Page:Inquiry into the shipwreck of 'Geffrard' 1875-07-07.djvu/5

 J. W. Munday sworn oath

I am Master of the Brig "Geffrard" now lying off Yelvertons Beach Station Jetty about ¾ of a mile to the eastward of it and about ¼ mile from the beach. The vessel was about a mile and a half from the jetty when she parted 'nautical miles' The jetty bore from the ship about S.W. by W ½ W she lay in 4¼ fathoms true soundings on a previous gale. I hove the lead over and found she had not dragged. The vessel had her top-gallant masts housed, the lower topsails and fole top mast stay sail bent I had 90 fathoms of chain on the waters edge when she parted I had a heavy spring of 2 three-fold blocks and a piece of new manilla of 4½ inch. The large chain was an 1¼ inch one I consider it was a first-class chain & when I left the ship I considered her perfectly safe. The anchor weighed about 2 ton. The anchor to the best of my knowledge never moved. When I joined the ship about 2½ years ago the chain appeared to me to be new. When I found I was going to remain here during the winter months I put all the good chain on the heavy anchor It appeared to be an even one I put the smaller chain on the smaller anchor and I consider it would have been useless to have been riding with a second anchor because the second anchor was too light to be of any effectual use at all. The second chain was rusted and considerably worn I do not consider it was the slightest use having the second anchor down. We discovered a flaw in the weld in the portion of the large chain recovered and there must have a flaw in the chain remaining in the Bay as it parted