TRAGIC CAPSIZE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 249, 21 October 1935, Page 5

TRAGIC CAPSIZE.

THREE LIVES LOST. ILL-FATED TRIP IN YACHT. THE CRUISE OP "THE PUP." (From Our Own Correspondent.) ' SYDNEY, October ,16. On June 1 last Gordon Doherty, a young Sydney journalist, set out in a 16ft motor yacht, "The Pup," to make a long voyage around the coastline of Australia. He had planned a course , covering about 4000 miles and though he ■was known to be an experienced and skilful sailor many people here regarded the project as hazardous in the extreme. But Doherty belonged to the large class of Australians who prefer dangerous adventures to any other kind. He was born at Petersham, one of our j western suburbs, where he lived with his mother. His father was killed at the war when Gordon, his only child, was five years old. The young fellow packed a great deal of exciting experi- | ence into the intervening 20 years. He was a member of the Western Suburbs A.A. Club and also of the Australian Motor Yacht Squadron, and from early youth he had taken a keen interest in seafaring and sailing. Last year he sailed a canoe down the Murray River from Albury to the mouth and then on to Adelaide, over 200 miles of sea. He wrote a spirited account of his trip and no doubt the thrill that he got out of his adventure inspired him with the j desire to attempt a voyage even more) Bpectacular and dangerous than this. The Pup—the little yacht in which Doherty ventured out on his hazardous journey—was a good seaboat and her toaster understood her thoroughly. The *ea of the south-east coast of Australia, iowever, is often tempestuous and it look Doherty a month of hard work to Bail southward from Sydney as far round as the Lakes entrance in Gippsland. He struck rough weather again crossing Bass Strait and running ddwn the east coast of Tasmania and on

several occasions, while he was sheltering from heavy squalls, he was given up for lost.

Yacht Driven on Rock. Once The Pup was driven on a rock and partially stove in, but Doherty effected his own repairs and struggled on. He reached Hobart on August 22, about twelve weeks out. from Sydney, and most people who knbw the route believed that he had completed' the worst part of his journey. He intended to sail right round Tasmania, going up the west coast and then striking northwest for Adelaide. Last Sunday week The Pup was in .Streahan Harbour and as the weather was fine Doherty arranged to take out some friends for. a sail. There were six people in all on the little yacht—four members of the Hodgett's family, Miss Abel and Doherty. The sea was calm and the boat seemed well under control, when without warning on making a turn it suddenly capsized. Most of the party clujng to the sides of the boat, but apparently Miss Abel, a girl of 21, lost her hold and drifted away. Doherty called out that he had the boy Hodgetts safely, but the youngster —he was only eleven —seems to have lost his hold and struck out from the boat for the shore. Doherty went after him and in the struggle that ensued they both disappeared. By this time some rowing boats had come to the rescue and took off the three survivors of the Hodgetts family, but the boy, Miss Abel and Doherty were drowned. j

Doherty's body was recovered and was brought to Sydney last week for interment. The funeral was an impressive ceremony, noteworthy for the great number of floral tributes and for the large attendance of representatives of the various clubs and organisations with which Doherty had been connected. Our newspapers have been profuse in their expressions of regret for the loss of this gallant young Australian and of sympathy for his bereaved mother.