THE DAYS OF SAIL

Hokitika Guardian, 9 March 1931, Page 2

THE DAYS OF SAIL

CAPTAIN J. E. DAWSON’S experience. Captain J. E. Dawson, whose resignation as harbourmmaster at Wellington was received by the Wellington Harbour Board this week, bad many interesting experiences while at sea, including service in several iainous

clipper ships. He has been connected with the sea practically all his life and learnt his seamanship in the hard but thorough school of sail. Although lie has .salted most of the seas ot the world, lie is a New Zealander by birth, having been uorii on •) u'y Btb, 1869, at .Maburangi, a little seaside town about thirty miles north of Auckland. As a boy ol fifteen ho began his apprenticeship in schooners and brigantines trading round me coast. From such coast-hugging craft he graduated naturally to the deep-sea

sailer, sen ing in turn in the Longston, the famous clipper Cutty Sark, and while with the New Zealand Shipping , Company for tour and a hall years in the .Matalira, one ol the lost of the frozen meat sailers in the New Zealand trade, and the Wuimnte, which was for years in the wool trade between New Zealand and London. After leaving the Waimate, Captain Dawson came out from Home in lHt;6 as eliiel officer in the Government steamer Tutanekai, the scuttling ol which in Cook Strait three weeks ago corresponded closely with Ids own retirement. On arrival here he joined the Union Steam Ship Company as a junior officer, serving in the R alcanna, Flora, Hauroto, and V’ainui. He was only twenty months in the company’s service, finishing up as relieving chief officer. Me gained his chief oflicier’.s and master’s certificates at Home. On July Ist. 1898, lie joined the permanent staff of the Wellington llarbour Board as a pilot. He succeeded Captain W. .Mulling as deputy-harbourmaster m January, 1915, and succeeded Captain 11. Johnston as harbouraster on April Ist 1915. WITH THE CUTTY SARK. It was in the years 1891 and 1892 that Captain Dawson was in the Cutty Sark, and he retains many vivid recollections of his experiences in that, com-posite-built clipper ,which has been classed as “the fastest sailing vessel afloat on beam and quartering winds.” She is now lying at rest in her original rig, in Falmouth Harbour. “.Masters of sailing vessels arc born and not made.” Captain Dawson once j told an "Evening Post” reporter, “like leaders in any other profession. W’e had a driver when 1 was in the Cutty Sark in Captain Woodgate, and we did some pretty sailing. On one occasion the Cutty Sark registered 353 miles for one day, which is a very fine performance. Her great rival was that, fine vessel tin; Thermopylae and on one occasion they had a race Home from Calcutta. The two vessels kept well together in the Indian Ocean, where the Cutty Sark’s rudder carried away, and six days were lost in fixing up a jury rudder. She could not then be driven for fear of the rudder being carried away again, and this did happen in the Atlantic, where two days were lost in making and fitting another jury rudder. Even then, and having to go at reduced speed, she reached London only six days after the i hermopylae.” Another incident Captain Dawson told of was when those on board through that the clipper’s end had come. It was a pitch-dark night in the Indian Ocean, blowing a gale with mountainous sens, and the Cutty Sark was tearing along still under her topgallant sails. Suddenly seas rose on either side as high as the main yard combed inwards, and fell witiT a crash on to the decks. Tlio vessel stopped suddenly and .shivered, and those on board thought she was gone—submerged. Slowly, however, she pushed her way up, shook herself free of the water, and was soon again slipping through the waves. "When .she reached port it was found that the hatches, underneath a lot of protective planking and coils of rope, had been broken by the force of the water, but scarcely any water had found its way below.