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

A Versatile Sailor

A Versatile Sailor.

The third mate of the Nimroud when she visited Auckland in 1864 in command of Captain Oughton, was a young man named Bennett, who was afterwards connected with the noted Loch line. When the Nimroud was in Auckland young Bennett left her to serve in the Maori war then raging, and attracting most of the adventurous spirits that lived in the little township of those early days. It was not his first visit to New Zealand, as he had been here as an apprentice on the Albermarle, which was in Wellington in 1861. When Bennett joined up with the forces at Auckland he was sent to the front almost immediately, and it was only about a fortnight after leaving the ship before he was wounded and sent back to the Auckland Hospital. He recovered before the ship left, and not being fit for duty again rejoined the Nimroud before she sailed.

Later Bennett joined the Loch line as mate of the Clanranald, and then of the Loch Rannoch. He was afterwards given command of the Loch Tay, and frompage 3411885 to 1904 he commanded the famous Loch Vennachar, one of the finest and speediest ships that traded to Australia. Captain Bennett made some remarkable trips out and Home, four of his voyages to Melbourne being done in 72, 74, 75, and 75 days respectively. He retired from the sea in 1892. The Loch Vennachar was dismasted while on the voyage to Melbourne, having left Glasgow on April 6 of that year. One sea that broke on board during this terrible gale filled the lower topsail, 60ft above the deck! Tons of water swept over the ship, the foremast and the mainmast were swept over the side and the mizzen topmast carried away, while the unfortunate cook was washed out of his galley and drowned. For several days the ship was unmanageable, until the crew at length managed to get her jury rigged, and after five weeks' struggling got her into port at Mauritius. Captain Bennett for this magnificent "save" was awarded Loyd's medal, which is considered the Victoria Cross of the mercantile marine.

In 1901, when lying at anchor in the River Thames, ready to sail for Melbourne, the Loch Vennachar was run into by a steamer and sunk in 40ft of water, no one, however, being drowned, and the ship was afterwards raised and refitted. In 1905 the ship was wrecked on Kangaroo Island, but by that time Captain Bennett had left her, and Captain Hawkins was in command.