Wahine Disaster A digital narrative by Josh

I am a survivor of the Wahine disaster and I’m going to tell you about the Wahine disaster

We got on the Wahine at 8:20 pm. The Wahine left Littleton at 8:40 pm carrying 610 passengers and 123 crew. There had been storm warnings, but nothing to say that this storm would be any worse than other winds in the strait well known for its rough seas.

The ferry travelled up the east coast of the South Island and headed for Wellington Harbour. By now the winds were gusting at between 130 and 150 kilometres per hour.

I woke up about 6 am. The warden said we would be inside the harbour at 6.10 so we decided to stay in bed 'til after then. But the sea was just getting rougher. I didn't like it. I Decided I'd get up on deck and see what was going on.

Just as we reached the narrow funnel of the harbour entrance the wind suddenly increased to 185 km and we were fighting the waves for about half an hour but the Wahines radar failed and a massive wave hit us and put us off course and heading towards the Barrett reef.

The captain was unable to turn back on course. The force of another massive wave threw him across the bridge of the ship. The captain decided to keep turning the ferry and try to bring the Wahine around and back out to sea again but we had been driven back onto the rocks of Barrett Reef.

More than 20 large holes were ripped in the hull of the Wahine as it was pounded on the reef, and the ship lost all power. We were told that the ferry was aground on the reef, and to put on our lifejackets and report to their assembly points around the ship.

People slid across the sloping deck, trying to make their way to the lifeboats. Only the four starboard lifeboats could be launched, and crewmen tried to get as many people as possible onto them. One lifeboat was swamped when it hit the water and people were lost into the sea. Some managed to hold onto the boat as it drifted across the harbour to the eastern shore.

By this time the rail was at sea level and all we had to do was climb over it on to the rafts. The raft kept bumping into the ship and the ship was tipping over further. I had read somewhere that, when a ship goes down, it sucks down with it all that is around. There didn't appear to be any paddles on the raft. An officer on board said to paddle with our handsI held onto the side and kicked absolutely flat out, 'til I was so exhausted I nearly didn't have the strength to climb back in again, with my bloody lifejacket in the way. Pathetic really, but when I looked around, we were past the ship.

Finally we arrived at the ferry terminal wharf 51 people died in the disaster, most of them middle-aged or elderly. Some were drowned or died of exposure. Others were thrown against the rocks by the surf on the eastern shore and died then.

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