BOUND FOR LYTTELTON

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31307, 1 March 1967, Page 3

BOUND FOR LYTTELTON

(N.Z. Press Association) BLENHEIM, Feb. 28. The 20ft Christchurch cutter, Beasly County, slipped quietly out of Blenheim and over the Wairau bar early this morning—the very opposite to her spectacular and near disastrous entry just over three weeks ago. The cutter ran aground at the bar on the night of February 4 while seeking sanctuary from a storm which had driven it from Pegasus Bay back to Cook Strait. At the time it was returning to Lyttelton from Auckland. Built by the Fryer brothers.

of Wilderberry street, Woolston, Christchurch, the cutter had Mr E. Fryer, aged 23, and Mr R. Fryer, aged 20, and Miss Joy Harris, aged 17, as crew. It was undamaged as it was bounced ashore, though the crew got a soaking and a shock. Her mast was dismantled and the cutter brought to the Blenheim town wharf, where she was tidied up. Yesterday she was provisioned for the voyage south. Early this morning Mr B. Eckford, of Blenheim, towed the Beasly County down the Opawa river to the Wairau bar and saw her hoist sail and head for Lyttelton In fine weather.

On board her today was Mr H. Fryer, who travelled on the cutter from Lyttelton to Auckland, Mr E, Fryer and Miss Harris. They were bound for Lyttelton direct. During their stay In Blenheim, the crew found work and in their spare time painted parts of the cutter for the voyage. Few people knew of the cutter’s pending departure, but the crew left an advertisement thanking all those who assisted them during their stay in Blenheim. The cutter has no auxiliary power and no radio, but according to a Blenheim friend, “she’s in pretty good nick."