MARINE BOARD.

Southland Times, Volume 2, Issue 100, 12 October 1863, Page 3

MARINE BOARD.

An inquiry demanded by the Master of the brig'Craigievar took place on Saturday afternoon, before the following members of the Board* — Messrs. Heale, Elles, M 'Donald and Greig. Mr Heale Occupied the chair. John Philip Moore, master of the.Craigievar, said: On last Tuesday week.,, the 29 th ultimo, I was running down with" a light breeze, and came within four— ox-five miles of the Heads ; 1 8aw ( the Gothenburg ceme out, and I thought if there were waterf or the Gottenburg there was albo water fortne; I saw two balls up, and from hearsay I knew that was a signal to keep off; I saw a sign -d on the yard arm, "What ship is that'?" I answered I then wentfbr Half-WayEock, and gave up the idea of coming in that evening ; I stood off and on with a north west wind all night -, at four in the morning 1 was in the same position with regard to the Half-Way Rock ; at six in the morning of 30th; saw indications -of heavy wind from the S.W ; at half-past six I had the topsails double-reefed ; whilst tbis was being done a squall struck us from the S.W; I saw the Steephead at a distance of seven miles, but could not make out the signals; after getting the topsails reefed, I bore up for the Heads; I saw the loom of the land, and even upon closer approach, I could not for a time make out the signals on account of the squall'; ' I kept the mate looking out for signals ; I also had a man looking out for the black buoy ; we had got too far in when we saw signals to make use of them ; the mate could not see the buoy; and I made the remark, that if the buoy were there, it ought to be seen; between the two beacons, I saw that the sea was hi a perfect foam;. .when I got the beacons opened I ran in over the bar -with, my yards short braced up; in crossing the bar my ship : struck, shipped a sea, and half filled, the cabin; when I found she had struck I squared the main-yard, and hoisted k«r topsail again; she was soon, however, over the bar, having only launched once, and then I put her as hefore ; I saw the pilot boat ahead ; steered for her, and the pilot boarded ; twenty minutes after the

, pilot boarder], the vessel took the ground; when we lmd -been* fast aground twenty minutes or half an hour, a boat came off ; it contained ;;the ; Beuior : pilot, whcvbo&rded us> and said that^he] would not,' Sunder the -cir4 for the .ship 5 I ssked him Wjhaj;,^e.could- do to get the ship off, and he said, he did not knowi what was possible to he done; after a little he said "the only thing joucan do f is to. drop a,kedge. over- the , stern,.;". t told him it. would be absolutely useless ; die .then; said a l !' that he could do was, to. go Up for the Harbor-Master";' l asked when )he : could come down ; he replied not till -'after *hfgh water, arid riot, then' if the ■steamer 'Si 3. 'not cbrae' T 'd6'wri;' the 'chief/ pilbt •th'e'iT YitQ "'ttyr .^fiffieP; '"thTqtluJr pilot, after Bohie time, when jthe. vessel was bumping, proposed to drop'.ake^ge over the stern ; ; but I,saad,it'was useless,, and, that if he came along with! me I would,- get " the vessel off ; . I, went forward and he followed ; I then secured the f ore>yard,. got a;tadtle on it, hooked the tackle to the anchoty and 'dropped the anchor clear of 'the ship ; the pilot said it was an excellent plan 1 ; as the 1 tiSe.rose, : we paid away thirty fathoms 6f cable' alnd' Hel3 on, and as the tide rhade,' she svreng-j she still continued to bump ; 1 set the stucUail ariel 31b ns the tide rose; after setting sail several times she: sheered over ; we let go the starboard anchor and hove in on the port anchor-; we then let her lay in safety till the steamer came up. : about two o'clock, and continued to lie in safety till next morning, though it was. blowing hjavy, with terrific squalls; nextmorning the senior pilot came on board, and_ gave the junior pilot instructions to remain on j board till she got up in safety ; the same morn- , ing when the flood same, we hove in on theport ■ anchor and got it up ; in heaving on the starbaarJ anchor, we found there was no; anchor to it; the ship again took the ground and struck heavily ; we let go the port anchor j again, but it was too late; then we ran the kedge out ; they took it out in the pilot's boat and ran it well over on the bank ; we got a tackle on to the wharp and tried to heave the vessel off ; in the meantime the wind changed to S.S.E. ; I suggested to the pilot to set the main top-sail ; he said, not at present; we got the sails set even 'ually and she began to move ahead ; he ordered the other p^lot to stanJ by ready to ship the hairser ; as soon as she kfgan to get way on her he slipped thehausrr and she went up all right; the junior pilot remained on deck th • whole night before, looking after the ship. By the Chairman : I could not haul out when I got in shore, and the signals were readable ; I must either have gone ashore or gone in. Before reefing top-sails, about two o'clock, I was aware it was nearly low water. «Hli l knew there was water enough on the bar ; I was drawing 12 feet. By Captain Elles: It was about two J .he previous day, when I Saw the Gottcnburg coming out. ■ By Mr M'Bonald: I estimated the dis- : tance of the land before reefing topsails, as about a mile. The captain — in reply to the query of the Chairman, said — the -only thingl had to complain of, and the reason of my demanding this enquiry is, the conduct of Mi 13 ray, who left me to my own resources. As senior pilot he ought to have remained by the ship, to get her off ; when Mr Bray came on board, he censured the pilot for not bringing her up in the bight ; I don't believe the junior pilot coild have clone better than he did, except by running her en the Spit; there ought to have, been a white buoy where the vessel struck, but it was down at the pilot station ; had the bu y been there a wide berth T euld have been given and she would not have struck ; I did not see tire flag staff-on Ste p Head before the squall ; it is screened by the back gt> K l . By the Chairman: Eobcrt GLI said, I boarJed the Craigievar off the "pilo; station ; ■is sonn as I got alongside, I atked the Captain what water the vessel was era and he said twelve feet ; I proposed to bring tin vessel to, as -there was not water to take her up ; I gave orders accordingly ; I braced the yard, to try to deaden her way, we closed over t) the starboard side to have re-on ; and the vt ssel stopped ; had I done otherwise the vessel would have gone on the Spit; after that Mr Bray came on bard and left again i'vmsdiately to go for the Harbor Master; !>• fore he left, he recommended us to drop a kedge over the stern, and let her drive up on the san-i clear of the rocks ; vre let «-o an anchor and gave her chain as she forged ahead. (Tie witness here corroborated th.evidence given by the Captain as to his, the pilot's, cmduct in management.) Jn regaul t ) the second, accident : after weipki'iff the port anchor, on heaving at the starboard cable,' found the anchor parted ; the consequence was, the vessel gathered strrn- w ay on and took the ground ; we got a kedge and hove her off ; the wind shifted off the land ; a'l sail was set ; when above the Bombay Rock Mr Bray left, ami I brought the vess 1 up ; ths white buoy which should have been on the starboard shore was not in its place ; I was not aware of it before- nand. By Captain Elles : If the white buoy had been in its place I would not have gone ashore. After the evidence of this witness, the Board went into private discussion on the merits of the case.