“A Pain In The Neck”
p. 76 · Read in the full issue
"Moko's" Adventures While En Route to New Guinea
SPLENDID seamanship under perilous conditions by Captain Andrew Smith and crew of the W.R.C. liner “Saia maua” earned warm praise from ship ping men when she reached Sydney on August 20 after a 13 days’ voyage from N.Z., with a small vessel for the New Guinea service in tow.
The “Salamaua” (6,676 tons) left Auck land on the 6th., with the 505 tons steamer Mako” bucking at the end of a 600 ft. tow Ime. Three days later, in the open Tasman sea, the line carried away, leav ing the “Mako” adrift in a gale. Keep ing her in view, the “Salamaua” patrolled mountainous seas for two days before the wind abated enough to allow five of the crew to pick up the broken line and make it fast again.
The two vessels then slowly proceeded to Newcastle, N.S.W.
With the empty “Mako” in tow again, th,e “Salamaua” cleared Newcastle for Sydney on August 18. In the evening, four miles off shore, the tow rope parted and the “Mako” disappeared. After a two hours’ search, she was sighted. Cap tain Smith took the “Salamaua” alongside the pitching steamer and three officers jumped on to her deck and made emer gency ropes fast. Twice later, the “Mako” broke away again, and was in danger of drifting to the beach; and twice the hazar dous operation of fixing the lines was re peated.
At dawn a Newcastle tug came to their assistance and the “Mako” was taken to Sydney.
When a “P.1.M.” representative asked a “Salamaua” officer what “Mako” meant, he answered, bitterly: “A pain in the neck”.
Will Replace The “Bopple”
Formerly in the New Zealand coastal service, the “Mako” was purchased by Messrs. W. R. Carpenter and Co., Ltd., in August from the Richardson Line, for use in New Guinea. She will take over the service which has been carried on by the “Bopple”, a slightly smaller steamer, be tween Rabaul and Pondo (where a sub sidiary concern of Messrs. Carpenter and Co., has a large desiccated coconut fac tory.
The “Bopple” is expected to arrive in Sydney on September 21 for a survey and her New Guinea crew will take the “Mako” back to Rabaul under her own steam, a few days later. She has undergone repairs and alterations.