YACHT WATERLILY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 18, 23 January 1933, Page 5

YACHT WATERLILY.

NUKUFETAU'S CHARMS NEWS OF THE HEARTSEASE. OLD STEAMER. SCUTTLED. (From Our Own Correspondent.) ' . SUVA, January 18. Considerable anxiety has. been felt for tlie safety of the New Zealand yaclit Waterlily, which sailed from liotumali on October 3, bound for Funafuti, in the Gilberts, but i£ js now known that she is safe. The yaclit was loiig overdue, and as heavy weather had been experienced grave fears were entertained at on© stage for her safety. News dated November 24 stated that the yacht liad reached Funafuti on November 15. It appears that when she met with heavy weather the Waterlily found refuge at Nukufetau. So welcome were the travellers made by the natives that days passed in dreamy contentment, and three or four weeks went by before the crew of Christ College old boys thought of Funafuti. Duty called at last, and lotus-eating, was placed in the background. and Funafuti reached safely. However, the charms of Nukufetau were too compelling, and after a week at the group's capital the yachtsmen made for their haven at Nuk'ufetau, where they still remained when the mail left Funafuti. All on board were then well. The New Zealand yacht Heartsease, which has been cruising around Fiji waters for some months, sailed on January 17 for Brisbane, via Noumea. During her stay in Suva her crew was cordially entertained. On more than one occasion the voyagers took local people out for picnics. On Christmas Day, Avhen leaving Suva on a picnic trip, the Heartsease met with a minor mishap. By taking the wrong side of a beacon she ran on to the reef. Every effort was made to get the yacht off at high tide, but without effect. At 8 p.m. a party of officers from the steamer Pakelia rowed over and assisted, all night in an effort to refloat the jacht. The boat. was re-

floated on the following afternoon, and an inspection showed that she had escaped serious damage. Flags on shipping in Suva Harbour went to half-mast when the steamer Makatea was towed to sea by the Malake, to be sunk off Benga Island. Her owners, Burns, Philp and Co. (South Seas), Ltd., had decided that she was 110 longer useful, and, having stripped lier, sent her to her watery grave. The Makatea was a m»st comfortable passenger vessel, and was formerly known as the Yulgilbar, plying on the north coast *of N.S.W. for the North Coast Steamship Company. She was built at Troon, on the Clyde, in 1907, and was of 814 "tons. Further news of the cutter Vakananunii, which was wrecked at Ono-i-Lau last month, shows that the vessel was svtcpt on to tl»> reef while negotiating tlio passage. Ninety sacks of copra were jettisoned in an attempt to save the vessel. She is reported to be breaking up fast.