DANGEROUS PORTAGE

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 3, Issue 665, 18 October 1933, Page 6

DANGEROUS PORTAGE

LAUNCH TAKEN OVER THE HILLS TO LAKE WAIKARE SAFELY LAUNCHED Gisborne, Tuesday. The arduous task of carting a 30 foot motor launch to Lake Waikaremoana was completed to-day and the vessel launched. It can be realised that the trip over the mountain roads was a difficult one and several times jacks had to be used to shift the truck around corners. On the final stretcli — the road from Lake House to the beach — it was necessary to cut away portions oi a bank. At the last bend approaching the landing stage the launch slipped forward against the cab of the truck. Four hours were spent in building up the road to enable the truck to proceed. The first attempt to float the launch by backing the truck into the lake, failed. Although the stern of the vessel was afloat, it refused to slide off the truck. When operations were resumed the following morning the services of a towing launch were requisitioned, and when this took up the strain one side of the cradle broke away, and the Idalia slanted over to one side and then rolled into the water, undamaged apart from the breaking of a small portion of the false keel. The launching of the vessel was regarded as &n event at the lake, and loud cheers were given as the handsome addition to the small fleet took the water.