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White Wings Vol I. Fifty Years Of Sail In The New Zealand Trade, 1850 TO 1900
Tough Tow
Tough Tow.
On January 3 the Northern Company's steamer Glenelg (Captain Farquhar) attempted to tow the big ship in, and got into much trouble. the Glenelg was a very small boat indeed beside the two thousand tonner, and what with things carrying away on the steamer (the tow rope making a clean sweep of her stern bulwarks, there was much language, but Captain Farquhar was not the man to strike his colours. He held on grimly in spite of the weight of the tow and the head wind that was blowing, and he got the ship nearly as far as the end of the reef outside the Mount. It was getting late in the day and the pilot evidently did not care to
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risk coming in—probably owing to the state of the tide—so he ordered the tow line to be cast off, and sails were set on the ship to take her off the land.
Captain Jenkins.
Next morning at five o'clock the steamer Waitaki went out from the harbour and after an hour's bargaining agreed to tow the ship in for £40. Although some cleats and other fixtures carried away, she at last got the ship inside the Mount, where the tow rope parted, and the ship had to come to a hurried anchor. It was a nasty spot for such a mishap to occur. The tide sweeps round the foot of the Mount at a considerable pace, as more than one vessel has found to its cost, and it requiredpage 42
quick thinking to bring the big sailer up safely. Eventually the Waitaki completed her £40 job, and at 11 a.m. the Lady Jocelyn was snugly anchored up the harbour.