THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 22ND APRIL, 1899.
GOVERNMENT NOTIFICATION.-No. 244.
627
The following Finding of the Marine Court of Inquiry, into the loss of the British ship Clwyd, Official No. 106,845 of Liverpool, is published.
By Command,
Colonial Secretary's Office, Hongkong, 19th April, 1899.
J. H. STEWART LOCKHART, Colonial Secretary.
FINDING.
We find that the British ship Clwyd, Official No. 106,845 of Liverpool, of which THOMAS THOMAS was Master, the number of whose Certificate is 06,469, left Hongkong for Peru with a full cargo of rice on Thursday, the 30th March, 1899.
That at 7 p.m. a departure was taken from Waglan Light N.W. W. (Mag.) about 20′ distant and from that time a fair wind was experienced and a E. by N. Course was steered up to 4 a.m. on Friday. That from that time the ship was by the wind, clean full, with the yards braced up, but not sharp.
That at about 2.20 a.m. on the 1st April breakers were seen right ahead and on both bows, the helm was put hard up and an attempt made to wear the ship but in about 3 or 4 ininutes she struck and remained fast on the Pratas Shoal.
The sails were clewed up and almost at once the boats two in number were lowered and pro- visioned; That shortly after 3 a.m. the crew got into the boats and left the ship's side, laying off till about 7 a.m. when an attempt was made to get alongside.
That this attempt was without result and the ship was then abandoned and the boats steered for the mainland, arriving eventually at Hongkong.
In coming to any conclusion the Court is not assisted by anything more than the memory of the Master and his statements; Of logs and all documentary evidence there is none, these not having been brought away when the Master and crew left.
The Court is of opinion that the Master would have shown better judgment in acting on the suggestion of the Sailing Direction and have passed to leeward of the Pratas Shoal, more especially after he lost his fair wind and had to sail his ship by the wind which continued heading the ship and breaking her off.
That, finding the ship breaking off, he should have put her on the other tack and worked further to the Northward and increased the distance from his known danger.
The Court is further of opinion that, the Master did not make sufficient allowance for the leeway made by the, ship, together with the set of the current to leeward; The ship was apparently a dull sailer and probably was sagging to leeward considerably, yet only 2 points of correction was allowed, of which a point was for deviation of the Compass.
Further, we consider that greater exertions might have been made after the ship struck, the only thing which appears to have been done was to brace the yards aback and when this failed all further attempt seems to have been abandoned and the prominent idea seems to have been that of leaving the ship.
We have carefully considered the evidence of the Master and others, as also what has been ad- vanced by the Master's Counsel on his behalf, and we are unanimously of opinion that, the Cloyd was not navigated with proper and seamanlike care and further that, she was prematurely abandoned.
We therefore find that the loss of the ship is to be attributed to the wrongful acts or defaults of the Master and we direct that his Certificate be suspended for a period of six months and that he be granted a Mate's Certificate during such suspension if he so desires.
Given under our hands at Hongkong this 14th day of April, 1899.
R. MURRAY RUMSEY, Rtd. Comdr., R.N.,
RICHD. J. Rogers,
President.
Staff Commander, R.N., H.M.S. “ Tamar,”
WM. FINCH,
Master, Br. S. S. “ Gaelic.”
THOMAS FRASER,
Master, Br. S. V. “ Queen Margaret.”
J. T. DAVIES,
Master, Br. S. S. “ Chelydra”