‘Mokau’, 1922

The 35-metre, 194-ton wooden screw steamer ‘Mokau’ was built in Balmain, Sydney, in 1901.

On January 20th 1922 she was beached for urgent, necessary repairs in Wreck Bay, south of Jervis Bay, where she was subsequently abandoned and became a total loss.

This is how a timeline described the events leading to her loss:

January 18th 1922: The ‘Mokau’ had become damaged whilst salvaging a punt that had sunk during wharf construction at Red Head (just south of Bendalong). A diver saw evidence of the damage on the port bow and had advised the captain to head straight to Sydney for docking. Instead, the Mokau headed to Ulladulla and was loaded with 110 tons of silica rock.
January 19th 1922: It was noticed the ‘Mokau’ was making water much faster than usual, and at lunchtime, the engineer informed the captain that it was about 13 inches per hour. He also stated she was “out of shape” after the loading was completed. At 4.30pm she left Ulladulla bound for Wollongong, with the fore hatch uncovered. Shortly after leaving the harbour a strong southerly gale broke, accompanied by heavy rain, thunder and lightning. The ship’s engineer had been continually monitoring the leak and by 6.30pm advised the master to head for the nearest port. They made for Sussex Inlet, where they were able to drop anchor in smooth conditions.
January 20th 1922: Whilst being moved, the vessel touched bottom. She never came off again. Later, while moving cargo, water was found rushing into the vessel.
January 24th 1922: The ship’s underwriter's surveyor arrived to access the damage.
January 26th 1922: On the surveyor’s advice, the crew were landed and the vessel was abandoned as a total loss. By then the sea was breaking over the stern. The anchors did not hold and the ‘Mokau’ was swept onto the beach where her back was broken.
March 14th 1922: A Marine Court of Enquiry found that the master of the ‘Mokau’ had been guilty of misconduct in taking the vessel to sea in the face of an approaching storm in an unseaworthy condition and with her fore hatch uncovered, as a result of which she was compelled to run for shelter in Sussex Inlet, where she became a total loss and was abandoned.