“Matua” Repaired

0Resumes on 22nd after Quick Job in Dock

From Our N.Z. Correspondent

Auckland, Oct. 9.

4FTER meeting with a mishap at the outset of her career, the Union S.S.

Company’s new motor-ship Matua limped into Auckland on September 26 with both propellers damaged and the greater part of her rudder broken off, as a result of striking a submerged outcrop of the reef at Aitutaki on September 15.

She was docked the day after her arrival and it was then seen that the damage was greater than had been anticipated. The scheduled trip to Tonga, Samoa, and Fiji from Auckland on September 24 and the quick run to the Cook Group on October 8 were cancelled and the vessel was laid up for repairs.

The Matua will take up running again on October 22, when she will leave for Nukualofa, Apia, and Suva.

While repairs were being effected to the Matua, the U.S.S. Co.’s cargo vessel Wai pahi (1,783 tons), made a trip direct to Western Samoa to pick up the banana shipments awaiting the Matua. She re turned to Auckland early in October.

The accident to the new Matua occurred at 8 p.m., when the vessel was leaving, after loading. She went on and landed her native labour at Rarotonga and immedi ately left for New Zealand, leaving behind 10,000 cases of fruit at the other islands of the Cook Group; these were lost, as no other vessel was available to pick them up.

Captain A. H. Prosser performed a fine feat of seamanship in bringing his vessel back to New Zealand at between 8 and 9 knots in her damaged condition. A return to ancient methods was made, by the rig ging of deck awnings to act as sails on the trip, in order to assist in giving the vessel steerage way.

It is pointed out on the Auckland water front that there has been no survey at Aitutaki, in the locality of the accident for over 40 years, and coral growths have probably completely altered the seabed in the vicinity since then.