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

Beat the Steamer

Beat the Steamer.

That she could slip along under favouring circumstances was, however, proved on Captain Campbell's last voyage up to the Golden Gate. When 260 miles off that port he fell in with a Japanese steamer, both bound for San Francisco. The wind was abaft the beam and there was plenty of it, and a very interesting race ensued between sail and steam. At the time he met the Japanese Captain Campbell had some of his light sails furled, but these were afterwards shaken out, and in finishing the Antiope had everything set. At times she logged 15 and 16 knots, and if ships feel, as sailors are sure they do, it was not the least proud moment of her varied life when she passed through the Golden Gate an hour and a half ahead of the Jap. As there were a number of passengers on board the steamer, all keenly interested in the novel race, the event was more than usually piquant.

When Captain Campbell was relieved on August 26, 1919, Captain James Broadhouse, who is now residing in Auckland, was appointed captain, and the Antiope then proceeded to Suva, Fiji, making the passage in 13 days. There the vessel took on board a full load of copra in bulk (1850 tons). From there she sailed for London, but on proceeding up the English Channel she was signalled from Dungeness to proceed to Rotterdam instead, this passage occupying 108 days from Suva to Rotterdam, where the vessel remained for four months. She experienced variable winds until rounding Cape Horn, when the weather was very fine, a very unusual occurrence, the vessel logging 13 knots an hour, all sail set and a fine south-west wind. Owing to a strike at Rotterdam the Antiope was obliged to remain there for four months, during which time the ship was docked, and Captain Broadhouse was much surprised to find the excellent state the bottom of the vessel was in, the Antiope then being 54 years of age, and the oldest ship afloat. From Rotterdam the Antiope sailed for Viborg, Finland, to ship a full load of deals for Delagoa Bay, South Africa. Viborg was left on August 20, 1920, and the vessel finally arrived at Delagoa Bay on December 1, where six weeks later, on January 13, 1921, the vessel caught fire and became a constructive total loss. She was then handed over to the underwriters, and was finally sold to the Sena Sugar Estate, Ltd., and is now a hulk in Chinde, Portuguese East Africa.

Captain Broadhouse was formerly chief officer on the Canterbury with Captain Collingwood. He was also second officer on the Zealandia under Captain Bate.

According to Mr. Basil Lubbock, when the Antiope was in the Australian tradepage 334 her best passage out to Melbourne was made under Captain Withers. She was 68 days on the passage, and but for being hung up on the Line would have gone near to breaking the record. Some twenty-nine years ago, Mr. C. H. Poole, of Auckland, formerly member of Parliament, was third mate of the Antiope, which was then engaged in the Liverpool-Melbourne run.