ROUGH VOYAGE

Hokitika Guardian, 12 July 1932, Page 5

ROUGH VOYAGE

. MAKURA IN GALE HER WORST TASMAN CROSSING, •’ ’ t ' I » „« , * (Per Press Association— ; Copyright.) ' . WELLINGTON, July 11. Battling her way through the centre of a cyclonic storm during the first two- days out jfrom Sydney,' the Lner "Makura,”- which, ./arrived in .port sbprtly after 1 p.m., to-day, about six hours late, experienced one of the 'worst Tasman crossings ■ that hav© falien- -to her lot during the years' she had ■ be ; -h in the Sydhey-San Francisco - mail service, - ‘ ■ ', 1 ' ;-' •• ;

. ’•‘There was a strong southerly and -. A heavy rain when We left Sydney,” -said v - on© °f the ship's officers,, describing the. trip,” an,d we had everything battered < L down 'and the cleared -before ■ we cleared the Heads; Outside, it was ;% blowing a full gale, with a very heavy A south-easterly swell* and -the, wind. A steadily increasing in force, reaching r '. storm ..force by-6 pun. The high. winch, Av caused high. , dangerous breaking seas, ■ which broke aerms the ship. We had y reduced the speed to eight , knots, < but . we were making good only about five '.(-(h knots. We were continually shipping >•/;. sms ; and heavy spray - and'.light water swept' right over the ship.--, .. - - • "In order to. protect the "ship, I wo y constantly, had tej change pur course, so . ; ; as to shoulder the •spas, .The sh p goes . best when taking seas slightly on tho ;.Aj beam, instead of directly-/head-on. The wind continued to b’ow a gale during / Friday night, with high'seas.©nd; a‘con-.\ fused, swell. The weather t' in gradu- . - ally ; veered through south-west to west- • ward, and as the . wind <Jrew aft, wo'.. j were ; . gradually... able to - increase our speed again.- - / “Blinding rain felly practically all u ’ the time, and " the . ship pitched -a nd tos- ‘ A se-d - heavily.' The average 1 speed from / As 4 p.m., on Thursday when the ship 'left .. / Sydney, until noon on Friday was about ■ nine knots\.'compared with the custom-' ' arv 15; knots. AThough. the ship' was'.' - still .rolling heavily, tlio galo moderat-. f ed considerably on ’Saturday, .when.- the 1 meed .-was increi-sed,- the average for the day :being 13i knots. *-;,/;/ 1-On Sunday the ’ship ran into a heavy east-south-east swell, which made . \ the ship; pitch almost as badly as befo.ro, ;i and caused further discomfit to the pas-renge-rs. ; From Stephens Island to Wellington the sea was smooth. /A-wy;-!. ‘‘Some of..them put in; an at lunch 1 td-day,’-’ ‘said’ ihe .officer when asked the; passengers stood* up to. % . tlie rough passage, , “Most •: of. them ■; -kept to th-sir cabins throughout the , trip; There .was oiie exception, how- ; ever, 'and that was it little girl of about 15“ years, who.never.missedja meal”. n ~X takura caineN'ffirbugh the /: storm practically ; unscathed, although • \ minor damage was-done. Portion of tho •tenk railing' on the,starboard aide of / t,’«e mein dec!? was carried away, but, otherwise, except , for a coatmg of salt-, - on the funnel, there \vas, little evidence to day of the buffeting that the ship : bad received, - ’ A"' *