Yacht Wrecked On Rocks

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29932, 20 September 1962, Page 7

Yacht Wrecked On Rocks

(New Zealand Press Association)

GISBORNE, Sept. 19. Three young Motueka yatchsmen lost their 27ft Gin ketch, the Grey Dragon, on the rocks at Hicks Bay yesterday, two days after they anchored there on the completion of a year’s voyage from England. It was a sad end to an adventurous 12 months’ trip for her crew —William Corbett, of Motueka and formerly of Yarmouth, Isle of Wight; John Rogers, of Motueka, and formerly of Queensland; and Douglas Dufty. of Motueka. and formerly of South Australia. The ketch arrived at Hicks Bay on Sunday, after a 26day voyage from Tonga. The crew went ashore and about 4 p.m. yesterday when they were returning to their boat with Mrs R. McConnell, of Te Araroa, who was showing them the best anchorage when they saw the boat had drifted inshore. They rushed out to her, but could not prevent her grounding in the sand very close to some rocks. They tried to run an anchor

line out to sea, but heavy seas drove the ketch into the rocks with the rising tide. Constable W. Milne summoned the Gisborne trawler Olwyn, whose crew unavailingly tried to get to the Grey Dragon to fasten a line. Then one of the trawlermen swam to the ketch and fixed a line.

The towline snapped and in the rising tide the boat was smashed against rocks. The men had worked hard in the water for three hours, but failed to save it. The boat was not insured and it is believed that the three men had invested most of their money in her.