RISKS OF THE COASTAL TRADE.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1628, 20 December 1912, Page 5

RISKS OF THE COASTAL TRADE.

• POINTS RAISED IN .STRANDING , . . case. ; : •■ . ..;. (By Telegrnph.--Press' Association.) • ■ . Napier, December 19. The magisterial inquiry into the strandIng of tho Wekaat Porangahau in October was held before Mr. M'Carthy, S.M., with Captains Post and .Petersen, as assessors. The .evidence- went : to.. show that the weather was hazy and the seaman on duty failed to detect land or hear the breakers till the vessel bumped. .Captain Harraldeen had been, on. .duty 'practically . the. whole" of the previous day,'and was_ just obont, to go below , when the mishap occurred. . • . . •■ . . The Court found; :(1) That the casualty was-caused-.by 'the joint act. of the master,. Captain : Hiirraldsen and Nelson, : a iseaman;; (2) that it was usual with isteamers. of .the same -olass'-'-io ; leave ao A.B. in cKargo when •■standing in to land; (3)' that the master set the proper, course; which was not followed by Nelson;; (4) that when the master, left the bridge the weather had cleared, and the whole coastline wns ;risible, and the : seaman .Nelson failed to call,the master, as instructed, as soon as the weather became thick and hazy.

Tho Court directed the attention of the Ministerfor Marine to the excessive hours ■worked by -small .steamers.. employed in thesame class of work/to the.necessity of altering the law.so as to prevent vessels of like tonnage from proceeding to sea with'but one certificated officer, and to the dangerous practice of leaving the deck in charge of. an iincertincated officer. The master's certificate: was returned..