City Man’s Experiences On Schooners In Pacific

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28774, 20 December 1958, Page 14

City Man’s Experiences On Schooners In Pacific

A 2000-mile trip through the Pacific, from Tahiti to Suva, during which one schooner was lost and the voyage continued in another owned by a prominent American yachtsman, was described yesterday by a Christchurch man who returned home recently. He is Mr T. Phipps, of 120 Avonside jdrive. In July, with two friends from Invercargill, he travelled in the Southern Cross to Tahiti to sail back to New Zealand a 52ft schooner, which the Invercargill men had bought in Papeete. On arrival at Papeete they spent a month fitting the vessel for its journey and at the end of August set sail during heavy weather. Within an hour of leaving the harbour the mainsail and foresail were blown out, but they decided to run to Huahine in the Society group, some 100 miles away, where they arrived 24 hours later. As the schooner was entering the lagoon at Huahine, the engine failed because of water in the fuel tanks. When the engine was almost ready again the schooner drifted on to a reef. The three men and some islanders, who appeared on the scene within half an hour, toiled until well after sunset. The schooner lost her keel, and one side was stove in. Mr Phipps spent a month on the island as the guest of an American beachcomber, during which time the engine and fittings of the schooner were recovered. Two unsuccessful attempts were made to haul her off the reef by landing craft owned by the French Government.

As the party were almost “broke” Mr Phipps returned to Papeete in an inter-island trading schooner where he signed on as member of the crew of the Dirigo 11, owned by Mr J. Crawford, of Miami, who was on a world voyage. Including Mr Phipps the crew of the schooner numbered four—Mr and Mrs Crawford and a fellow American. The Dirigo left Papeete and two weeks were spent in the Society Islands. From there they set course for the Cook Islands some 800 miles due west with the intention of calling at the seldom visited Palmerston atoll.

As the winds were favourable for Aitutaki, they went there instead and found it to be the friendliest island they had visited. The natives filled the boat with gifts of tropical fruits and fish. Leaving Aitutaki the vessel f °st- the Ton S ai > group and because ‘he strong trade winds fair, speeds of up to eight Retv t hal( _ knots were averaged - T ° Pg ? and Suva the - • y reconnoitred several nn

land, but found them to be inaccessible.

• On the recent reports of poverty among the Cook Islanders, Mr Phipps said: “I thought they were the happiest islands we visited during the voyage. They seemed to be well provided with food, although paid jobs seemed nonexistent except in Rarotonga. I gained the impression that the New Zealand administration there compared more than favourably with that of the French in Tahiti,” he said. Because of memories of associations formed with New Zealanders during the last war. Mr Phipps said, New Zealand was held in high regard by many of the Pacific islanders. They understood that in New Zealand they were able to work on equal footing with Europeans and because of this many would like to come to the Dominion.

The Dirigo was at present laid up in Suva and would leave for Australia after Christmas, he said The yacht was designed by John Alden and modelled on a Gloucester fishing schooner. “Alhough the sailing was uncomfortable at times, we were able to travel 2000 miles with the minimum amount of sail handling.”

Mr Phipps who is a merchant seaman, and took the trip during a holiday, plans to work on a coastal vessel and eventually return to the islands with a trading boat of his own.