YACHT CAPSIZES

Press, Volume LXXI, Issue 21456, 24 April 1935, Page 13

YACHT CAPSIZES

♦ | DRIFT ON TO REEF HEAVY SEAS IN LYTTELTON HARBOUR After struggling .half-way to Lyttelton from Port Levy in a heavy easterly swell on Monday evening, a small yacht, the Maimi, capsized, and had finally to be abandoned. She was recovered from the reef in Lyttelton Harbour yesterday morning with three planks stove in. The Maimi, with her owner, O. White, and C. Tyson aboard, had been at the Port Levy regatta and was on her way home when the mishap occurred. She left Port Levy in what seemed to be moderate weather, but outside the heads she encountered very heavy seas. Her crew decided to continue the trip, and began the run to Lyttelton under the guardianship of Mr J. S. Hawker's launch, Morewa, whose crew had anticipated that the Maimi might have trouble. When the Maimi was just about half-way to Lyttelton, she turned broadside to a roller, buried her left side in it, and rolled over. The Morewa was quickly alongside, got a line to the Maimi and took White and Tyson aboard. Then began the difficult and slow task of towing the capsized yacht. All went well for a few chains and then the line broke. White and Tyson dived overboard and made the yacht fast again, and the towing was resumed. But the troubles of the yacht were not over. When the launch was three or four chains from the motes, the rope parted again, and this time the yacht had to be abandoned, as the launch was running short of fuel. Mr J. Olson went out in a launch yesterday morning and found the Maimi on the reef in Lyttelton Harbour with three planks stove in. He brought her back to the boat harbour. Several of the other boats returning from Port Levy regatta had difficult passages.