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White Wings Vol I. Fifty Years Of Sail In The New Zealand Trade, 1850 TO 1900

The Hurunui

page 258

The Hurunui.

A Thrilling Voyage—She Negotiates Alderney Race.

the Hurunui, one of the five ships built in 1875 by Palmers and Co. for the New Zealand Shipping Company's flag, was an unfortunate craft. She had a narrow escape when bound for Otago by colliding in the English Channel with another of the company's ships, the Waitara, bound for Wellington, and, after sailing the seas for forty years, was sunk on the 4th May, 1915, off St. Catherine's Point, Isle of Wight, by a German submarine. She
the Hurunui, First Ship In Lyttelton Dock.

the Hurunui, First Ship In Lyttelton Dock.

was then rigged as a barque, flying the Russian ensign, and had been renamed the Hermes.

The first disaster to the Hurunui occurred on June 22, 1883. The two ships, Hurunui and Waitara, left Gravesend together in the evening, and shortly after the weather became thick and hazy. the Hurunui struck the Waitara twice amidships, and the latter sank in a few minutes while endeavours were being made to lower the boats. A few of the Waitara's passengers clambered on board the Hurunui when the collision occurred. the Hurunui's boats were immediately lowered, and succeeded in picking up a number of the Waitara's passengers and crew out of the water. Altogether sixteen of the Waitara's passengers and crew were saved, including the master, chief officer and an apprentice, and twenty of the passengers and crew were drowned.

the Hurunui, severely damaged, put back, discharged her cargo, was docked for repairs, and sailed a month later for Port Chalmers, making the passage in 95 days. This disaster, coupled with the sinking in the Channel of an emigrant ship bound for Tasmania, resulted in the embarkation of passengers at London being prohibited for some time. The outward bound ships loaded at the London docks, and for several years after 1883 called at Plymouth for passengers.

Captain Stevens, for some years master of the Union Co.'s Wanaka andpage 259 other ships, was an apprentice on board the Hurunui when the collision occurred in the Channel, and Captain Hazelwood was in command.

A Favourite Ship.

the Hurunui was a favourite ship, and brought many hundreds of settlers to Wellington, Christchurch, and Dunedin. One claim to distinction she possessed was the fact that she was the first vessel to enter Lyttelton graving dock, which was officially opened by Sir James Prendergast, acting Governor, on January 3, 1883.

Though the year 1883 saw the establishment of direct steamship services between New Zealand and London, the Hurunui and many other sailing ships held their own for another fifteen years. It was at this time that the two large shipping companies trading to New Zealand sold many of their ships to foreigners.

During her last years in the New Zealand trade the Hurunui was commanded by Captain C. C. Plunket, who was born in Melbourne, went to sea from Lyttelton, and has for many years resided in Auckland, where he is acting as surveyor to Lloyd's. Captain Plunket is a son of the late Mr. James Plunket, a well-known journalist of Christchurch.

Good Average Passages.

the Hurunui was never a flyer, but she made good average passages to the several ports. Her fastest run was made in 1895, when in command of Captain Plunket. She left Cardiff with a full cargo of coal and had fairly steady winds during the first part of the voyage, crossing the Equator 25 days out. The Snares were passed on the 25th February, and on the 2nd March she arrived at Lyttelton, via Otago Heads, after a fine run of 86 days, port to port. Captain Plunket reported that the latter part of the voyage was remarkable for the light winds and fine weather across the Southern Ocean, the royals being taken in only four or five times. the Hurunui had been, in Lyttelton the year before, and when she arrived in port on March 2nd, 1895, she had done the round voyage in eight months, including six weeks spent at London and Cardiff. The run from Lyttelton to London had been accomplished in 85 days.

Feat Of Seamanship.

