WRECK OF THE TASMAN
NAUTICAL COURT’S FINDING MASTER AND FIRST OFFICER BLAMED By Telegraph—Press Association. Auckland. June 9. Tho Nautical Court, which inquired into the wreck of the steamer Tasman near Whakatane on May 12, found that the cause of tho disaster was that tho vessel was out of her proper course, and struck ono of tho Rurima rocks, becoming a total wreck. Evidence had boon put before the Court that in tho vicinity of White Island tho needle of the compass would bo liable to be deflected by a magnetic disturbance which was said to exist at the time the casualty occurred. Whether that was so or not, the Court was of opinion that the first officer was negligent in not taking steps to ascertain his correct distance off tho land at Town Point. Tho Court wns also of opinion that the master did not take sufficient care, or, at best, did not exercise good judgment, when deciding the distance that <nc vessel was off the land at Matatil. The Court was further of opinion that when the chief officer drew the master's attention to tho ship’s closeness to the Rurima rocks, the master, in sending a message to the officer on the bridge to alter the course a quarter of a point to tho south was not taking sufficient precautions for the safety of the vessel. The. fact that a rock could be seen against a background of black cloud implied that the ship was very close to that rock. Had the master exercised/ proper care when this report was made to him, he would have ascertained tho fact, and it might be that if at that time the course had been altered more to the south, that might have saved the vessel from striking the rock.
Tho Court considered that both the master and tho first officer did not exercise proper care in navighting the vessel. They would njake no order in regard to their certificates, but the master would be ordered to pay .£2O and the chief officer .£lO towards the cost of the inquiry. Their certificates were returned to the captain and tho chief officer.
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Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 219, 10 June 1921, Page 6
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360WRECK OF THE TASMAN Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 219, 10 June 1921, Page 6
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