BACK IN. PORT.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIII, Issue 161, 9 July 1932, Page 7

BACK IN. PORT.

LONE VOYAGER. LUCKY TO BE ALIVE. NEARLY SUNK IN STORM. SAILS IN RIBBONS , MONEY WASHED OVERBOARD. ENGLISHMAN'S TITRTLLING STORY. With most of lier sails In ribbons, her dinghy stove in and her cabin in confusion, the 22ft mullet boat Wainia limped back to Auckland under jury rig this morning. A thrilling story of a tremendous battle with wind and wave was told by Mr. William Currle Valentine, owner master and "crew," who set out alone freyn Auckland two weeks ago in a daring- attempt to sail hid tiny ship to England. When the Waima slipped out of the harbour a week ago last Sunday it was thought that she was btrund for Gisbo.'ne. and not until a note was found in the boat shed at Mechanics' Bay was it learned that her owner had Englaid as his goal. ''I was making for England all right, and I think I would have got there if I had not had confoundedly bad luck before I wae properly away," said Mr. Valentine, when his boat had been towed to an anchorage this morning. Even now, when he realises that he is a lucky man to be alive, Mr. Valentine speaks' of his ill-fated trip as if it was nothing more than a week-end run down the gulf. His chief regret is that his money was washed away, so that he will be unable to fit bio boat out again to make a second attempt to sail his cockle-shell craft to England. "It wae not the Waima that let me down. She IB a grand little ship and I would start to-morrow if my gear was in order. It was just sheer bad luck, and it seems as if there rs now nothing else for me to do but rail my trip off," said Mr. Valentine as he boiled a kettle of ■water for a shave when the yacht had been safely moorea tms morning. Log's Graphic Story. A graphic story of the Waima's sensational vovage to a point approximately 100 miles" beyond the Great Barrier, and of her stern battle to get back to port attain under jury rig, can be gleaned from the yacht's log. Page 1 shows that it was "at half-past seven on the morning of Sunday, June 20, that Mr. Valentine cast off his moorings and commenced his voyage. A stilT head wind was encountered. 0 in Rangitoto Channel, and the jib blew out. With time no object in his ambitious voyage, Mr. Valentine decided to put into Takapuna for repairs. hen the Waima was at anchor off Takapuna Beach she was visited by a party of men from another yacht. Their visit is recorded in the log thus: "Six men came over Curious." After he had had tea Mr Valentino decided to continue his voyage under mainsail and foresail only. The rim down the guTT was uncvcntlui, and at midnight Tiritiri light was abeam. ~ , A cale was blowing early on Monday morning, and the intrepid voyager reeled the mainsail right in. One reef immediately blew out, but temporary repairs were effected. At daybreak a fresh gale was blowing from the north, and some water came aboard. Little progress was made on Monday morning, during which the gale freshened and brought with it heavy ram equalls. The conditions improved in tne afternoon, but at 9 p.m. the dinghy was swamped. It was hauled on board with difficulty and lashed above the cockpit. At midnight Mr. Valentine recorded the fact that he was passing Mokehinau Light and was heading for the open sea. "And now for some sleep," was the last entry that day.

' "Shipping Breakers." It was on Tuesday that the Waima's real troubles began. At 2 a.m a heavy westerly gale was blowing, and water W ae continually coming aboard From this point the story of the yacht s experience is best told in the exact words Of B th a 6 m.-Shippins breakers. Sails be-gS.-Shgipping breakere. Bailing water Sails' going. Consider heading Virk for New Zealand. 1 30 p.m.-Top left halyard gone and boom swinging. Under «rcumstanc£ decide to make for New Zealand 1 osi tion about 100 miles N.N.E. of Great Barrier Seas increasing. 7 30 p.m.-Heavy rollers breaking and shipping water. Decide to put out storm anchor. On beam ends and marly under 7 40—Storm anchor unsuccessful. Out adrift" and made sail. Running to keep head to seae. Bailing. Pa ere four of the Waima's log—the record of the fourth day of the voyage —contains further sensational reading. 130 a.m.—Gale continues. Compass damaged by water. Fixed it temporarily. Dead tired out. . 4 a.m.—Gale continues. Mainsail blows out. Bailed ehip. Position becoming eerious. 5.30 a.m.—Mainsail gone adrift. Heavy seas coming aboard. Boat in trough of seas. Towering rollers breaking. Bailed again. Pocket book washed away witn money. What a mess! Eoot out spare sail and bend it on to -keep head on to seas. Rollers are masthead high. Poeition serious. 7 a.m.—Land on starboard bow. Wear ehip round and tack. Seas coming aboard abeam. Phew! 10 a.m.—Weather easing. Heavy rollers but not breaking- so frequently. Try to make Great Barrier, but no sails. Just a jib and jury leg-o'-mutton. Fit up mainsail with siezing pointe. At tiller to avoid breakers. Practically stationary. Wind easing. 2.30 p.m. —Approaching Great Barrier. Turn in for a few hours' sleep. "Beautiful Red Sunset." 4 p.m.—Beautiful red eunset. Wind easier, but heavy swell. Note —Waima is a staunch sea boat to have passed through the storm. Bad luck the sails Mew out. Top lift went and I lost my money. Well, it was a narrow squeak. I was nearly a Davy Jonesite. So touch wood. 9.50 p.m. —Sea and wind increasing. Midnight.—Barely making headway. On the following day, Thursday of last week, the weather improved, and Mr. Valentine had his first real meal since leaving Auckland. At 5 p.m. he was becalmed off the Great Barrier. Under her jury rig the Waima could make only slow progress, and adverse winds caused the run back to port to occupy another nine days. Compared ■with the exciting first few days, the trip was uneventful. At nine o'clock this morning the yacht came round North Head and was towed to an anchorage by launch. . i