EXCITING CRUISE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXV, Issue 9, 11 January 1934, Page 5

EXCITING CRUISE.

FOUR MEN IN A YACHT. HOLIDAY ADVENTURES. OWNER TAKES A DUCKING. Four young Wellington men wlio set out on a yachting cruise on Christmas Eve returned to Evans Bay after an adventurous fortnight. They were Mr. Les. Bond, owner and skipper of the 30ft yacht Muritai, and his crew, Messrs. Fred Carter, William Wilson and Herbert Shaw. Leaving Wellington at 6 o'clock on the morning of December 23 for the Sounds, the Muritai was off the Patent Slip when the headsail carried away. The party then put back for a new headsail and a new staysail, and eventually got to Worser Bay at 10.30 a.m., but the breeze freshened, and the yachtsmen decided to shelter there. About 8 or 9 o'clock that evening the fresh breeze became a gale. The yacht dragged her anchor and a bigger "pick" had to be put down. Even then she dragged for a. while, but was held. Meanwhile the cable steamer Recorder [ came tip the harbour for shelter, and j the yacht Isca also put in. [ "We remained anchored all day Sunday," related Mr. Bond. "When the gale died down about 3 p.m. we prepared to get away to sea. We left a'boujt 5.30, but when we were off Pencarrow the weather was threatening again, and we put back to Worser Bay. Delayed by Calms. "We started out again next day and got up as far as The Steeples, but came back because there was no wind. See- I ing another yacht putting out we decided to give it another go, but when off the Entrance we were practically becalmed, so once more we put back into Worser Bay. About 2 p.m. the Rawene came up, and its crew shouted, 'Give it a try now. See if you can get out.' We were off The Steeples again i when Wairere 11., which, was putting

back from the Straits, advised us not to go on with the attempt to cross, as she had been having a bad time. "So," continued Mr. Bond, "we put back to Worser Bay." On Tuesday, the fourth day after they had set out on the cruise, the yachtsmen left Worser Bay with a light northeasterly wind, and were off Sinclair Head, where they were becalmed again with two reefs in, and while shaking one out, a 'whirly-wool' came down from the gullies and the mainsail almost carried away, knocking Mr. Bond overboard. "I just scrambled aboard," Mr. Bond said, "and we got a light breeze from the north-west, which gradually fresh-1 ened until we were off Karori Kock, when I it blew up a living gale with heavy seas. J We plugged away up the coast for about j two miles and a half, and then put into Port Underwood for shelter, arriving at Ocean Bay at 5 p.m. We stopped there the night, and about 3 p.m. on Wednesday arrived at Guard's Bay, biit there j was a south-easterly coming up, and we put in there for shelter." The Muritai left on Thursday, but as I it got away, the crew found that there j was no wind at all, and ran into Brenda Bay. "Bumped Hard All Night." 011 the Friday the holiday-makers moved into Floods', where they put the yacht ashore to unship the propeller, but a south-easterly broke in about 9 o'clock, and there was then no chance of getting it off, so two of the crew slept aboard as she lay right over on her side. At three o'clock on Saturday morning, a week after they had first left Wellington Harbour, they pulled her off and went to bed. The wind, blowing a south-easter, later became a hurricane. The owner of the homestead, his son, and Mr. Bond, then put out in their 18ft dinghy, as the anchor chain was carrying out, and got her safely beached. They then put out another anchor, but could not get the craft. She bumped hard all night, and eventually floated off on the Sunday morning tide. At about 11 a.m. they left, but when I off Port Underwood Heads, on the way to Tory Channel, found themselves becalmed with a big southerly sea, and put back to Floods', arriving there at G p.m. On New Year's Day they took the mainsail and carried it about five miles over the hills to a place called Baltics, from which it was to be taken to Picton I for mending. J

The sail was ready on Wednesday, and all hands joined the mail launch for Missionary Bay, where a pack horse and another horse were waiting to take the sail back over the live miles to Port Underwood. The holiday was now nearly over, and shortly after mid-day 011 Friday the men left Port Underjvood, homeward. bound, passing the heads at 1.15 p.m. On the journey across to Karori Rock they struck fairly heavy seas. The wind freshened, and blew hard from the nortli-west, and the yachtsmen put into Island Bay for shelter, arriving there' about 8 p.m. They remained in the bay for the night, and left at 11 a.m. on Saturday, sailing into Evans Bay at 3.30 p.m.