Coastal Shipping Trade.

Gisborne Times, Volume VII, Issue 453, 24 June 1902, Page 3

Coastal Shipping Trade.

A UNIQUE RECORD,

Considerable speculation was indulged in in shipping circles yesterday in regard to tho arrival of the schooner Aotea from Coastal ports and Auckland. Three schooners, the Gisborne, Waiapu, and the Awanui, which were built during the last twenty years to the order of Captain Skinner, of the Aotea, were lying at the town wharf in tho ordor in which thoy were purchased, and it required only tho Aotea to arrive to completo tho quartette. Fortunately the Aotea had a really good passage down the Coast, all ports being worked in less than eleven days, and the schooner sailed merrily into the hay shortly after one o’clock yesterday. The steamer Waihi was shifted abreast of tho Awanui, and thus left an open space at tho wharf for tho Aotea, which came into river on Ihe evening tide. There was only just sufficient room at tho wharf for Captain Skinner’s boat to come in, but that expert navigator was more than equal to tho occasion, and a couple of minutes after

the boat passed tho stockyard she was snugly berthed at the town wharf, with hor three sister vessels in front and tho Tawera in the rear, whilst tho s.s. Waihi was lying at an outer berth side by sido with the Gisborne. Capt. Skinner was congratulated by the Harbormaster and others on tho good trip that ho had mado, and also on having

secured tho unique record previously referred to. Interviewed by a Times reporter, Capt. Skinner stated that ho had been twenty years engaged in the coastal trade botwcon Auckland and Gisborne, during which time he had sailed the four vessels. A couple of years previous to that ho had command and a share in the schooner Minnie Hare, built by Messrs Lano and Brown, of Totaru North. This vessel was running from Auckland to Napier for a time, and was afterwards sold to a firm in the Islands. “ She is down in the Islands and is still alive,” remarked Capt. Skinner to our representative, “The other day I met a gentloman from there and ho told me that he had a Bail in the Minnie Hare, and the boat was still staunch and sound.”

11 Of the four vessels at present at the wharf,” remarked the Captain,® 1 the Gisborne, occupying the top berth, was purchased about nineteen years ago. She is a fore-and-aft schooner, of 59 tons register, and was built by Messrs Lane and Brown. She is an excellent coastal boat. I was running her for about ton years, when, boing anxious to got a larger vessel, I handed her over to Captain Pankow, who afterwards bought her. “ The Waiapu is almost of tho same description as tho Gisborne, and was built by the same firm on practically the same linos. She was finished a little over two years later than tho Gisborne. I had her built for Captain Nicholas, and for a time I held a share in her. She is now the property of Captain Martin, and is ono of the best known crafts on tho Coast.

“ The Awanui, in the next berth, was built for me about niuo years ago, as I required a larger vessel than the Waiapu to cope with the increasing trado. She is a vessel of 85 tons, and faithfully built. I ran her for three years, and then having a desire for a still larger vessel, I wont in for tho Aotea. The Awanui is now in the hands of Captain Nicholas, who brings perhaps more timber for Gisborne than any other skipper trading on the Coast.

In answer to further questions in regard to the Aotea, Captain Skinner said that the schooner was the first auxiliary vessel built in Now Zealand. She was launched by Messrs Lane and Brown about seven years ago. Her gross tonnage is 111 tons and net tonnage 89 tons ; length over all, 110 f t; breadth, 21ft 2in ; depth, Bft. The auxiliary power was supplied by a Pries tman’s engine, whioh was the very first one imported to New Zealand. “ She is a most suitable vessel for the work,” remarked Captain Skinner, “ but like the rest I find her a little too small. Very often in Auckland I am offered from three to four times as much cargo as I can take.” “ The coastal trade has grown considerably of late years,” remarked our reporter. “Yes it has," replied tho Captain, “I used to do it all in the schooner Gis b

iorne, and in thc\ge days there were no steamors.”

“ What is the usual time occupied in the run from Auckland ?”

“ That greatly depends upon the weather. One trip two years ago it took me over four weeks to do all the ports, whilst the shortest trip I have made was six days, although on the latter occasion I did not call at all coastal ports. I havo soen the weather so bad on the coast at this timo of the year that I havo had to round the East Cape no less than seven times before I could work the places this side of Port Awanui.”

“ Have you had many thrilling experiences on the Coast ?” “ Not particularly. I havo fortunately been singularly free from accidents. Upon the last trip of the Awanui after I had sold her, and was taking her to Auckland to hand over to her new owners, I put her ashore at Oreti Point, in the Bay of Plenty, and she was on the beach there for about three days. It was a wild night, blowing a fearful north-wester, and I could not get her out. I tried my utmost to do so, and as it was raining heavily, I could not see anything around me. The schooner lay on the broadside, and was washed by the sea. She went over the rocks and on to the beach in a most miraculous manner, and the extent of the damage done only amounted to about £SO. The only other exciting experience we have had on the Aotea was in 1897, whon she took fire at Tokomaru.”