MANUKA ENQUIRY

Hokitika Guardian, 7 January 1930, Page 5

MANUKA ENQUIRY

THE CAPTAIN’S EVIDENCE. (By Telegraph—Press Association). '■ DUNEDIN, Jail. 7. The nautical inquiry into the wreck of the Manuka opened this morning before Magistrate Bundle, and Captains Worrall and Stringer (assessors). Crown Solicitor Adams represented the Marine Department, Mr Haggitt the Union Coy., Mr Hanlon, Captain Ross Clark and Mr Cecil Rivers, Carlyon, the third officer. Captain Ross Clark said he had been master of the Manuka for three months in 1928 and seven months in 1929. He left the Bluff on December 16th. The compass then was in thorough working order. The vessel steered moderately well. He had never found any deviation of her course due to steering. The vessel was equipped with a (patent sounding machine. The tide was half ebb when ho left Bluff. At 7.33 p.m. ,Waipapa Point lighthouse was seen bearing north one degree east. The weather was showery and the lighthouse sometimes was obscured, but he managed to get a bearing. The loom of the land was seen most of the way between Bluff and Waipapa. At eight o’clock bearing was taken. There was neither mist nor fog. At 10.15 the log was read by a seaman. The third officer was then on watch. Between 9.18 and 10.30 he hud no view of the land whatever. At 10.30 the position shown on the chart before the Court would put the ship tw/> miles ahead of the beam hearing off Long Point. He was on the bridge till 10.49, when he returned to the foot of the ladder leading to the bridge, when he heard the wheel going over lim'd and saw the third officer with his hand on the'engine room telegraph, with the lever down to the astern position. "Witness asked what was wrong, and was told they were right on the land. It was difficult to say now in what order events occurred in, as all happened in a flash, but he--rushed to the dodger and looked ever and then gave the order—Stop the port engine. He saw breakers close by, the ship swinging, and then she struck the rocks.

Ross Clark (Captain), a witness, said after striking lie saw there was a heavy mist hanging down over the land at Long Point. The moon which was practically full was obscured by clouds. He attributed the wreck to an abnormal set from east to west, an experience between Waipapa Point and the time she struck, which he had never experienced, and had never heard of anyone else experiencing. If the current had been setting as jpreviously in his experience, at the time of the wreck he should have been nine miles, on an average, and at x least six miles out from the wreck. According to- the chart before the Court he should have passed Long Point about live miles off. AY hen marking tliq chart, lie made no ajlowance for the current as he had plenty of sea room. The actual bearings showed he was seven miles back and four' and a half to five miles inshore from the set course. That was a serious deviation. It did not occur to him that there might be a set inshore that night, but he allowed it to bo five miles off shore. He considered the visibility was not so low as to make' it necessary to take soundings. The wreck might possibly, or would probably, have been avoided had frequent soundings been taken and the speed reduced. The Chief Engineer informed him the speed was 12£ or 13 knots, in this instance lie had to be taking the distance by log using engine revolutions as a check. 'Witness then gave details of the steps taken after the wreck to ascertain his position and get the passengers and crew into boats. There was a long swell with eight or nine foot lift. Some littlp difficulty was experienced in getting the passengers into the boats. At 11.20 p.m. from the bridge he saw the Nuggets light. When they struck, witness could not see more than a quarter of a mile along the point, but visibility was greater out to sea. The weather cleared and the land was never again obscured tiom view. In No. 1 boat which was lowered first witness put the chart and bridge book, the Chief Engineer being in charge. That boat was stove in against the ship’s side and filled with water. The people in tlie boat were transferred to other boats. The papers were put in a bag but the chart eventually got adrift and could not bo found, even though he went out again and searched the boat bridge. Both came out of the bag in a mutilated condition. He could rot ask for anything better than the behaviour of lus officers and crew.