PHENOMENAL TIDE

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 709, 8 July 1929, Page 16

PHENOMENAL TIDE

FERRY UNABLE TO BERTH AT DEVONPORT VEHICULAR BREAKDOWN Owing to the phenomenally strong tide running in the harbour last evening, the ferry steamer Toroa was transfixed between the passenger and vehicular wharves at Devonport about 9.30, and remained in that position for about an hour One of the vehicular steamers was also held up owing to a fault in the mechanism at the Mechanics Bay landing stage. For practically the remainder of the evening Devonport was served by only one vehicular ferry. On reaching Devonport at 9 o’clock from the city the bow-line of the Toroa was made fast, but the stern commenced to swing out from the wharf. So great was the force of the tide that the mooring line from the stern snapped like string. Another line was made fast to the wharf, but showed signs of strain, and an attempt to berth the boat was made with the third line, but the current was too strong. The captain decided to take the vessel out and make a fresh attempt to go alongside the wharf, but no sooner was the bow line released and the engines reversed than the vessel moved across diagonally, her stern striking the fender of piles at the end of the vehicular wharf. The vessel was fixed there firmly and the engines could make no headway against the tide.

Some passengers left the boat by climbing on to the piles and walking across to the vehicular wharf The others waited until planks were placed into position. when they walked across. Passengers to the city had to wait an extra half-hour for the 10 o’clock boat, and at that time the Toroa was scheduled to leave the city again on her last trip for the day. Those who intended to catch the 10 o’clock boat from Auckland had to ■wait an extra half-hour. Shortly after 10.30 the imprisoned ferry steamer swung away from the piles, when she put out into the harbour and returned to the berth on the Devonport side of the wharf, leaving for Auckland at 10.45. An interruption was caused in the vehicular service when the mechanism controlling the apron at the Mechanics Bay landing-stage broke down just as one of the ferry steamers was berthing. It was about three hours before the fault was repaired, and during that time the one vehicular ferry on the Devonport run had to use the Hobson Street landing-stage.