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Captain B B Irwin
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DescriptionEvening Post June 1944
Basil Irwin, master of the inter-island ferry steamer RANGATIRA, is about to retire after a record service of more than 46 years with the Union Steam Ship Company, 36 of them in command of its ships. For the past 26 years he has commanded various ferry steamers on the Lyttelton-Wellington service.
Captain Irwin is a New Zealander, having been born in Dunedin on June 3, 1878. As a youth he was apprenticed in sail to Messrs. Trinder, Anderson, and Company, of London, where he secured his second mate's foreign-going certificate in 1897. Later he returned to New Zealand, and on May 14, 1898, entered the employment of the Union Steam Ship Company as fourth officer of the MOANA, and remained in that vessel for two years until he joined the TAIERI as third officer. In July, 1902, he was appointed second officer of the JANET NICOLL, and in January, 1906, was promoted to chief officer of the HAWEA, following which he served in this capacity in some 13 other vessels of the company.
Captain Irwin attained his first command on November 17, 1911, when he was appointed master of the ROSAMOND, and during the next three and a half years he commanded the HAUPIRIi, POHERUA, KAKAPO, TAVIUNI, KOMATA, KANNA and KOROMIKO. In March 1915, he was transferred to the Wellington-Picton Nelson passenger service, and took charge of the MAPOURIKA, and later commanded the PATEENA and TAKAPUNA in the same trade, with occasional relieving periods in cargo vessels. He first entered the Wellington- Lyttelton passenger service in December, 1918, when he was promoted to the MARAROA. His first appointment to the MAORI took place in October, 1920, and to the WAHINE in July, 1923, and finally in May 1932, he took up his initial appointment in the RANGITIRA. The total service in each of these vessels has been as follows:MARAROA three years; MAORI nine years; WAHINE four years and RANGITIRA seven years, interspersed with short relieving periods in other passenger and cargo vessels.
Captain Irwin has the distinction of having served the Union Steam Ship Company longer than any other master up to the present time, his total service extending just over 46 years, and it is also a matter of interest to record that he has been a member of the New Zealand Merchant Service Guild of Masters and Officers since the foundation of that organisation in 1901, and has for many years occupied the office of vice-president. About eight years ago Captain Irwin received a good-will gift from one of his brother shipmasters when he was presented with a cigarette box made in the form of a seaman's chest from a piece of teak from the steamer MARAROA, as a momento of the years he was in command of that vessel, and as a token of the high regard in which he was held by all members of the Merchant Service Guild. During his 36 years in command, and especially during his long association with the Wellington-Lyttelton Steamer Express Service, he has become widely known to and earned the esteem of a very large body of the travelling public, who, together with his host of friends both ashore and afloat, will feel deep regret that the time has arrived for him to relinquish active command. Captain Irwin will continue to reside in Opawa, Christchurch, during his retirement. Captain D N McLeish is to succeed to the command of the RANGITIRA.
