Sydney Ketch Had Tough Battle Across Tasman Sea

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29146, 5 March 1960, Page 10

Sydney Ketch Had Tough Battle Across Tasman Sea

[Specially written for "The Press" by RAYMOND J. SWINGLER] NELSON, March 4. rpilE 66-year-old Auckland-built Sydney ketch, Tahi Waitangi, made Nelson harbour on Thursday evening of last week after a tough 22-day Tasman crossing.

Nelson was the ketch’s first landfall, and she pulled in with her motor gone and her radio broken down. She had to weather a series of heavy seas, the worst her final 36 hours at Cape Farewell before her final lap into Nelson harbour.

The Tahi Waitangi, well known in New Zealand waters as the Waitangi, winner of all the big yacht races in local waters at the turn of the century, is owned and sailed by 76-year-old master mariner, Captain Percy Hounsell London.

Captain London, burnt brown by the sun, and with an irongrey beard, is as sprightly as a man 20 years his junior. He was born at Manaroa, Pelorus Sound, and served his time in sail on wool clippers. He later served as an officer for the New Zealand Shipping Company before retiring from the sea in 1915.

This was his second attempt to bring the Tahi Waitangi to New Zealand. Two years ago he had the ketch two days out from Sydney when his crew jibbed and he had to turn back.

On the present trip he had a crew of four Manly and Newport boys—Wesley Cardwell, John Booth, Roy Cosgrove and John Smith—who had had no ocean sailing experience.

Just before the ketch left Sydney on February 3, Captain London added a deckhouse to the Tahi Waitangi, and this almost doubled the living space. ‘ A section of this leaked during the first heavy water that was encountered, and two days out from Sydney the radio failed. Half-way across the stormy Tasman an oil seal gave out in a new 52 horsepower diesel motor, and the motor was rendered almost useless. It could do only enough work to bring the ketch the final pull into the harbour. Calms, Gales, Fierce Seas The crossing, which normally takes 12 to 14 days, lasted for three weeks. Throughout the trip the ketch encountered varying winds, calms and gales. As often as she was becalmbed she was hove-to to combat the fierce seas. The Tahi Waitangi’s worst trials came offshore from the northern South Island coast. When she reached Cape Foulwind she encountered her first bad gale. Captain London ordered the crew to heave to and for two to three days they had to sit out the high winds and heavy seas. When this wind had blown itself out the ketch had a good fast run up the western coast, but once off Cape Farewell a gale hit again.- This was the worst storm of the crossing—a crossing of many storms. The wind howled iff the rigging, and waves estimated at up to 40 feet flung the boat in all directions For 36 hours this unrelenting nightmare continued. Crew members were thrown from their bunks, equipment and materials were thrown to the cabin floorsWhen they arrived in Nelson the skipper and crew were tired men. They slept heavily and spent the next day cleaning up and putting out bedding and clothing to dry. The Tahi Waitangi, however, a thoroughbred with racing lines and strongly built, showed only one sign of the storms she met—a bent iron stanchion. She will go from Nelson to Manaroa, and from there to Wellington, Napier and the Bay of Islands before returning to Sydney. The cruise is expected to last three months.

The Tahi Waitangi was first registered as the Waitangi in 1894. She was built by the famous Logan firm in Auckland and was soon famous for her clean lines and speed and efficiency in the open seas. Her sister ship, the Thelma, is at present in Hawaii with the United States Navy. For nine years the Tahi Waitangi was the flagship for the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron, and in that time she carried three commodores.

Strongly Built Captain London had her christened the Tahi Waitangi when he bought her after World War 11. He found that her name had been changed by the previous owner and in the meantime another boat had been registered at Lloyds as the Waitangi. Tahi Waitangi means the “original” Waitangi.

The Waitangi was designed by the famous Scottish naval architect. Fyfe. She has three kauri skins, two diagonal across each other, and the third running fore and aft.

She has 12J tons of lead in her keel and draws 10ft of water. Recent improvements include a 52 horsepower diesel motor' and an automatic helmsman. She can accommodate 10, and carries refrigeration. The ketch has twoway wireless and a directionfinder. To conserve the batteries the motor has a hand-pumped compressor starter. Since 1916, Captain London has lived in Sydney. He runs industrial garment-manufacturing businesses there. He married a daughter of Sir James Olive, K.8.C., Commissioner of Police, London, and they had one son. Colonel James London, 0.8. E., who died seven years ago as a result of war injuries.