Thank you for another great video. I was a sixteen year old boy at the time who lived in Broadway, just next to the Seatoun tunnel. My mum and I walked through the tunnel to Seatoun beach and saw the Wahine on its side the same as in the photos. However, I don’t remember if we were there when a lifeboat arrived on the beach, we may have been there at that time. I recently saw footage of a small power boat with the racing numbers 116 on its side at Seatoun beach, it was owned and driven by Tony Moore. I think that around 1968 Wellington had just held its first power boat race in the harbour, it was a spectacular event and, probably not held in good weather. Tony was helping with the rescue.

It was later estimated the Wahine rolled to 48 degrees when she broached. It was a miracle the ship didn't roll right over then & there.

@epigwaitthistory

Жыл бұрын

Oh wow imagine that. Every time I'm on the inter islander I think of her as we pass the fateful spot.

@KiwiSentinel

Жыл бұрын

@@epigwaitthistory so do I. I was old enough [6] to remember that day a sailing on her twice in the previous two years.

An eerie echo across the Waves of the MV Princess Victoria {Built by same Yard as Wahine} ...Both vessels put to sea in mountainous conditions, in the teeth of a terrible Storm, with great loss of Life. {31st January 1953 for Princess Victoria}. Rest in Peace all who lost their Lives at Sea.

@KiwiSentinel

Жыл бұрын

A very good link. Though Wahine was built at Fairfields and not Dennys the lessons of the stern door were not only learnt but applied. The seas only became mountainous at the entrance of Wellington Harbour where she was headed.

@Oakleaf700

Жыл бұрын

@@KiwiSentinel Thanks for the correction.

My grandfather Len Coard was one of the two stowaways, I think his off sider was named Dick Petrie. There's a well known picture of them setting off flares, Len was interviewed as he came ashore and is attributed with saving many lives

Your videos are fantastic, newly discovered, and cant tell enough people how great they are to listen to when driving/chilling out/working at a desk etc. Much love from Kapiti Coast

@epigwaitthistory

Жыл бұрын

Cheers mate! I'm glad to be out of the Manawatu 🤣 Kapiti is Beautiful. New Zealand riots coming up next.

I thought the guest John was excellent - that was a good listen.

My Grandad got some deck railing of the Wahine from a freind of his who worked on the recovery. He made some salad bowls and utensils from it. Theyre still used all these years later. Also, the day after the sinking my mum sailed past it on a ship bound for Melbourne

I remember this event. Actually my parents took us kids across on the Wahine (name meaning , woman or female),just a month or two previous. This disaster was totally preventable and charactered by administration and comand bunggling. The ship was totally sea worthy and could simply have remained at sea till the wprst blew over or put in to Picton. (Modern airlines always have an alternate port planed). Having decided to enter the harbor in a strongly following swell, she could have come in fast, to outpace the swell and thus remain under control like any small boat skipper knows to do. Then, having initially grounded, she could have disembarked the passengers either then or later when she was drifting still upright. Any number of small craft were available. Some risk would have been present admittedly but noone should have died. Sloppy work indead by a respected organisation. The Erabus disaster a few years later showed the same style of bureaucrat mis management and cover up that seems to be the first option for large company's in New Zealand. For once I think we can thank the media for digging deep and exposing these incompetant and corrupt control practices in our vital infrastructure. Timothy

Why leave Harbour with that forecast 😢

@kiwikeith7633

2 ай бұрын

Weather forecasting was not great back then - I remember. So this severity was not forecast. The Wahine left port at least ten hours earlier. It's voyage was almost over. Usually they left at 8pm sharp, but it was a little late. So it was ambushed by suddenly severe weather at the worst place - that being the Wellington Heads adjacent to Barrets Reef. I remember the storm - I experienced it. I tried to go to work, but had my car dismantled by the wind as I crossed Maungaraki - so I gathered the bits, returned home to watch the shrubs flying past our windows. I listened to this disaster as it happened, and saw all the footage on TV that night. But do you know this was a brief storm. Seemed to strike as we were rising for the day, and it was brilliant weather from late morning - mill-pond like. Those Union ferries used to have a reputation for being dependable and on time. I lament that they are not running now. Imagine boarding at one end, having a night's sleep and arriving at the other refreshed? My last trip to Christchurch was still a ferry voyage followed by a long drive before arriving.

The sinking was a nightmare, Wellington was not equipped with the rescue means to help the Wahine, the tugs were too small, underpowered and essentially not as helpful as you would expect. Wellington harbour got two big powerful, sea-going capable tugs after the Wahine experience. The Police got a very nice "unsinkable" police boat. The pilot boat did exceptionally well but I don't know where the pleasure craft or fishing boats story of being involved comes from. I recall the frustration of the commercial fishing boat skippers who were denied permission to go out to the Wagine until very late when some did, with or without permission. I can't recall who stopped them, harbour master or Police but the seasoned fishermen were angry, their boats to risk and they knew Cook Strait's nastiness. A lot of the casualties were caused by people floating to the opposite shore OK because there was no-one to pick them up, surviving until the surf and rocks battered them repeatedly on the beaches. I knew a policeman who tried to get people/bodies out of the surf after the Police took Landrovers from a dealership to go along the Eastbourne coast. He didn't have a nice experience. The Seatoun shore is where most of the successful lifeboats came ashore.