YACHT MISSING

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21806, 11 June 1936, Page 9

YACHT MISSING

NOT SEEN SINCE EASTER i (rasas association telkoeam.) WELLINGTON. June 10. A familiar figure about Port Nichol-son,-Tasman J. Lovell, a relief Worker and yachtsman, has not been reported since the end of May, when he was on an Easter cruise to Port Underwood in his 26-foot yawl Tessie J. He left Wellington on Good Friday, and spent Easter at Port Underwood, sailing on AprL 21. Shortly after Easter Lovell is stated to have been sighted in Tory Channel, battling through a north-west gale, and apparently heading for Wellington. Since th°n he has neither been seen nor heard of.

Lovell spent the summer living aboard his yacht in the Hutt river. A collie dog, Laddie, was his sole companion on board. He cruised abobt the harbour, anchoring where night overtook him. The yawl had a beam of 7ft, and a draught of 3ft 6in. It was equipped with a four-cylinder motor-lorry engine converted to marine me. Although under-can-vassed it was a fairly able sea boat, and he had many times made the Cook Strait crossing in it, in fine weather and rough. He was accustomed to cruise in the sounds, collecting old bottles, which he shipped across and *old in Wellington. When interviewed some months ago Lovell stated that his vessel was not sufficiently well found for ’an ocean passage. She carried no sea anchor cr oil bags, and he himself was ignor®ht of navigation.