AGROUND - MAIDEN VOYAGE.

Northern Times, Carnarvon, Saturday 20 March, 1909.

THE S.S. KOOMBANA.

AGROUND AT SHARK BAY.

The new steamer Koombana, owned

by the Adelaide Steamship Co., which

started from Fremantle on Friday

last on her maiden trip up the Nor'

West coast, has met with misfortune

at Shark Bay, she having grounded

on a sand bank known as Bar Flats. 

The Koombana left Geraldton on 

Saturday night and was expected

to reach Carnarvon on Monday evening. 

As no word of her having reached Shark 

Bay had been received up to noon on 

Monday anxiety as to her safety was 

manifested. In the afternoon word was 

received that she had grounded some 

ten miles from Denham. Next morning 

another telegram was received to the 

effect that the boat had grounded 14 

miles from Denham, and that the haze 

which had prevailed on Monday morning 

having lifted, the vessel could be seen by 

the aid of glasses from the township. The

opinion was expressed that it would be 

three or four days or even longer before 

the boat could be got off the bank, and 

this surmise has proved correct, the latest 

report being that her position is unchanged. 

On Thursday morning the steamer Winfield,

also owned by the Adelaide Steamship

Co., left for Shark Bay. After part of the 

Koombana's cargo has been transferred 

and with the higher tides, which are now 

making again, it is hoped the vessel will be 

refloated.

The chart shows that in the centre

of Bar Flat there is a depth of one

fathom only (6 ft.) . Our correspondent
at Shark Bay states it is understood the

grounding of the vessel was caused

by Capt. Rees mistaking the buoys in

the hazy weather. If this were the

case, the probability is that the captain, 

thinking he was in the channel, went 

full speed ahead, and that the steamer 

shot along the bank for her full length. 

Whatever the cause, the mishap is to be 

deplored. Captain Rees has established 

a well-deserved popularity on the coast, 

and his many friends hope that his 

explanation of the occurrence may 

clear him from blame in the matter.

Among the various rumours circulated 

in town during the week was one that the 

position of a buoy had been changed and 

that this was contributory to the mishap. We 

understand, however, that although a new 

buoy was substituted for the old one, the 

position was not changed.

The Koombana is a steel screw

steamer of 3,760 tons register. Her

principal dimensions are: 340 feet

between perpendiculars; 48 ft. 2 in.

beam (in our last issue, owing to a

printer's error, this was given as 28 ft.

2 in.); and 20 ft. 8 in. in depth (draught). 

(FROM A CORRESPONDENT.)

SHARK BAY, March 18.

The steamer Koombana, due early

Monday, not arriving, she was found

on a sandbank at Bar Flats, 14 miles

from here. Every effort was made to

re-float her by emptying the ballast

tanks, etc., but without success. The

steamer Winfield left Geraldton at

2.30 this morning to lighten her. It

is anticipated that approaching 500

tons will have to be moved to allow

her to float. The cause of the disaster 

is understood to be that the morning 

being very thick and misty, Capt. Rees 

mistook the middle buoy of the channel, 

which is on the north of the channel, for 

the first one, which is on the south side, 

and in trying to pass to the north got on 

the sandbank.

Seems fair enough. Embarrassing for the maiden voyage though. Should there not have been port pilots to assist with such a demanding approach to Denham?

The image below illustrates the complexity of Denham's location. The channel, on average, is 9 n miles wide and confusion created by mist and buoys could plausibly have caused the accident.

But I am sure there is more to this than meets the eye. To be continued...