WORST EXPERIENCE FOR 35 YEARS.

The Brisbane Courier, Thursday 6 April, 1911.

THREE DAYS LATE.

VOYAGE OF THE YAWATA MARU.

WORST EXPERIENCE FOR 35

YEARS.

HOW THE CURRENTS CAN

DECEIVE.

Captain H. Craig, of the Torres Strait

pilot service, was pacing the deck of the

Japanese liner Yawata Maru shortly after

11 o'clock yesterday afternoon when a

"Courier" representative came across

him. The vessel had just tied up to the

Pinkenba Railway Wharf, where she was

due from Yokohama last Sunday after-

noon, but had been delayed for three

days by cyclonic weather. "No doubt you

have been wondering what became of

us," said Captain Craig. " In my 

experience of 35 years in navigating the

Queensland coast the recent cyclonic

weather was the worst I ever experienced.

In '75 I made my first acquaintance with Torres 

Strait, when I joined the E. and A. line as an 

officer, and for 15 years I held command of 

one of the company's ships. This was 15 years 

of pilotage work as the company's cominanders 

have to do their own piloting. In 1898 I left

the E. and A. Company to become a member

of the Torres Strait pilot service, but in all the 

years I have sailed along the coast I never met 

so much dirty weather. I have had experience 

of cyclones, but in 24 hours they had passed

away. The recent disturbance was the most 

continuous I ever encountered.

There were two cyclones, one making its

way across Cape York Peninsula, from

the Gulf of Carpentaria, and the other

coming towards the coast from the north-

east."

The Yawata Marti, 'he said, left

Thursday Island on Tuesday, March 28,

and on Wednesday afternoon the glass

began to fall, showing that the ship was

going in towards the centre of the second

disturbance. The vessel was in the inner

route, and that night came to anchor

just to the southward of the Claremont

lightship. The barometer began to rise

on Thursday, indicating that the centre

of the storm had passed inland, but there

was an easterly gale blowing, accompanied 

by thick blinding rain, and on Thursday night 

the vessel anchored off Cape Tribulation. 

At 8 a.m. on Friday the weather cleared a little, 

and the voyage was resumed, but after an 

hour and a half steaming, thick continuous 

rain fell, with an easterly gale, and the Yawata

Maru anchored off Schnapper Island,

until 6 a.m. on Saturday, when the voyage

was resumed. At 10.50 the vessel passed

Low Woody Island, with the wind blowing 

from the direction of E.S.E., showing that 

the storm was still to the northward of the 

ship. At 1.35 p.m. it became too thick to 

proceed, and the Yawata Maru anchored 

off Caren. Rain fell in torrents, and the 

barometer was 29.43 at 8 p.m., and the 

same at midnight. The barometer afterwards 

rose to 29.57, and at 7 a.m. on Sunday 

they hove up anchor, and at 8.5 a.m. 

proceeded slowly ahead to pick up 

Calle Grafton, which was abeam at 

10.00 a.m. By 4.12 p.m. the vessel had 

passed Brookes Island, to the northward 

of Hinchinbrook Island. The A.U.S.N. 

liner Levuka was met, and the two ships 

kept company. The Yawata Maru brought 

up with 90 fathoms of cable to the west of 

Palm Island, and at mid-night the barometer 

was 29.70, showing that the centre of the 

storm was passing. Shortly after 6 a.m. on 

Monday the Yawata Maru proceeded into 

Cleveland Bay. After leaving Townsville the 

weather became clearer.

Speaking of the Yongala disaster, Captain 

Craig said : " No matter how good your 

judgment is, you can be deceived by

the currents. On the Thursday afternoon 

after leaving Cape Tribulation the Yawata 

Maru was steaming at 12 knots, but she 

was travelling at the rate of 15 knots, 

having the assistance of a southerly 

three-knot current. Before reaching

Palm Island the ship was steaming at 

least 13 knots,  but she was only making 

10 1/2 knots, showing that  there was at 

least a two-knot current setting to the 

northward."

When pressed to make a statement,

Captain Craig said he was of the opinion

that there should be more lights on the

Queensland coast south of Cooktown, but

as he was under the Queensland Marine

Board he felt he should not make any

suggestion as to where, in his opinion,

additional lights should be placed. Some

shipping masters had advocated a light

on Gloucester Head, while others 

considered it necessary to have lights at

other points along the coast.

Apart from the confusion surrounding the detail of the cyclone(s) along the Queensland coast, Captain Craig provided critical information. There was a 2 knot current trending northward, which means that Yongala would have had the additional two knots over and above her registered speed at the time. In my opinion this would have brought the steamer comfortably to the wreck site by midnight, 23 March.

courtesy Google Earth