AN ARDUOUS BOAT JOURNEY. Old hands amongst seafarers in New Zealand still recall a perilous boat journey, in which Captain Irwin was the leader, made in search of assistance for a disabled steamer. Captain Irwin cannot remember the year, but it was before 1908, and the steamer was the Union Company's HAWEA, 1758 tons, bound from Newcastle to Gisborne with coal. Half-way across the Tasman Sea, the HAWEA broke her tailshaft and lay helpless, with no means of calling assistance. After drifting for many days, the HAWEA passed within 20 miles of Lord Howe Island. To ease the drain on the provisions, it was decided to send 12 men, with the second officer in charge, to land on the island, a boat journey which was safely accomplished. Continuing her long drift, the Hawea reached a position about 100 miles off the Australian coast. Irwin, who was chief officer of the vessel, the third engineer, Mr. Ritson, and an AB from Lyttelton, whose name Irwin cannot recall, volunteered to make a boat journey to the coast to get help. The wind being favourable, they set out at 1 p.m. on a Monday, expecting to make the coast at daybreak the following morning. That evening the wind changed and a strong gale set in from the west and south-west. It was the beginning of the worst storm on that part of the coast for 14 years, and it lasted nearly a week. Riding to a sea-anchor, the little 18ft boat was continually beset by huge seas, which broke over her, keeping the three men baling almost continuously. Sometimes the gale would ease for a few hours, only to come away strongly again. Towards the end of the week conditions improved. On the Sunday the three men found themselves still out of sight of land, with only one 2 lb tin of meat left. The next morning land was sighted, and at 1 pm, exactly a week after setting out, the party landed on South Solitary Island, north of Newcastle, about six miles off the coast. They were amused at each other's attempts to walk. Long days of sitting in a wet boat had cramped their limbs, so that, at first, walking was impossible. In response to flag signals made by the lighthouse-keeper, a launch was sent from the mainland next day, and the three men landed at Nambucca Heads. Search vessels were sent out for the HAWEA, and she was picked up by the same company's RAKANOA. Mr. Ritson suffered from scurvy during the boat trip and never recovered, dying at Wellington a few months later. During the worst days of the boat journey we were seeing things,said Captain Irwin and each of us had various hallucinations; For instance, on one occasion, I could have sworn we had sighted a typical Australian bungalow, with a picket fence. But one thing we all were in agreement on was that there was a fourth Person with us in the boat. It was only when we came to share out the food that we realised that we, were only three. Then, when we were being driven over from Nambucca to Bellinger Heads. I was amazed to see the exact replica of the bungalow I thought I had seen at sea. I never quite got over that. It made us realise that Somebody had been watching over us.
Evening Post 1 August 1936
An indication of the Court's finding in the inquiry into the mishap to the WAHINE, which is to be embodied in a report to the Minister of Marine, was given by Mr. E. D. Mosley, S.M., in the Magistrate's Court yesterday afternoon. The Court found the master of the ship Captain B Irwin guilty of an error of judgment, but returned his certificate to him. Mr. Mosley said the question of fog signals for Wellington Harbour had been gone into and would be the subject of a special memorandum to the Minister. Mr. Mosley said that he was advised by the nautical assessors, and he agreed with them, that Irwin was guilty of an error of judgment in the following two respects: (a) In steering the course he did, from abeam of Point Jerningham, which he did not see, and in approaching the vicinity of the wharves in such a fog at an excessive speed. At the same time it was felt that Captain Irwin, his officers, and crew were to be commended for the exceedingly great promptitude with which they had acted in such a case of emergency. He did not think that too much praise could be given to the captain, his officers, and men in that respect.
PUNCTUALITY OF SHIPS. "Another question has arisen which I do not think it proper to refer to in the report," continued Mr. Mosley. "It has been brought before my notice by the Crown on at least two occasions that the Union Company is in some way alleged to have given or to give all its masters instructions, secret or otherwise, regarding their arrival in port with punctuality, and it has been insinuated that some penalty would be enacted on them if they did not do so. There has been during the last two inquiries not the slightest evidence to support that theory. The evidence has been entirely to the contrary and my two assessors, who have been experienced captains in the Union Company for years, say that such an idea is entirely erroneous, and they have requested me to emphasise that fact — that no such action has been taken by the Union Company nor has such an action been insinuated. "I wish personally to thank my assessors (Captains J. Mawson and J. G. Watson) for the extreme care with which'they have gone into all the nautical questions which have been presented for the consideration of the Court. They have been most meticulous in their care, and I wish to take this opportunity of publicly thanking them for the work they have put in and for the advice that they have tendered to me. "On the question of costs the Court makes no order".
Captain Irwin died in 1972 at Christchurch. In his obituary he was said to have made 8000 crossings of Cook Strait.
