The Team That Hit the Rocks

In April 1968 the New Zealand interisland passenger ferry Wahine, a fast and modern ship for its time, hit Barrett Reef at the entrance to Wellington Harbour in a cyclone, the worst storm ever recorded in New Zealand’s history. Six and a half hours later the ship heeled over and sank, with the eventual loss of fifty-three lives. Among the 610 passengers and 125 crew was the Lincoln College cricket team. I was one of that team, and this is our story. Peter Jerram offers a riveting firsthand account of their experiences on that fateful day – drawn from written and oral testimony of his teammates, crew and rescuers. Jerram also examines the causes of the disaster and loss of life, finding serious fault with the Court of Inquiry into the tragedy. Told for the first time from a survivor’s perspective, The Team That Hit the Rocks is a powerful account of our nation’s worst modern maritime disaster and the unbreakable bond formed by those who survived.