames coast towards Coromandel. Warnings wero issued by the Marine Department that the "barge eon-; stituted a danger to navigation.