Basil Irwin, master of the inter-island ferry steamer RANGATIRA, is about to retire after a record service of more than 46 years with the Union Steam Ship Company, 36 of them in command of its ships. For the past 26 years he has commanded various ferry steamers on the Lyttelton-Wellington service.
Captain Irwin is a New Zealander, having been born in Dunedin on June 3, 1878. As a youth he was apprenticed in sail to Messrs. Trinder, Anderson, and Company, of London, where he secured his second mate's foreign-going certificate in 1897. Later he returned to New Zealand, and on May 14, 1898, entered the employment of the Union Steam Ship Company as fourth officer of the MOANA, and remained in that vessel for two years until he joined the TAIERI as third officer. In July, 1902, he was appointed second officer of the JANET NICOLL, and in January, 1906, was promoted to chief officer of the HAWEA, following which he served in this capacity in some 13 other vessels of the company.
Captain Irwin attained his first command on November 17, 1911, when he was appointed master of the ROSAMOND, and during the next three and a half years he commanded the HAUPIRIi, POHERUA, KAKAPO, TAVIUNI, KOMATA, KANNA and KOROMIKO. In March 1915, he was transferred to the Wellington-Picton Nelson passenger service, and took charge of the MAPOURIKA, and later commanded the PATEENA and TAKAPUNA in the same trade, with occasional relieving periods in cargo vessels. He first entered the Wellington- Lyttelton passenger service in December, 1918, when he was promoted to the MARAROA. His first appointment to the MAORI took place in October, 1920, and to the WAHINE in July, 1923, and finally in May 1932, he took up his initial appointment in the RANGITIRA. The total service in each of these vessels has been as follows:MARAROA three years; MAORI nine years; WAHINE four years and RANGITIRA seven years, interspersed with short relieving periods in other passenger and cargo vessels.
Captain Irwin has the distinction of having served the Union Steam Ship Company longer than any other master up to the present time, his total service extending just over 46 years, and it is also a matter of interest to record that he has been a member of the New Zealand Merchant Service Guild of Masters and Officers since the foundation of that organisation in 1901, and has for many years occupied the office of vice-president. About eight years ago Captain Irwin received a good-will gift from one of his brother shipmasters when he was presented with a cigarette box made in the form of a seaman's chest from a piece of teak from the steamer MARAROA, as a momento of the years he was in command of that vessel, and as a token of the high regard in which he was held by all members of the Merchant Service Guild. During his 36 years in command, and especially during his long association with the Wellington-Lyttelton Steamer Express Service, he has become widely known to and earned the esteem of a very large body of the travelling public, who, together with his host of friends both ashore and afloat, will feel deep regret that the time has arrived for him to relinquish active command. Captain Irwin will continue to reside in Opawa, Christchurch, during his retirement. Captain D N McLeish is to succeed to the command of the RANGITIRA.
AN ARDUOUS BOAT JOURNEY. Old hands amongst seafarers in New Zealand still recall a perilous boat journey, in which Captain Irwin was the leader, made in search of assistance for a disabled steamer. Captain Irwin cannot remember the year, but it was before 1908, and the steamer was the Union Company's HAWEA, 1758 tons, bound from Newcastle to Gisborne with coal. Half-way across the Tasman Sea, the HAWEA broke her tailshaft and lay helpless, with no means of calling assistance. After drifting for many days, the HAWEA passed within 20 miles of Lord Howe Island. To ease the drain on the provisions, it was decided to send 12 men, with the second officer in charge, to land on the island, a boat journey which was safely accomplished. Continuing her long drift, the Hawea reached a position about 100 miles off the Australian coast. Irwin, who was chief officer of the vessel, the third engineer, Mr. Ritson, and an AB from Lyttelton, whose name Irwin cannot recall, volunteered to make a boat journey to the coast to get help. The wind being favourable, they set out at 1 p.m. on a Monday, expecting to make the coast at daybreak the following morning. That evening the wind changed and a strong gale set in from the west and south-west. It was the beginning of the worst storm on that part of the coast for 14 years, and it lasted nearly a week. Riding to a sea-anchor, the little 18ft boat was continually beset by huge