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

The Asterion

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page 225

The Asterion.

A Perilous Voyage.

the Asterion was a barque of 540 tons, chartered by Shaw, Savill and Co. early in the 'eighties. She ran chiefly to Nelson, completing ten voyages to that port. With the exception of the two runs to Auckland in 1882-3, she made very good passages. She made one voyage each to Dunedin, Napier, and the Bluff, altogether completing fifteen voyages to the Dominion. Captain Collingwood reported on arrival at Auckland in 1883 that the long voyage
the Asterion At Nelson.

the Asterion At Nelson.

of 123 days was mainly attributable to light south-west winds met with during the first portion of the voyage, the vessel being 46 days out when crossing the Equator. On the 21st July the Cape de Verde Islands were sighted, and four days later no less than thirteen ships were in sight, all bound south. St. Paul's Island was sighted on the 18th September; thence to Cape Leeuwin a continuance of northerly winds with squalls. From Baas Straits until sighting Cape Maria Van Diemen, on the 15th October, she experienced strong southerly winds and thick rainy weather. This was Captain Collingwood's first visit to Auckland. He had been engaged previously in the East India trade.

Captain Foote had a trying time on the run out to Nelson in 1891. the Asterion met with a succession of severe gales throughout, the worst from the north-west on the 23rd September, when in latitude 45deg. south and longitude 54 east. The barometer fell rapidly, and high and mountainous seas broke over the ship, filling the decks fore and aft, smashing the fore cabin door, flooding the fore cabin, smashing and washing away poop ladders, skin clean out of deck, drawing out four eye-bolts to which the water tanks were secured, filling the galley, and straining the combings of the forward deckhouse. After twenty hours the wind fell suddenly, leaving a fearful sea running, causingpage 226 the ship to strain and labour heavily and roll violently, snapping a chain-plate in two in the port main rigging. The ship was hove-to for several hours.

In 1897 the Asterion experienced another very rough passage to Nelson, and was three weeks sailing through
Captain Collingwood.

Captain Collingwood.

ice fields. Her best day's run on this occasion was 260 miles, and the best week's run 1620 miles. the Asterion met further trouble when bound for Nelson in 1899. On this occasion she sailed under the Swedish flag, and met with furious gales in the English Channel which did considerable damage, and the ship had to put into Falmouth for repairs. She left this port finally on the 4th March.

The records of the Asterion were:—

To Auckland.
Sailed. Arrived. Captain. Days.
May 13 Sep. 26, '82 Whitcombe 136
June 16 Oct. 17, '83 Collingwood 123
To Dunedin.
Aug. 13 Dec. 7, '92 Foote 116
To Nelson.
Aug. 5 Nov. 12, '87 Collingwood 99
Aug. 17 Nov. 28, '88 Collingwood 102
July 3 Nov. 17, '89 Alsop 109
May 11 Aug. 29, '90 Burton 110
July 16 Oct. 22, '91 Foote 99
Oct. 13, '93 Jan. 27, '94 Foote 106
Oct. 12, '94 Jan. 28, '95 Foote 108
Oct. 13, '96 Jan. 16, '97 Foote 96
Jan. 25, '98 May 23, '98 Foote 118
Mar. 4 June 19, '99 Jeppson 106
To Napier.
— Jan. 5, '87 Collingwood 94
To Bluff.
Oct. 29, '95 Feb. 19, '96 Foote 113

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