EIGGHTY-TWO DAYS OUT

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 907, 26 February 1930, Page 7

EIGGHTY-TWO DAYS OUT

ANTWERP TO AUCKLAND LARGO LAW ARRIVES days -w ' as the time the steamer Largo Law, which arrived at Auckland this morning, took to make the passage from Antwerp to this port. The Largo Law lifted a full cargo 0 £ basic slag for Auckland and New Plymouth, and left Antwerp on December 5. As soon as she cleared port she ran into a westerly gale, which did so much damage to shipping early in December, and these conditions lasted until the vessel anchored at Falmouth on December 10. The distance between Antwerp and Falmouth is 380 miles, but owing to the gale it took the Largo Law five days instead of 30 hours. When off Dungeness, the starboard steering-chain near the quadrant broke and for three hours the vessel was at the mercy of the tremendous seas, until the chain was repaired.

Some of the gales which raged in England early in December averaged 70 miles an hour, while gusts at times were registered to more than 100 miles; in fact, some of the wind gauges broke owing to the terrific velocity of the winds. When the Largo Law reached Falmouth there were over 22 vessels sheltering from the gales and practically all of them had damaged steer-ing-gear. One of the ships at Falmouth. belonging to the Prince Line of steamers, was like a concertina. She had been struck by a tremendous sea, which not only stove in her No. 2 hatch, but had pushed the house or saloon completely back, making it look like a concertina. The Valacia. which is due at Auckland on Thursday, was one of the vessels which was at Falmouth at the same time as the Largo Law. She had her steering-gear damaged as well and had to be towed into port. Another of the vessels was the Jamaica Trader and she not only broke her steering-gear, but lost her rudder. After repairs had been made to the Largo Law, she left again on December 19 and except for about three days after leaving Falmouth when she had moderate gales, fine weather was experienced throughout her passage. Dakar was reached on December 30 and after bunkering she cleared the same day for Durban. The vessel arrived at Durban on January 21, where further bunkers were taken on board and she sailed the following day. Going down to 40 degrees south, the Largo Law was well out of the usual range of ships and she saw nothin? until she passed through Bass Strait, when she passed one of the regular Australian traders.

Captain J. F. Fencott, who was master of the Cowden Law when she was in Auckland some time ago, is master of the Largo Law.