YACHT ORDEAL.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 13, 16 January 1940, Page 6

YACHT ORDEAL.

NIGHT OF STORM.

AMERICANS' DIFFICULTIES.

WORLD TOUR STILL GOES ON,

A night of ordeal was experienced by two young Americans when their 30ft yacht, Drifter, was caught in the storm off Cape Brett on Sunday morning. On one occasion the yacht heeled over until its mast was under water. Undismayed, the yachtsmen, who arrived at Auckland last night, state that they are carrying on with their world cruise. They estimate that it will be three years before they return to their home port, Los Angeles, though the war may cause changes of plans. Tlie Americans are brother*, Messrs. Hubert Wetstrem, agntl 2U years, and John VVestrean, aged 111 years, and since they left America on September 1, IUHB, they have voyaged 7000 mile* among the Pacific Inlands. Saturday night and Sunday morning, however, provided them with one of the major thrills they have experienced «so far. They had a night-long fight against mountainous seas and & 70-inile-an-hour gale. "The wind came with a roar," they said, when they had tied up thear boat alongside the slipway in St. .Mary's Bay laat night, "The jib blew out and, with three reef* in it, the mains'! threatened to be tattered, so we lashed everything down. The engine was useless and our failed, «>o all we could do was go below and pray that a wave would not break over u*s. Expected to Go Under. "VVe thought every huge green wave would be our last —and at last it came with the. boat already half submerged. Both of us were lying in the weather bunk, hoping to save the boat from capsizing. A wave struck n« and the next thing we knew we were Him™ towards the lee wall. It scented as if our keel left the water. The limit hovered for a few seconds and we. expected to go under, but then it righted itself again. That was all . , . but it wats enough. We rode out the rest- of the storm safely." The cabin was left in a sce.ne of confusion, adequate testimony of the ordeal endured. Food containers were smashed

$and trunks, mattresses, clothing, charts and other gear were all tumbled and soaked in a tangled mess on the floor. The brothers' greatest fear wan that they would bo driven ashore, but when the storm abated they saw Cape Brett light miles distant and were able to sot a coursa for Auckland. When they encountered the storm the yachtsmen were making for Auckland from Suva. The Drifter was built by its owner* at a cost of £1000 and wail completed shortly before the cruise was undertaken. It is a two-ton Marconirig cutter and the Norwegian life' saving boat type. It has a 10ft beam and a draught of six feet.' They intend to visit a number of New Zealand ports, later proceeding to the Snares and Auckland Islands.