Wanganella Salvaged From Barrett's Reef

Rotorua Morning Post, Issue 5322, 7 February 1947, Page 5

Wanganella Salvaged From Barrett's Reef

(Press Assn. — j

NOW BERTHED AT AOTEA, QUAY ■; ( ' ■ : - ' - VESSEL WILL LATER BE TAKEN TO FLOATING DOCK FOR REPAIR . 7

4 * Telegraph — Copyright.) • ?"

WELLINGTON, Last Night. The Wanganella was freed from BarretFs Reef at 9.10 to-night'. She had beeil stranded there since the riight of Sunday, Janukry 19. After being freed she proceeded- • ] * in tow -to port. The final stages in the freeing of the J Huddart Parker Company's^ 9576-fon twin screw motor >. vesseJ. were watched by thopjands of speetators on the u . foreshore and on the hillsi ~ . ;- When she hit water and began to move it was a signal : v yfor a prolonged tooting of motor horns and the cheering of the shore spectators. The sirens pf the three tligs tooted and morse signals from the ship wprked ih • \ somewhat of d trinmphant display. * " >

The Wanganella proceeded • stern first in tow, edging her way almost imper-cepti'bly in cairn .waters. Theweather was overcast and still, with a Iight northerly breeze. The ship was fully illuminated, and the scene, except for the refiueed speed, tugs and spectators, could not have been much diffe'i-ent from that on the night she struck. She appeared to be vveJJ down in the bow. She was *jgot off first of all by ! liauling on the mushroom anchors ' with her winches andj nising the full | power of her propellors so far as | it was possible in the depth of j Avater. The tug Toia was pullling | her stern almost due east. The bowV had obviously been lightened, pos- j . sibly by the use of compressed air. j This gave her just enough freedom | te permit the swinging" of the stern j to the east. x ' The first niovement of the stern was ' in the order of 30 to 35 degrees east I with the bow, in the course of the j niovement receding off the reef. The list of 10 to 15 degrees which j was previonsly to starboard, went to j port. ' She began to roll between her j lists and vertical and this, with the J pall of the tugs, and pull on the ' mushroom anchors, allowed her to be ! gradually swung off the reef. ! She finally came off in line east and ' west; having previously been north ! and south. First Sign of Movenjent The- first real signs of niovement off the reef came at 7.50 p.m. with the i Toia pulling the Wanganella's stern ' towards Pencarrow head. The liner ; then had a slight list to port, and was heiitg eased gently^baclcwards i and forward in a turning motion. At _ 8 p.m. the express steamer Wahine ' steamed out of the harbour, slaekening speed as she passed the Wanganella. Shortly after this the Wanganella righted herself and took a list to ! starboard. The Toia continued pulling and at 8.15 p.m. as the last light faded from the-sky, the Wanganella swun^' through about 70 degrees, presenting her starboard side to the shore onlookers. This was' the signal for the sounding of thousands of horns on parked cars ashore. From Beacon Hill came resounding cheers from excited crowds. The night ivas then hushed with expectancy for the next nj°vument. The Toia slackened her tow-rope at -8.45 p.m., and steamed up talonjgside the Wanganella. A feiv minutes latft- she moved away again to her towing

1 . position, and all that could be *%cen apart from the ship, was. the "Blinking Billy" light on the reef. ??T The liner herself was a hlaze of light with contrast given by the less splendid displays of the Toia .ahii other tugs, several hundi-ed yards th port. i t ' ' " L' ■■ % V -. \ j Toia Takes liner in Tow'^ v "- | Flashes and sparks could be seen j from the shore at '9.3 p.m ' from thh i position at the stern of the - ship, ap* - parently as the wire cables. ,to the, ! mushroom anchors were cut with' .a | blow torch. The masthead navigaf_ , j tion light flashed' on and off' several' i time's, ahd a great cheer went up from | the shore crowd- as the Toia p.ulle'd the Wanganella's stern around' tov, ards th^ harbour entrance. Fifteen; minutes later the Wanganella, ■ with her stern high out of the water, w.os towed slowly away from the reef and up . the harbour entrance, her bow well down. • : The vessel came aloitgside the - north end of Aotea Quay at 11.30 i ! p.m. It was a great feat of seamatt-4.-ship. Towed how first,' she came in without a hiteh. .She used her'. hwn screws, andi was drawing aboirt 36 feet forward. The screws- .weretnrashing as she came alongside..» and half 'her rudder could#he seem She had a list to port of about fivfe > to 10 degrees. Her forward well- • deck, which on the way in seemed. almost level with the water, was - below the jetty. The pumps were going and pumpirg will be continued- with wharfside pumps to reduce draught before the' ship can be towed into place on the' lioating dock. The tug Terewhiti was. pulling 'tire' s'hip with a line on her hows, the Ka-2 hanui 'being alongside. The Wanga-* r-ella's air co.mpressor set up a steady' roar, but her main engines did- iiot' appear to operate till she slowed her-' / ! sslf. As the mooring lines went ashore at Aotea Quay, the stern was high o,ut c f the water so that the rudder and the tipfcof the propellor blades were visible, and when the propellors were set in motion they chopped ihe sui*face of the water. When she tied up the forecastle . was on the level with the wharf, and. the forward hatches well below. _ Many spectators climhed the fences and had to be clear of the wharf while the ship made fast. There was only five or six -feet of freeboard between' the water and hawse holes on the fore dck. She was listing a good 10 degrees to port.