PERILOUS PASSAGES.

Press, Volume LXV, Issue 13454, 21 June 1909, Page 9

PERILOUS PASSAGES.

SMALL VESSELS IN BIG WEATHER. The well-known Peninsula Bay trader—the httle 29-ton ketch Comet—and her crew of two men, had a perilous exoerience in the heavy north-east gale which ~n,gtd β-lona the coast in the early part of la»t week. Loaded with » full cargo o f erase seed, the little vessel, on board of which were her owner Captain J. Whitford, and Captain P. Johneon, left Akaroa for Lyttelton on Saturday week, and after clearing Akaroa Heads stood well *way to the eastward in order to weather B<wiks Peninsula. About 10 o'clock the same night the ketch was about twenty milei to the eastward of Long Look-Out Point, battling tgainst a strong nor'-easter and heavy •ea, when a furious squall struck her. The jib we* blown clean eway, and other tails were damaged. Repnire were effected, and w« vessel ran before the gale for a considerable distance down the coast, being at times swept by heavy seas. The wind, however, moderated on Sunday afternoon, and the vessel then made her way back to Lyttelton, arriving on Thursday night Another little veseel which had a rough handling in the name gale wan the cruising yacht Meratea. which arrived at Pigeon Bay from Auckland on Friday, and which came up to Lyttelton on Saturday. The Maratea a

well known Auckland yacht, built eom<v years ago by Logan, was recently purchased by Mr G. G. Holm?s, of Holmes Bay. She is a staunch, well-built vessel, 42ft in length, and Hft 6in beiiin. and is fi'.tcd with an auxiliary motor. J. Wytnan, a wcll-krovm coaster was engaged to bring her down the coast, and he proved her stetmchncy* end sea-gcing qualities by railing her from Auckland to Pigeon B»y, in the remarkably good' time—for a. midwinter passage—of seventeen days. Wytnan had with him J. Cowan. *nd two "passengers," D'Oylcv and another young man. Shortly cfter leaving Auckland the motor enpirx; w-ent out of notion, and thero was nothing for it but to sail the whole way down. Tho passage dorm the North Island coaat wr.s on the whole uneventful, although tho yacht had to shelter from weather on three occasion*—in Hick's Buy, at Mania Per.ias=ii'.a. and at Castlepoint. On Saturday week tho tiny vessel was caught in tho heavy north-east gfi'.e, and as it was dangerous work running before the seas the yacht was hove-to in '.ho vicinity of Capo Palliser. She rodo oat the heavy blow safely, and picked up better weather in the vicinity of Ka-ikoura. the final stretch of the passage to Pigeon Bay being uneventful.