PUT BACK TO PORT

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1082, 20 September 1930, Page 10

PUT BACK TO PORT

KIWITEA BUFFETED BY STRONG GALE BALLAST TANKS STRAINED The Union Company's coastal; eteamer , Kiwi tea arrived in port last evening, having put back while en route from Auckland to Westport in order to have repairs done to her forward ballast tanks. She developed a ■ leak as the result of being severely buffeted by a southerly gale on the West Coast. Tlie vessel berthed at King’s Wharf. Clearing Auckland at nine o’clock last Monday evening, she experienced tine weather up to Cape Maria van Diemen, which she passed at seven j o'clock the following evening. On j Wednesday morning, however, she raji into a southerly gale and high head j seas. As the Kiwitea had only about 40 j tons of cargo aboard and was iu ballast! trim she had great difficulty in making j headway against the stormy weather. ; The vessel laboured heavily as she • was tossed about. The wind blew in ! hard squalls accompanied by Heavy I rain. j On Wednesday afternoon, when the i storm was at its height, water was discovered in No. 2 hold owing to the forward ballast tank, underneath the hold, having developed a leak. The cargo on board, consisting of cement, „ sugar and a quantity of general merchandise, was stowed in No. 2 hold and the water damaged about half of the cargo. The remainder of the i cargo was removed to No. 1 hold, which was not affected by the leak, j Owing to the violent rolling arid j pitching of. the vessel and the water i in No. 2 hold the crew had consider- ; i able difficulty in removing the dry I cargo and preventing all being spoilt. GALE CONTINUED As the gale continued unabated throughout Wednesday night and on into Thursday morning without sign of decreasing. Captain F. G. Bilton decided to put back to Auckland for repairs. The vessel was then about 120 miles south of Cape Maria, a distance she had taken about 36 hours to cover. Running before tlie storm the Kiwi- , tea made good time on the return trip. | En route, the Westport Coal Com* i pany’s collier Canopus was seen sheltering in Spirits Bay. This ship was ! also bound from Auckland to West- | port. I Tlie Kiwitea's damaged cargo was removed from her hold this morning and an inspection made, revealing i that, her ballast tanks had been j strained by the heavy weather, the ! rivets being affected. As her trip was taken by the Kaimiro, which sailed last evening for Westport, after ] repairs have been effected she will ; be laid up in the stream, the Kaimiro ! having been removed from the stream ; and recommissioned to take her place.