ASHORE ON JAPANESE COAST

Dominion, Volume 32, Issue 152, 23 March 1939, Page 13

ASHORE ON JAPANESE COAST

Rowanbank’s Experience

BLOWN FROM MOORINGS BY GALE By Telegraph—Press Association. AUCKLAND, March 22. While on the Japanese coast in January the Bank Line steamer .Rowanbank, which arrived at Auckland from Sourabaya, Java, to discharge raw sugar at Chelsea, was driven ashore during a gale with three other steamers and remained on a sandy beach for five days before being floated off. AH the vessels beached escaped damage. The Rowanbank, of 5100 tons, arrived at Muroran harbour, on the southeast corner ot’ the island of Muroran, on January 16. At sunrise on January 20, while moored inside a break-water'-with two anchors down, a strong north-westerly gale developed, intermingled with snow, the temperature never being above 25deg. The vessel started to roll heavily, swinging with the wind. Shortly afterward, the port anchor carried away, breaking off like a piece of string. The vessel then started to drag her starboard anchor. Though steaming slowly, it was impossible to keep the ship from drifting, still dragging the starboard anchor with all the cable out. The harbour was full of steamers, including three British ships, the Llanover, of 5000 tons, the Ashbridge, about 3000 tons, and the Rowanbank. From her anchorage behind the breakwater the Rowanbank was being driven by the wind across the harbour away from the breakwater into rough water. Several times she narrowly escaped bumping other vessels. Getting near the land the Rowanbank was blown on to a sandy beach some three miles from the breakwater. “All we could do was to stop there till the wind subsided, with three other Steamers and two Japanese ships in the same plight scattered round the harbour,” said Mr. L. Mills, the third officer.

Several attempts were made to get the Rowanbank off at high water, but these were not successful till the fifth day. The steamer bunkered there and left on January 28 for Yokohama, three days later going into dry dock for survey, but no repairs were needed.