TEMPEST-TOSSED TRAMP

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2635, 18 October 1909, Page 2

TEMPEST-TOSSED TRAMP

CARGO STEAMEh’S ROUGH PASSAGE. “LIKE A WALLOON ON THE WAVES.” With only sufficient bunker coal to last a few more hours, the storm-tossed British cargo tramp steamer Lodorer put into Wellington on Saturday, 9fch last., to replenish her coal supplies. Although the Lodorer, . a vessel of 3297 tons gross, left Buenos Ayres (Argentina) with'73o tons of coal in her hunkers, she had barely fiiteen tons left when port was reached after a tempestuous voyage of 43 days. When pratique was granted, the vessel was boarded bv a “N.Z. Times” representative. “Last night we were able to enjoy a good night’s sleep,” remarked Captain F. Adam, “the first for many a night. At last we are anchored safely in a civilised country.” Just then the second officer, Mr. J. D. Reid,, took up the narrative. The Lodorer "shipped a cargo of timber from Gulfport, Mississippi, U.S.A., to Buenos Ayres. After discharge, the vessel set out in ballast for Newcastle, New South Wales. About two days out from Buenos Ayres the Lodorer encountered a south-south-westerly gale, with a mountainous sea. Tho vessel was “flying light,” and was. said the second officer,like a balloon in the water. She refused to steer and lay wallowing in the trough of the seas. To remedy this, the crew got to work and lifted tlie floor of the after hold (a most stupendous task). After that was done, and the hold had been cleared of the loose sweepings, about 150 tons of water was let into the hold. With this extra ballast it was possible to keep the ship head on till the weather moderated

THROUGH MAGELLAN STRAIT. On entering Magellan Strait fair progress was made till passing Sandy Point. “Up till then,” said the narrator, “the weather, although cold, was dry. In the Narrows there is a current of between six and eight knots an hour, and as it happened to be spring tides, we had an oight-lcnot tide to contend with. The tides also run about three hours after high and low water, and great care is required not to overrun your distances with tlie following tide, as it is very _ deceiving on a dark night-. After passing Punta Arenas or Sandy Point, our troubles commenced. As it was impossible to proceed in the dark, we had to make Field Anchorage, but with a heavy gale of westerly wind to contend with, we found that impossible. So wo ran back to Boy a Bay. There we lay for twentyfour hours, expecting the gale to abate, but it continued, so we decided to try and make Tuesday Bay. We got outside the strait, but found it impossible to contend against a mountainous sea and a heavy west-north-west gale, with heavy snow and hail squalls. GALE AND SNOWSTORM.

“The narrow entrance of Tuesday Bay on Desolation Island was made under alarmingly difficult circumstances in the gale and snowstorm. During the whole of one night the engines were kept going slow to ease the cables, with an officer on the bridge all tho while. None of the officers or the captain had their clothes off for seven days while the vessel was in the Strait. The mountains all round were covered with snow to the water’s edge, and almost perpetual gales seemed to rago. After over three days’ enforced detention, the captain decided to make for tlie open sea. As soon as we rounded the Pillars, the western cape at the entrance to the Straits, we started _a second edition of our trials, and it seemed at one time as if we were not to weather the Angalastos rocks. SEA-WATER AS BALLAST. “We had to run in another 300 tons of water into the hold to keep the propeller submerged. At last we cleared the land, and I assure you we have been rolling, pitching, laboring, and straining against successive gales for about 35 days. Great credit, I think, is due to our chief engineer, Mr. J. Collie, and his assistants for . making the coal last out under such adverse conditions. Another day and wo would have been adrift at sea as helpless as a raft.” REPLENISHING BUNKERS. On leaving Buenos Ayres the Lodorer was drawing' sft 6in forward arid 14ft sin aft, with 853 tons of water ballast and 730 tons of coal. On arrival at Wellington the vessel was drawing Bft forward and her propeller was almost half-way out of the water. The Lodorer will replenish bunkers and then proceed on to Newcastle. The Loderer was built by J. Priestman and Co., Sunderland, in 1904. Her tonnage is 32Q7 gross and 2053 net. She is owned by the Loderer Steam Ship Co., Ltd. (Watson, Munro and Co.), of London.