In 1885, on her passage home from Otago, she survived another bad dusting. She left Port Chalmers on 9th March, had strong S.W. gales and heavy weather to the Horn, which was rounded at 6 a.m. on the 5th April, 27 days out. On 11th April, when in 44° 46′ S., 40° W., she ran into a perfect hurricane, the squalls being at their worst between noon and 5 p.m. At 2 p.m. the lower main topsail blew away, at 2.30 the foresail was whipped out of her and at 3 the lee quarter boat was washed away. All this time the ship was swept fore and aft by the terrific sea running, and at 5 p.m. the weight of water on her main deck burst the lee topgallant bulwarks. Luckily the wind then began to veer to the S.W. and the squalls began to take off and come up at longer intervals.
The equator was crossed on 3rd May, 28 days from the Horn. She had light trades followed by moderate southerly winds to the Western Isles, then light southerly and easterly winds, with thick fog to the Wight, where she picked up her tug, arriving in the Thames on 11th June, 94 days out.
Like most of the New Zealand clippers Turakina was fitted with refrigerating machinery in the late eighties, and it was as a frozen meat ship under Captain Hamon that she made her name as a passage maker in the New Zealand trade.
In 1892 she left Gisborne and arrived home on 31st May, 78 days out.
In 1893 she left Timaru for Liverpool on 2nd February, but carried away her mainyard on the first night out and had to put back to Lyttelton to repair damages. This spoilt her passage.
In 1894 she signalled off the Lizard on 27th May, only 69 days out from Wellington, and docked in the London River, 71 days out.
In 1895 she made the Wight on 1st July, 73 days out from Port Chalmers.
On her previous outward passage she had distinguished herself by sailing past the company’s steamer Ruapehu. The following account of this incident was given me by one of the officers of the steamship:—
On the 14th February, 1895, in lat. 46° 15′ S., long. 68° 16′ E., the N.Z.S. Co.’s mail steamer Ruapehu was running her easting down under whole topsails and courses, the weather dirty and a strong wind from the norrard, force 7 Beaufort scale. At 9 a.m. a sailing ship was reported astern, topgallant sails up. Shortly after she sheeted home her royals. Orders were given on the Ruapehu to the engineer to drive the ship and topgallant sails were set, the patent log showing a good 14.