A memorable voyage of the Hurunui was one she made at the end of 1893, when bound from London to Algoa Bay, South Africa. Captain Plunket landed the pilot on December 16, and soon ran into heavy weather, which by the 20th blew a hurricane, with heavy driving rain. All hands were getting played out with continual making and taking in sail, and three of the hands were laid up. To give the crew as much rest as possible the captain stood over to the French coast in daylight, intending to wear ship at 4 p.m. (dark in the English Channel, of course, at that time of the year). Captain Plunket squared away and had just got the ship paying off when the Casquets Light flashed out just under her bows.

If he continued to wear ship it would mean running right on the Casquets, a small cluster of dangerous rocks six or seven miles west of Alderney. A hasty glance at the chart revealed that there was only one hope, and it was almost a forlorn one, and that was trying the Alderney Race, the strait that separates the island of Alderney from the coast of Normandy. In stormy weather this straight is a fearsome place. If you look at the chart you will see 3½ and 4 fathom patches, numerous rocks, and to complicate matters there is a furious tide of anything from four to six and a-half knots.

A Boiling Sea.

Imagine this turbulent spot on a midwinter's night, with a hurricane blowing, the Hurunui laden right down to her marks! There were breakers everywhere, and the ship's decks were full of water to the rails half the time. With two men at the wheel, two lower topsails and the foresail set, the ship had a most nerve racking experience, and the wonder is that she lived through it all. Three of her four boats were badly smashed, the only one to escape being the fourth, which was high up in the poop davits.

The crew worked like Trojans, as indeed they saw they must if they wished to come through alive. There was no concealing the gravity of the position, and how some of them escaped being washed overboard was a miracle. However, the ship got through the race by 10 p.m., and the sequel suggested that Providence had had a hand in the desperate chance the ship had taken. Captain Plunket gave great praise to his first and second officer, both making their first voyage in those ratings—the first being Mr. McCarthy a native of Auckland, and the second being Mr. Seeley, a native of Taranaki.

Providential Rescue.

When the Hurunui esaped from the nightmare of the Aderney Race she was given such sail as she would stand, and started to thrash down the Channel. Captain Plunket had just gone below for a much-needed rest and was lying down "all standing," as sailors say when theypage 260 lie down in their clothes, when he was called by Mr. Seeley, who reported a sail ahead that seemed determined to get run down by the Hurunui. The mysterious stranger proved to be a small craft almost on her beam ends, and flying urgent signals of distress.

Mr. McCarthy was sent away in the Hurunui's boat—never did he see a boat better handled, says Captain Plunket—and made a wonderful rescue of the three men on the wreck, which proved to be the lugger Bessie Waters, bound from Caen to Barnstaple in ballast. In the storm she started to leak, the ballast shifted, and but for the timely arrival of the Hurunui there would have been three more sailors mourned. The master of the lugger expressed great astonishment at Captain Plunket's feat in bringing a sailing ship of the Hurunui's size through the Alderney Race. "Old coaster as I am," said the lugger master, "I'd never dream of coming through the Race without getting a pilot at Guernsey, and as a matter of fact the Race is never used by coasters as it is too risky."

"Lloyd's Shipping Gazette" referred to "the gallant rescue by Captain Plunket," and published a letter from the crew, expressing their gratitude to the captain for their timely rescue, and for landing them at Plymouth instead of taking them on a long voyage.

She Makes Amends.

the Hurunui had poor luck during the whole of the run to Algoa Bay. Her best day's run was 213 miles, and only on four days did she do over 200 miles in the 24 hours. She took no less than 76 days for the voyage to Algoa Bay, from where, after unloading, she was ordered to Otago Heads for orders which proved to be to go to Lyttelton to load. The barque arrived at Lyttelton on May 24, and sailed again on June 29 for London.

The old ship made up for it on the passage Home, however, and reached Cape Horn in 28 days, and the Equator in 48 days. The ship reported off the Lizard 84 days out, and anchored off Gravesend 87 days out. For a ship of her class 48 days to the Equator was good running, as no record runs were made during the voyage, the best from Lyttelton to the Horn being 216 miles, and from the Horn to the Line 284. Her next best was 247, the 284 being exceptional.

