WRECK OF KAPONGA

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 260, 25 June 1932, Page 5

WRECK OF KAPONGA

(Press. Assn.—

official to blame MARINE COURT FINDS HARBOUR ]$ASTE8 GAVE WRONG " ' " SOUNDINGS "NO JU STIFIC ATION FOR LOSS"

■By Telegrapli — Gopyrlgiit).

' WELLINGTON, Friday. Tiiie wreck bf ithe lcollier Kaponga on the Greymouth Bar on May 27 was entirely due to inaccurate information as to the depth of the ivater on the bar given by the Harbour Master at Greymouth to Captain Gray, of tlne Kaponga, according to tlie judgment of the court of inquiry dejivcred to-(|ay. The court made an order that the Greymouth Harbour Board pay the costs of the inquiry, which were fixed at £47 5s, plus assessorS' fees and withesses' expenses.' ' ' "In oqr opinion there was no justification for the loss of this vessel," the judgment states. "There were no difficulties of wind', sea, eurrent, or visibility) the area to he sounded was small, and there was ample"time and opportunity for the harbour officials to have ascertained and S'upplied correct information as to the position of the bar and the depth of the water thereon. Heavy south-westerly to westerly weather was calculated to cause the bar to silt up and to change its position and formation, but no adequate steps were, in our opinion, taken to ascertaln such change. We have no reason to doubt that such soundings as were taken were accurate, but with vessels of the size of the Kaponga and the ICalingo, each with a beamof over 40 feet and with a draught descending to within a few feet of the known hottom, about to sail, the soundings should, after such weather, have been made at considerably closer intervals, and over a substantially wider area. If tliese obvious steps had been taken the shoals woulil have been located and the vessel would not liave been lost." Board's Responsibility In holding the board responsible the judgment said the Harbourmaster assured the master of the Kaponga that there would he 21ft 3in of navigable water on the bar. Iln fact there was less than 18ft 6in. The information given hy the Ilarbourmaster was tlius virtually inaccurata. In regard to the presence of the master of the Kaponga when the soundings were taken the judgment said he was not entitled to interfere with operations, and his presence was to inform himself of the gcneral conditions of the weather, the swoll, the set of the tide, and the position of the bar, rather than to check or interfere with the sounding operations. The Harbour Master, with his intimate daily knowledge of the harbour, was the one to decide what soundings he needed to take. The Real Cause "We thinlc," concluded the judgment, that the master of the Kaponga was justified in relying on the information and advice given him by the Harbour Master. It was unfortunate that the master of the ICalingo did not ensure that an adequate whistle was given when his vessel touched the bar, and it was unfortunate that those who saw the signal that was given should have failed to communicate it to the master of the Kaponga, but in the court's opinion the real and substantial cause of the loss of the vessel was due to the inaccurate information as to the depth of water on the bar given by the Harbour Master to the master of the Kaponga."