ss Waikare - Shipwrecks on Waymarking.com

The Waikare was a ship that belonged to the Union Steamship Company and was doing one of the regular summertime trips to the Fiords that the company had been running for a number of years. She was a 96 metre, 3071 ton, single screw steam ship with a top speed of 14 knots.
On January 4, 1910, the Steel Screw Steamer struck on an uncharted rock in a 1/2 mile wide channel between Indian Island and Passage Islet, Dusky Sound, and was subsequently run ashore on Stop Island to prevent her from sinking. The Waikare became a total wreck, but her complement of 141 passengers and crew of 85 landed safely. The mishap occurred just prior to commencing the return journey to Dunedin. Practically every passenger was on deck enjoying the beauty of the day and the unrivalled scenery as the Waikare steamed at full speed towards the entrance of the sound about 1 hour after leaving Supper Cove at the Head of Dusky Sound, at around Breakfast time. Suddenly the bow of the steamer lifted. There was a harsh, grinding tear, a sudden jolt, a repeated crashing tear, again a torturing heave, then a third bump, after which the vessel cleared the obstruction and floated in the water beyond. It was at once apparent that the hit was a serious one, and this fact was emphasised by the immediate throwing upon the deck, through the escape pipe, of water forced up by air pressure, caused by the entry of water below. The second officer was informed that there was water in No. I ballast tank. The Waikare then took a sudden list to starboard, so decided that it lifted the port ladder so far from the water that it was rendered useless for the purpose of loading the boats, which were immediately lowered. According to the charts and soundings at the time the ship was supposedly in water 132 fathoms deep.
In about fifteen minutes' time most of the passengers were in the ship's lifeboats, being rowing to the nearest points of land. Attention was then directed to the ship itself. To allow of the removal of the passengers the Waikare had been stopped. After transferring the passengers to the boats, the vessel's engines were again set in motion. At the first shock, water flowed into the engineroom very rapidly. Pumps were immediately put into commission, but it was soon evident that the only resource was to beach the ship. The water was gaining fast, there were 150 lbs. of steam pressure, and a mile or more to be travelled to the only place where the Waikare could be beached.

To the last minute the boiler fires were kept going, and when the bow of the steamer had safely grounded the water in the stokehold and engineroom was over the waists of those who remained below. The steam left in the boiler was sufficient for only five minutes' travelling, but it carried the ship to temporary 'safety. If the ship had not been beached she would have sunk in deep water. The passengers were conveyed to Stop Island and landed alongside the doomed steamer. This was at low tide, and caused much work later on in the removal of stores and luggage to above high-water mark. Provisions, luggage and bedding were landed from the steamer. Strenuous work ensued with the warping of the Waikare's stern round parallel with the shore. Anchors were dropped into the dense scrub and ropes fastened to trees to keep the boat drifting out from shore. All passengers were safely brought to shore and the life boats then used to transfer the luggage and stores.The labour was done by hand, and kept the men busy until well on in the afternoon. Transferring stores and luggage was carried out by chains of willing workers, who passed the material from hand to hand. The island at high water had no beach, and before a camp could be formed a clearing had to be made on the slopes of the hills.
It would seem there was almost an air of complaceny about the whole scene in that photos from this debacle show the passengers, sitting on the rocks next to the stricken Steamer, fishing the time away. In the meantime the 2nd officer had set out for Puyseger Point Lighthouse approx 50 kms away to summon help. He reached it safely the returned the next day to state that help was on it's way from Port Chalmers/Dunedin.
But that afternoon before the rescue boat was even close a warship - the HMS Pioneer came steaming into the sound - much to the surprise of the Crew and Passengers.
By this time the Waikare was lying on her side parallel to the shore and after the Pioneer had all passengers aboard and a few of the crew all sat and watched as the Waikare slowly sucumb to the sea and sank leaving only a portion of the bow breaking the surface.
A court of Enquiry held in Dunedin exonerated the Captain from any blame in the incident and he was in fact commended for his promptness and actions in the whole situation in his attempt to salvage the ship and his handling of the passengers in attending their needs throughout this relatively short-duration stranding.
The wreck itself is within diving depth and recent dives have reported the Hull as having collapsed.

Date of Shipwreck: 4th January 1910 Type of Boat: Steamboat Military or Civilian: Civilian - Steel Screw Steamer for tourism Cause of Shipwreck: Hit uncharted rocks in Dusky Sound Accessibility: The wreck is within a Divable depth and access to the wreck is via boat only. Permission is required to dive the site as it has been made a heritage site therefore removal of artifacts or wreckage or souvenirs is prohibited. Diving Permitted: yes

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