LOSS OF KOTITI

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 32, 8 February 1932, Page 10

LOSS OF KOTITI

MAGISTERIAL INQUIRY

AN UNFINISHED VOYAGE

THEORY OF DISASTER

A Magisterial inquiry into the loss, of the small motor vessel Kotiti in October last was commenced in the Magistrate's Court to-day. Mr. E. Pago, S.M., has with him as assessors Captain G. "Wilkinson and Mr. F. AY. Grainger. The only witness called this morning was Captain J. Williams, a previous master of the Kotiti, who gave it as his opinion that the ship was as fine a seahoat for her size as had been built. He did not, however, consider her a good boat when loaded with coal by the head. In opening, the Crown Solicitor said that the Kotiti was a motor ship built at Auckland in 1898, and for many years she traded in the Hauraki Gulf, bho was later purchased by a Lyttclton firm, and after the earthquake in 1929 she was bought by the Oparara •shipping Company to trade between Westport, Little Wanganui, Karamoa, and West Haven. As the roads were blocked she served a most useful purpose in keeping up communications between these ports, and for a time the owners were subsidised by the Post Office. In 1931 the Kotiti went into the cargo trade between Westport these other ports, Foxton, and Wellington. The ship was of 61.4 tons gross. She was last surveyed in July, 1931, all the requirements of the Marine Department as to repairs and renewals beinocarried out to the fullest extent. There was never any hesitation on the part of the company to comply with the requests of the Department. The vessel was further repaired at the end of September, 1931, and she was on her second round trip after that time when the disaster happened. The ship left Wellington at 2.45 p.m. on 2nd October, and arrived in Westport at 4.50 a.m. on the 4th. She was held up at Seatoun for a time on account of a hot bearing. After discharging general cargo at \\estport, the ship took on 39 tons of coal for Foxton and 108 empty oil drums. Some of these were stacked in the holds on top of the coal and, as a permit had been obtained, it was concluded that 62 drums were on the deck. The drums each weighed between 100 and IOGIb. The Kotiti was due to leave Westport at 11 p.m. on 9th October. The Collector of Customs went down to the boat at this time, but all was in darkness. There was no one in charge, but someone on the boat told him that she was not going till after 2 a.m. He- went home expecting to be rung up when the boat was ready to leave. . j FRICTION BETWEEN" OWNER AND CAPTAIN. '' I might at this stage explain,'' counsel said, '' that the engineer, Soares, was a part-owner of the vessel, the other shares in the company being held by three Karaniea residents. It appears that there was some friction between him and the master as to who was to run the vessel. On the night of the 9th Soares was out with some friends, and the ship was held up until his return. He did not return until after 3 a.m., and the ship left Westport some time after 4 a.m." No one rang up the Collector of Customs, nor did anyone ring up the signalman at the bar, as was customary, to find out what the weather was like outside. That was the last heard of the vessel. The crew of the Kotiti, counsel went on, consisted of Captain Johansen, the master, Soares, the engineer, Hughes, a seaman, Davis, the cook and general hand, and Clark the boy. It had also been clearly established that there were two passengers, Matthews, a telegraphist, and Cuminings, a taxi-driver at Westport. While the Kotiti was not allowed to carry passengers, it was now known that sometimes she took on passage-workers and occasionally Soares took guests for trips. v The weather conditions were extremely bad on the coast on the night of the 10th and the morning of the 11th October, said counsel, and the conclusion the Marine Department had come to was that the ship had pushed on up the coast and when attempting to round Farewell Spit had got broadside on to the sea and been pushed on to her beams, and overwhelmed and sunk. PREVIOUS MASTER'S EVIDENCE. The first witness was Captaiu John Williams, who was master of the Kotiti at the time of her last survey in July, 1931. Witness gave details of the ship and of repairs and alterations made, to the ship during her last survey. After she came off the slip the vessel leaked forward, and pumping had to be resorted to. Although this was rather exceptional in this class of vessel witness expected that the vessel would gradually tighten up, and that was what happened. Witness thought that the ship was seaworthy, but between July and September, 1931, when witness left the ship, there was trouble with leaks. On 4th September, the vessel .was beached at Balena Bay on account of the water in her, and on 13th September she was beached at Little Wanganui, where a worm-eaten plank was found in the outer skin. It was not possible at that time to take out the plank, so a piece of sheet lead was placed over it. The vessel still continued to leak. Witness considered it a serious matter seeing the ship was carrying general cargo, but he did not consider it dangerous. The reason he left the Kotiti was partly because of a difference between him and Mr. Soares as to the control of the ship, and partly because of the ship engaging in the coal trade. To carry a payable load of coal the vessel had to be fully laden "by the head" and she then was not a good sea boat. She refused to rise in a sea but "punched" straight through it. He only carried one full load of coal, and then refused to sail the ship with a full load. It was only in the last month or so that the ship had engaged in the coal trade. Witness said he once had a difference with Soares about pushing the ship ahead in bad weather, and in the end Soares had agreed with him, and the ship had to put back to Nelson, on a trip from. Wellington to Westport A GOOD SEA BOAT. Mr. Page: "Had she been another vessel of the same size but of different characteristics would the same feelings about going on still have been entertained by you?" Witness: "Had she been another vessel of the same size the chances are she would never have got round Stephen's Island because this vessel was one of the best little sea boats for her sizo that was ever built.'' In answer to counsel for the Seamen's Union, witness said that his theory of how the ship was lost was that the tarpaulin at the forward end had got loose. The inexperienced boy would be at the wheel between 6 and 8 p.m., and when he was in the wheelhouse he could not see- outside. With the tarpaulin loose the ship took in so much water that she became heavy by the head and unmanageable before anyone realised what had happened. Counsel: "Do you. consider the ship was adequately manned in view of the trips she had to make on this coast?" —"She was manned according to the regulations, but I consider that in place of the boy there should have been an A.8., or at least a good ordinary seaman."

Pressed further, witness agreed that the vessel did really require another man.

"Do you reckon this vessel was a