Other formats

    TEI XML file   ePub eBook file  

Connect

    mail icontwitter iconBlogspot iconrss icon

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

The Invercargill

page 65

The Invercargill.

Tom Bowling's Old Command

During the year 1874 the celebrated builder Robert Duncan built six remarkably fine ships—the Invercargill, Auckland, Wellington, Canterbury, Nelson, and Dunedin—to the order of Patrick Henderson, for the New Zealand trade. They were all launched within six months, and the tonnage (1265), length, beam and depth were about the same. These ships were fitted up with every modern convenience and comfort for first-claas passengers and immigrants. They all sailed under the Albion Company's flag until the Albion and Shaw Savill Companies amalgamated, and they were some of the fastest sailers afloat.

the Invercargill made her maiden voyage to Otago in command of Captain Tilly. Leaving Glasgow with 390 passengers on July 16, 1874, she sighted Cape Saunders on October 12, and anchored at Port Chalmers on October 14 after an uneventful passage of 90 days port to port. The following year the ship, under Captain Peacock, made the passage in exactly the same number of days. On her return to England Captain Muir, one of the most capable men afloat, was given command.

As the Invercargill usually carried from 350 to 400 passengers, Captain Muir did not usually go so far south as some other skippers when running down his easting, as he preferred to study the comfort of his passengers, but he made many excellent runs, and on one occasion arrived at Port Chalmers in 79 days from the London docks, or 76 days land to land, Captain Muir ran the ship for nearly twenty years, and never met with any serious accident.

Under Tom Bowling.

In 1892 Captain Tom Bowling, who had been in the service of the Shaw, Savill Company for many years, in command of the Akaroa and other ships, relieved Captain Muir. Captain Bowling was a fearless and experienced sailor. He had the reputation of carrying on, but not recklessly, when opportunity offered. He remained in the ship until she was sold in 1905 to Norway, and made some excellent runs out and home. At this time he had been 50 years at sea, and eventually came out to the Domi-page 66nion and settled down at Christchurch, where he is still living, and enjoying fairly good health.

In 1892 the Invercargill sailed from London on October 7, the Downs on the 11th, and passed the Lizard on the 13th; crossed the Line on November 7, and the meridian of the Cape on the 30th of the same month, 48 days from the Lizard. She made a good run of 20 days to the south of Tasmania, and six days later passed Cape Farewell, arriving at Wellington on December 27, 77 days from the Downs and 73 land to land.

During the passage to Wellington in 1896 the ship encountered a fierce gale carrying away topgallant bulwarks and rail, flooding the decks and doing other damage. She was detained by strong northerly winds between Tasmania and New Zealand, thus retarding what would have been another rapid passage.

During 1893 very little cargo was offering in London, and the Invercargill, with other ships, was sent out in ballast to secure a cargo. the Invercargill arrived at Timaru, 93 days on the passage, and loaded wool and wheat.

Washed Overboard.

Captain Bowling had a rather tedious and anxious time during the passage home in 1901 (the year of King Edward's coronation). The ship experienced very light northerly winds after leaving the coast, and took 53 days to Cape Horn, where she struck a furious gale, during which she broached to, and heavy seas broke on board, doing great damage.

When off Birdwood Bank, in the vicinity of the Falkland Islands, the ship experienced another heavy gale, during which the second officer was washed overboard and drowned. On this occasion the ship had been 130 days out when she reached the Channel. Fears were entertained that she had been lost, and she was reinsured at high rates.

Another Stormy Voyage.

The biggest gale of Captain Bowling's experience, writes Mr. Basil Lubbock, in his book "Colonial Clippers," was in 1904. The ship sailed from Sydney on August 27, loaded with wheat for Queenstown. Caught in a Cape Horn snorter, her cargo shifted to port, her port bulwarks were carried away, and for some time she lay on her beam ends. Eventually she righted and continued her passage, but on December 8, in the Atlantic, she again ran into heavy weather, during which a huge mountain of water broke over the port quarter and swept the decks the whole length of her. The water flooded below, breaking into the saloon and cabins, the sail locker, the lazarette, and even into the 'tween decks; the companion hatch on the poop was carried away, and along with it went both compasses, stands, and binnacles, side lights and screens, the patent log from the taffrail—in fact, pretty nearly everything on the decks except the wheel.

