YACHTING.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 205, 29 August 1936, Page 19

YACHTING.

THE OLEK MARITANA.

ROUGH TRIP TO WELLINGTON.

LOCAL CLUBS' ACTIVITIES

(By SPEEDWELL.)

Wellington yachtsmen noticed a. new arrival at the boat harbour last week. She was a lean, rakish ketch, which came across Cook Strait from Picton to join the fleet of the Royal Port Nicholson Yacht Club, whose clubhouse overlooks the eastern end of the boat harbour. On inquiring her name, the Maritana, few of the local yachtsmen were any wiser, the old-time Auckland yacht being unknown to the younger generation of boating men. . A Wellington yachtsman describes her as being no stranger to him or to many of the older yachtsmen. Once she was acknowledged queen of all Wellington s racing craft, and the finest yacht that had visited the port. A 50ft cutter then, with lofty topmast and taper bowsprit, she was a joy to see, with the sunshine glittering on her gilded fig-urehead. Since then the changeful fortunes of the • sea have chequered her career; she has been in turn trader and fisherman, and has altered greatly in appearance. Her white wings are clipped, the lofty racing spars replaced by two stubby utility masts, her .clipper bow sawn off, and denuded of bowsprit or figurehead. Only the unmistakable lines of her graceful hull proclaim that she was once a racing yacht. The- Maritana was built in Auckland about 1890 for Mr. William Vereker Bindon, who raced her at the Anniversary regatta and in the Auckland Yacht Club's events, and in January, 1891, he sailed her to Wellington, having a very rough trip. She left Auckland on January 12 with what was hoped to be sufficient time to reach Wellington a day or two before their Anniversary Da." regatta, held 011 January 2.Z each year. ~ , ~ The crew consisted of Messrs. h.. v. Bindon (owner), J. Webster (skipper). A. G Allien, A. Clarke, and Chas. Garliek. .Che yacht left the Wynyard Pier (located almost where the middle ol the railway yards are now, in a line with the Parneil wharf). It was almost 3 p.m., and a light westerly took her round Cape Colville at daybreak on the 13th. The wind freshened a little, and the yacht made good time down the coast past Mercury Islands and the Bay, laying a course for Cape Runaway. The top of White Island was seen, and the Maritana made East Cape at midnight on the 15th. The wind held northerly, and all sail was set, including the spinnaker. The man at the tiller said he could not keep the right course as she was by the lee too much for his liking, so he was relieved. Within two minutes the yatch gybed all standing. ' She went flat out, the water sail got drawn into the mam sheet blocks, and things were only middling for some time. No serious harm was done, and the yacht was soon abreast of Jutland Island, where a large blue shark had a go at the patent log trailing astern, and put it out of action. The steady northerly wind now died out, and a strong southerly sprang up #so quickly that all hands had a busy time getting off sail, and in the end she was headed back on Mahia Peninsula, she was forced to stay at anchor for od hours while the southerly gale fiercely. "Getting underway a good passage was made to Cape Turnagain, where at dusK the wind again freshened. One after the other of the reefs were taken in. and st ll the wind and sea increased, and the throat was lowered and lashed down. Althougn big seas ware sweeping the yacht fore &nu aft she made good headway during the night, and next day the wind moderated and Castle Point was made by the next evening. Not caring for another dirty night at sea, the yacht was anchored under Castle Point for the night, and off again at daylight. The day was fine, and Maritana made a run of 63 miles in six hour with but jack,yard topsail and smnnaker set. The yacht rounded Cape Palliser and stood across the bay at sunset, up Pencarrow Light. . . By very hard luck, when within a few hours' sail of Wellington boat harbour, with at least one clear day „ the regatta, they were forced to remain outside the Heads until the morning of Janu* ary 23, a day after Regatta Day. Mr. Charles Garliek, who was a very well-known Parneil yachtsman, late owner of the Zoe and other yachts, who died some years ago, described the last day s happenings to "Speedwell."

He said: "About 0 o'clock the wind came out from the north-west, light at first, but In less than half an hour we had her closereefed, topmast housed, and big seas were sweeping her fore and aft, the sea being so-bad that our skipper ordered oil bags out, so we commandeered a big pair of socks, which we attempted to fill out of a five-gallon drum of oil—by no means an easy task, considering the angle the yacht was at. At the first attempt the oil drum broke away, and three of us, oil drum and socks, fetched up in a heap under the companionway ladder. At the same time the stove broke away from its fastenings, and came skating along the cabin floor. Eventually the oil bags were pulled out on the bowsprit with the jib out-haul, and they acted splendidly. That night I shall never forget, how she laid down on her beam ends and see-sawed and kicked at the same time ; how in the cabin, amid oil and water, we wrestled. with that drum of oil and walked all over those beautiful panels painted by Captain Darby Ryan; how we coaxed the Maritana to try and have a go on the other tack, having to wear her round in the long run. The sun shone bright again next morning, but all that day we were becalmed. By evening we had worked well up towards the entrance of the harbour. We beat in and anchored between the wharves about 3 o'clock 011 the morning of January 23, too late for the regatta. "Our stay in Wellington was impressed on my mind," he concluded. "The kindly consideration shown us in every detail, the banquet at the Pier Hotel, the picnic to Lowry Bay, and dozens of other hospitable acts would never be forgotten." It was generally recognised in Wellington that Maritana and her crew had very hard luck being becalmed all day off Wellington Heads, while only a few miles away, inside the harbour, there was sufficient wind to enable her rivals to race for the coveted prize of £100, which the Lyttelton crack, Mascotte, won. A special consolation race was arranged between Maritana and the Lyttelton champion Mascotte. In the race Maritana lost her top-mast, and Mascotte romped home an easy winner. The following year, at the Wellington Anniversary Kegatta, Mascotte again raced against Maritana, and again Mascotte gave definite proof of her superiority. . Maritana was described at the time 01 her arrival at Wellington as "the most luxurious yacht that has yet visited Wellington.". Soon after her arrival Maritana was bought by Messrs. A. A. Duncan, R. Harman, George Meq, Montague Lang, and C. W. Tanner. She raced as a hrstclass keeler, her rating being 12.3, and her measurement 12 tons. She drew Oft, and set a big area of canvas. About 25 years ago the yacht was sold to a Nelson owner, who cut part of ner keel off her, curtailing her draught considerably, and he converted her to an auxiliary fishing boat. Since then she has been trading and fishing between D Urvilie Island and Nelson, and more recently has been laid up. Her new owner is Mr. P. Dawson, of Wellington. Even to-day the Maritana is one of the biggest yachts on Port Nicholson, so it Is not surprising to hear that at the time of her arrival there were 110 yacht slips Dig enough to haul her out, and she had to be put on the Patent Slip in Evans Bay. Thus, after many vicissitudes, the Maritana has come back as a comparative stranger to waters where she once took pride of place. Younger craft ride on the moorings where her rivals used younger men have taken the pla.ee of those who raced against- or on board her. -Not many of the local yachtsmen remember her. She has outlived most of her contemporaries. But at sight of her, in the Wellington Boat Harbour, a few old-timers will catch their breath, as they glance back into the past and see old friends and yachts of bygone years racing again. The Maritana was built about 1890 for Mr Bindon by Mr. J. W. Carr, whose yard was about where the Tepid Baths are now. In 1896. .Mr. R; Logan, sen., made some alterations to her at Devonport, including recasting and adding more lead to her keel.