Powerboat men refused permit

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33783, 4 March 1975, Page 1

Powerboat men refused permit

Two Southland men who hope to be the first to cross the Tasman to Australia in a powerboat have been refused a permit to leave by the Secretary of Marine (Mr H. Jones).

The boat’s designer, Mr D. Killner, who is also managing director of Cresta Craft, Ltd, where-the boat was built, said yesterday that the boat had been passed by the marine inspectors.

Mr Killner said he was not sure why permission had not

been granted, but believed that it was because of the weather. He said that the boat would always be travelling within distances covered by weather forecasts, to Norfolk Island, then to Lord Howe Island, and on to Sydney. The boat is moored at Lyttelton. The crew, Mr B. Pearce, of Clinton, and Mr E. Mills, of Riverton, will leave early this morning for Wellington, a trip of some six hours.

I On Wednesday they will ! meet Mr Jones to try to obtain permission to begin on their journey. Mr Killner said that if they did not leave by this week-end they might have to delay the attempt for five months, until the weather improved. Mr Killner said that if the boat left without permission they could be liable to a fine, ana to pay any expenses incurred if the boat was missing and a search was mounted. This could be very expensive, said Mr Killner.