 |
FAMOUS
SHIPS |
THE "WAIMATE "
This ship was the forth ship built
for the New Zealand Shipping Company, which had so much to do with the prosperity of
Maoriland and the resultant population explosion. She was launched from Blumer's Yard at
Sunderland in the summer of 1874 along with her sister ship Waitangi. The Waitangi was
launched first, in June, the Waimate being launched in August. Both of these ships were
very good looking passenger-carrying iron clippers which were also the largest and fastest
of the sailing ships built for the New Zealand Shipping Company. Both had very long
careers, with only a few problems along the way.
Waitatigi made 25 voyages to the
Colony before being sold to the Norwegians at the end of the 19th century. Wainiate made
22 voyages before the Russians purchased her in 1896.
The Waimate was considered the
number one ship of the New Zealand Shipping Company's fleet until the Turakina (the Former
City of Perth) superseded her. Although the Wainiate could not beat the Ttirakina on any
point of sailing (so the claim went), the former still had the better outward passages
between the two. The Waimate's passage from London to Lyttelton in 1880-81 was considered
a record for many years. Her passage from land to land was 66 days.
The New Zealand Shipping Company
(N.Z. S. Co.) prided themselves on having the finest passenger ships, which were always
outfitted properly and kept smartly up to high standards. The Wainiate lived up to this
standard. She was a first-class ship in every respect, well built, splendidly fitted for
passengers, and smartly rigged with the old-time long jib-boom and main skysail. Her
measurements were: Length, 219 feet 7 inches; breadth, 3 5 feet I inch- depth, 20 feet 7
inches; tonnage, 1, 124 tons net.
All the N.Z.S. Co.'s ships were
small by today's standard yet these ships did there job, taking out between 300 to 400
emigrants, men, women and children, without being considered unduly crowded by the
authorities. Most of the British families that went to live in the new Colonies were a
hearty group, for the voyage itself was quite a test of their endurance and required
courage and backbone to accomplish successfully.
On her maiden voyage Captain Rose
took the Wainiate out to Lyttelton in 89 days. The second passage was made with Captain
Peck, who commanded her until the passage of 1880-81 mentioned above, when the record was
set between Eddystone and Lyttelton. On this passage she crossed the Equator only 16 days
8 hours out, a performance that could only have been done by a really fast ship.
On her homeward passage, Captain
Peck and the Waimate had the fright of their lives, as she was very nearly wrecked in the
vicinity of the Horn. She was carrying a press of sail, running before heavy west winds,
and it was a dark and dirty night. Suddenly there came a wild cry from the look-out, and
at the same time that particular deep hollow roar of big surf on a steep cliff could be
heard above the roar of the wind in the rigging. A minute or so later rugged cliffs,
rising above a mist of spray, could be seen both ahead and on either bow. Everyone aboard
knew that the ship was rushing headlong onto an unknown shore. Captain Peck's dead
reckoning was all adrift since he had no ability to make sightings in several days.
A more terrible situation could not
be imagined, heading toward Tierra del Fuegain coast on a dark night with huge seas all
around the ship and nothing forward but outlying razorbacked rocks. Captain Peck did the
one thing he had to do to save his ship - the cables were hurriedly ranged and shackled on
to the anchors, which were unlashed and lowered with all speed. Then, as the helm was put
down, and the ship rounded up into the wind with a fearful clatter of blocks and thunder
of flogging canvas, both anchors were let go and 120 fathoms of chain veered, for the ship
was in deep water even though flying spume and froth from a ridge of rocks was right in
front of them. Fortunately, the anchors held. In the dark of that Cape Horn night, with
its flying spray and screeching wind, it required a cool head and superb seamanship, on
that slippery, reeling fo'c'sle-head, to get this heavy, dangerous work accomplished
quickly and without a hitch. The Waimate hung on in this dangerous situation until the
wind and seas eased up and a shift of the wind gave her a chance of getting off. She then
slipped her chains and fetched clear, resuming her passage.
After this voyage, Captain Peck
handed over the reins to Captain Mosey, who commanded her for the next four voyages.
During his tenure as captain, she had her best 24 hour run of 354 miles in 1881. In 1883
he recorded her best homeward passage of 71 days.
In 1884-5 Captain Tribe had the
Wainiate for one passage, during which she made her first trip to Auckland. Then Captain
Canese took over, having her for the next six voyages. She still had some superb passages
and was always one of the best passenger ships on the line. Captain Worster, her final
voyage being in 1895, commanded the last three voyages of the Waimate made under the house
flag.
In 1896 she was sold to the Russians
and renamed Valkyrian. She did not last long, however, for in 1899 she sailed from
Newcastle, N.S.W., with the usual coal cargo for Iquique, and was never heard of again. It
is probable that the coal cargo became heated, a fire resulted and led to the destruction
of the ship and the loss of the entire crew.
Close