STRANDING IN BLUFF HARBOR.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 264, 17 March 1911, Page 5

STRANDING IN BLUFF HARBOR.

AN ERROR OF JUDGMENT. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Bluff, Last Night. 1 The nautical inquiry into the circumstances of the stranding of the Knight of the Garter in Bluff harbor on February ID has occupied the attention 01 Mr. G. Cruickshanks, S.M., and Captains Bollons and Sundstrum, assessors, for the past two days. A great amount 01 evidence has been taken, and the finding of,the court has been awaited with keen interest. The Knight of the Garter was commanded by Captain Finnis. Her tonnage is 4295, and she belongs to Greenshields, Cowie and Co., of Liverpool, but was under charter to the New Zealand Shipping Company. The judgment of the court was as follows: —"After hearing all the parties, the court finds that the master, who knew that the Bluff harbor was a compulsory pilotage port, entered such harbor contrary to the sailing directions in the New Zealand Pilot, without first securing the services of a pilot. While this was not such a wilful default as to, in the court's opinion, call for his certificate being dealt with, it was a grave error of judgment, of which this court marks its serious disapproval by ordering him to pay £4O towards the cost of the inquiry. The certificate 01 the master will be returned to him." The court further finds that the lookout service of the Bluff Harbor maintained at Stirling Point is wanting In efficiency. If the look-out men had had their duties better defined, it is probable that the initial mistake of the master would have been rectified in time to have averted the disaster. "The court also finds that the harbormaster, after the stranding, showed lack of foresight in not leaving a pilot on board the vessel, and in not having the tug in close attendance to assist when the tide began to make. The Harbor Board being thus found in default, it is ordered to pay the balance of the costs (£9 13s odh" The court further adds as a rider the following recommendations: (1) That in the interests of shipping, it is advisable for the Bluff Harbor Board to issue such instructions to their pilots as will ensure their prompt hoarding of vessels on arrival at limits of pilotage waters, whether the tide then suits or not for bringing the vessel in; (2) that the attention of the Harbor Board be drawn to the misleading information in the New Zealand Pilot and the New Zealand Nautical Almanac as to the signal staff at Stirling Point; (3) that as fog is somewhat prevalent at Bluff, it is desirable to have the flagstaff at Stirling Foint re-established.