The next outward voyage of the Hurunui to New Zealand was from Cardiff to Port Chalmers Heads, in the ensuing year, for orders, with a cargo of coal, the passage being made in 88 days. the Hurunui's best day's run was 270 miles when running the easting down. The run home from Lyttelton to London was also a good one of 86 days to the Scillys, or 88 to Gravesend. the Hurunui was 23 days to Cape Horn, and 49 to the Equator, the best day's run being 280 miles off Cape Horn.

It used to be the custom of the shipping newspaper, "Fairplay," in those days, after the finish of the wool season, to publish the names of 12 vessels making the fastest trips from and to Australia and New Zealand. On one occasion (her last voyage under the red ensign) the Hurunui was placed third on the list from a run home, which considering the large fleets competing, was very satisfactory to the captain and owners.

the Hurunui, in 1876-7, sailed from London on September 23, but owing to an outbreak of fever and a collision with another ship was compelled to put back to Plymouth. She sailed again on November 20, and arrived on February 18, 1877, 90 days out.

In 1879 the Hurunui loaded at the Bluff and ran Home in 80 days.

Owing to an outbreak of typhoid fever during the voyage to Wellington in 1886 the Hurunui on arrival was placed in quarantine.

Captain Harry Cracroft had a trying experience in 1892. the Hurunui originally sailed from London on June 14, and arrived at Cardiff on the 22nd. She sailed the same day for Capetown, and met with a series of south-west and west gales, with very heavy seas, which continued from the 6th to the 13th August. The north-east and south-east trades proved very poor. The Equator was crossed on August 10, 39 days from Cardiff. The vessel arrived at Capetown on September 12, and was detained there undergoing repairs until October 29, thirty-two days. After sailing she met with strong south-east and north-east winds, which continued until October 29. Tasmania was sighted on November 19, and Taiaroa Heads, Otago, on December 1. There the vessel was ordered on to Napier, the passage occupying, including the delay at Capetown, 175 days.

the Hurunui and other ships built about the same time were particularly well furnished and comfortably fitted out for saloon passengers; but after about '83, when the regular steamers started running, all who were not travelling for health reasons, generally preferred steam, and the sailing ships went out of the passenger trade.

page 261

Following are the passages made to New Zealand by the Hurunui:—

To Wellington.
Sailed. Arrived. Captain. Days.
Nov. 22, '75 Feb. 23, '76 Boyd 92
Nov. 20, '76 Feb. 18, '77 Adams 90
*Sep. 8 Dec. 12, '77 McKelvie 94
Sep. 24, '80 Jan. 12, '81 Barclay 110
Sep. 25, '85 Jan. 17, '86 Donaldson 114
Oct. 13, '86 Jan. 19, '87 Donaldson 98
To Lyttelton.
Sep. 10 Dec. 13, '78 Barclay 94
Land to land 85
Aug. 14 Dec. 6, '79 Barclay 114
Sep. 14 Dec. 20, '82 Hazlewood 97
Nov. 22, '87 Feb. 26, '88 Sinclair 96
Sep. 1 Dec. 20, '89 Sinclair 110
Dec. 5, '94 Mar. 2, '95 Plunket 86
To Port Chalmers.
Sailed. Arrived. Captain. Days.
Sep. 15 Dec. 26, '81 Hazlewood 100
July 14 Oct. 17, '83 Hazlewood 95
June 10 Sep. 7, '84 Hazlewood 88
Sep 25, '88 Jan. 2, '89 Sinclair 98
July 3 Oct. 8, '90 Sinclair 96
Aug. 8 Nov. 19, '91 Cracroft 102
To Napier.
June 14 Dec. 6, '92 Cracroft 175
*

the Hurunui's rig was changed to a barque in 1890.

* Via New Plymouth.

From Cardiff, via Otago Heads.

From Cardiff, via Cape Town.