All hands worked hard in bailing out the water from below, which was up to one's waist in the cabin. During the night the ship was rolling heavily as she ran before the gale. Early the next morning a big sea washed out the carpenter's quarters, and "Chips," under the impression that the ship was sinking by the head, made the best of his way aft. Captain Bowling and his officers were all below clearing up the wrecked cabin. The carpenter thereupon informed the man at the wheel of his fears, with, the result that the latter had an attack of nerves, thought he was running the ship under, and allowed her to come-to.

On Her Beam Ends.

As the ship broached to, the cargo again shifted, and the Invercargill went over on her beam ends. Many of the sails blew adrift, and the lifeboat was swept away, Then, when the ship lay down with her lee foreyard arm dipped 6ft into the broken water, the seas worked havoc on the flooded main deck. Daylight disclosed that nearly everything had been washed overboard. All that day and the next night the ship lay like a log with her lee rail buried deep and her main deck full of water. On the morning of the 10th, when the wind dropped, cargo was jettisoned to bring the ship on an even keel, and at last she was got away on her course.

Saved the Ship.

The next difficulty was making a landfall without a reliable compass, as only an old compass which had not been adjusted was available. In spite of a large allowance made for his defective compass, Captain Bowling found himself nearly ashore amongst the Scilly Isles, but his fine seamanship, says Mr. Lubbock, saved the vessel, and on December 18 he brought her safely into Queenstown, 113 days from Sydney.

The ship was towed round to the Clyde and repaired. She was sold to Norway in 1905, and left Glasgow for Christiana to load lumber for Melbourne, but she never reached her destination. She left the Clyde on February 20 with a part cargo of coal, and the general opinion was that she had capsized andpage 67 sunk, as it was thought in Glasgow that she had not sufficient ballast for a winter passage. Before sailing the ship was renamed the Verg.

Here follow the records of the ship's passages to New Zealand:—

To Auckland.
Sailed. Arrived. Captain. Days.
Aug. 12 Nov. 19, '89 Muir 99
To Wellington.
Nov. 21, '83 Feb. 20, '84 Muir 91
Dec. 4, '85 Mar. 2, '86 Muir 88
Oct. 30, '86 Feb. 4, '87 Muir 97
Oct. 15, '87 Jan. 2, '88 Muir 79
Land to land 76
Sep. 3 Dec. 10, '88 Muir 98
Oct. 7 Dec. 27, '92 Bowling 81
Land to land 73
Aug. 12 Nov. 13, '96 Bowling 93
To Lyttelton.
Nov. 29, '84 Mar. 16, '85 Muir 108
July 20 Oct. 13, '94 Bowling 74
To Timaru.
Sailed. Arrived. Captain. Days.
Aug. 31 Dec. 4, '93 Bowling 93
June 18 Sep. 16, '98 Bowling 90
To Port Chalmers.
July 16 Oct. 14, '74 Tilly 90
July 1 Sep. 30, '75 Peacock 87
Land to land 78
June 24 Sep. 24, '76 Muir 92
Land to land 86
May 20 Aug. 17, '77 Muir 89
Land to land 82
July 12 Oct. 2, '78 Muir 82
July 4 Sep. 27, '79 Muir 85
Land to land 78
May 11 July 30, '80 Muir 80
Land to land 76
Feb. 18 May 18, '81 Muir 88
Feb. 16 May 12, '82 Muir 84
Dec. 5, '82 Mar. 1, '83 Muir 85
Nov. 7, '90 Feb. 6, '91 Muir 90
Oct. 8, '91 Jan. 12, '92 Bowling 96
Land to land 77
Aug. 21 Nov. 22, '97 Bowling 93
Sep. 9 Dec. 8, '99 Bowling 92