KETCH’S ROUGH TRIP

Press, Volume XCV, Issue 28258, 22 April 1957, Page 8

KETCH’S ROUGH TRIP

Towed To Harbour By Coaster (New Zealand Press Association) WANGANUI, April 21. The , 34-ton ketch Windswift, bought in Christchurch recently by a Wanganui photographer, Mr Jack Nightingall, was towed into the Wanganui harbour after one of the worst trips any new yacht owner could have. •In the trip from Wellington, the Windswift lost one jib and a boom, had another tom to pieces, lost an anchor, dozens of pieces of crockery, and several other small items. The radio broke down and the petrol engine stopped, leaving the ketch becalmed for almost two nights and a day. The engine stopped near Kapiti Island and the Windswift was able to move only slowly towards Wanganui. With no radio and running into a head wind, she had to anchor helplessly until the coastal vessel River City came along. ,The River City was hailed and a call for a towing launch was radioed to the Wanganui pilot station early on Thursday. “Good Seaboat” Tired but undaunted, when he arrived home Mr Nightingall said: “It was a worrying trip, all right. But you have got to take the good with the bad. “Actually, she proved to be . a very good seaboat and ideal for what I want her for.” From Lyttelton to Wellington Mr Nightingall had with him as crew his brother, Mr T. Nightingall, and Mr N. Ashbridge, both of Wellington. Neither had done any sailing before,, but the trip went smoothly. From Wellington to Wanganui two other Wanganui men, Messrs Alf Berg, who owns a launch, and Peter Spurdie, who has not done any sailing, acted as crew. At Wanganui Mr Spurdie said that he had learnt two things on the trip. “One is that they have a lot of technical terms in yachting. The other is: Never go to sea again.”