seas, which broke over her, keeping the three men baling almost continuously. Sometimes the gale would ease for a few hours, only to come away strongly again. Towards the end of the week conditions improved. On the Sunday the three men found themselves still out of sight of land, with only one 2 lb tin of meat left. The next morning land was sighted, and at 1 pm, exactly a week after setting out, the party landed on South Solitary Island, north of Newcastle, about six miles off the coast. They were amused at each other's attempts to walk. Long days of sitting in a wet boat had cramped their limbs, so that, at first, walking was impossible. In response to flag signals made by the lighthouse-keeper, a launch was sent from the mainland next day, and the three men landed at Nambucca Heads. Search vessels were sent out for the HAWEA, and she was picked up by the same company's RAKANOA. Mr. Ritson suffered from scurvy during the boat trip and never recovered, dying at Wellington a few months later. During the worst days of the boat journey we were seeing things,said Captain Irwin and each of us had various hallucinations; For instance, on one occasion, I could have sworn we had sighted a typical Australian bungalow, with a picket fence. But one thing we all were in agreement on was that there was a fourth Person with us in the boat. It was only when we came to share out the food that we realised that we, were only three. Then, when we were being driven over from Nambucca to Bellinger Heads. I was amazed to see the exact replica of the bungalow I thought I had seen at sea. I never quite got over that. It made us realise that Somebody had been watching over us.
Evening Post 1 August 1936
An indication of the Court's finding in the inquiry into the mishap to the WAHINE, which is to be embodied in a report to the Minister of Marine, was given by Mr. E. D. Mosley, S.M., in the Magistrate's Court yesterday afternoon. The Court found the master of the ship Captain B Irwin guilty of an error of judgment, but returned his certificate to him. Mr. Mosley said the question of fog signals for Wellington Harbour had been gone into and would be the subject of a special memorandum to the Minister. Mr. Mosley said that he was advised by the nautical assessors, and he agreed with them, that Irwin was guilty of an error of judgment in the following two respects: (a) In steering the course he did, from abeam of Point Jerningham, which he did not see, and in approaching the vicinity of the wharves in such a fog at an excessive speed. At the same time it was felt that Captain Irwin, his officers, and crew were to be commended for the exceedingly great promptitude with which they had acted in such a case of emergency. He did not think that too much praise could be given to the captain, his officers, and men in that respect.
PUNCTUALITY OF SHIPS. "Another question has arisen which I do not think it proper to refer to in the report," continued Mr. Mosley. "It has been brought before my notice by the Crown on at least two occasions that the Union Company is in some way alleged to have given or to give all its masters instructions, secret or otherwise, regarding their arrival in port with punctuality, and it has been insinuated that some penalty would be enacted on them if they did not do so. There has been during the last two inquiries not the slightest evidence to support that theory. The evidence has been entirely to the contrary and my two assessors, who have been experienced captains in the Union Company for years, say that such an idea is entirely erroneous, and they have requested me to emphasise that fact — that no such action has been taken by the Union Company nor has such an action been insinuated. "I wish personally to thank my assessors (Captains J. Mawson and J. G. Watson) for the extreme care with which'they have gone into all the nautical questions which have been presented for the consideration of the Court. They have been most meticulous in their care, and I wish to take this opportunity of publicly thanking them for the work they have put in and for the advice that they have tendered to me. "On the question of costs the Court makes no order".
Captain Irwin died in 1972 at Christchurch. In his obituary he was said to have made 8000 crossings of Cook Strait.
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Date posted10th February 2011
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CollectionMasters Photos before 1940
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New Zealand Ship and Marine Society (2nd Sep 2022). Captain B B Irwin. In Website New Zealand Ship and Marine Society. Retrieved 6th Dec 2024 10:45, from https://nzshipmarine.recollect.co.nz/nodes/view/687