Rose-Noelle crewmen find life ashore stressful

Press, 6 October 1989, Page 7

Rose-Noelle crewmen find life ashore stressful

PA Auckland Two of the four men who drifted in the Pacific Ocean for four months in the upturned hull of their trimaran Rose-Noelle say they are finding life back on land more stressful than their ordeal.

Mr Rick Hellriegel and Mr Jim Nalepka, both staying with Mr Hellriegel’s parents at Rothesay Bay, have been bombarded with calls and visits from the news media and wellwishers. The two men and their crewmates, Mr Phillip Hoffman and the skipper, Mr John Glennie, set off

for Tonga from Picton on June 1 but the RoseNoelle flipped in rough seas on June 4. The four survived on carefully-rationed rainwater, seaweed, fish and seagulls. They were washed ashore on Great Barrier Island 120 days later. Mr Hellriegel’s mother, Helen, said the pair were kept awake pn Wednesday night with calls from reporters in the United States, Mr Nalepka’s home country, who had their times wrong. All they wanted to do was sleep and eat.

‘Tve heard them saying at times that being back is worse than being on the boat,” she said. “They are finding people and all the attention very stressful. Rick is not a people person, which is why he lives in the Marlborough Sounds. “They are terribly tired. They haven’t been sleeping very well but when they do they crash. They need lots of rest.” The inquiry into the Rose-Noelle’s voyage could be completed within a week, the maritime transport division’s principal nautical sur-

veyor, Mr Steve Ponsford, said yesterday. Captain Ponsford said Captain Peter Kershaw, who is in charge of the investigation, was taking statements after visiting the Rose-Noelle wreck site on Great Barrier Island. Captain Ponsford said when the inquiry was over Captain Kershaw would “come to some conclusion” about the logbook Mr Glennie kept during the ordeal. A search on Wednesday near the wreck site for the waterproof package containing the diary was unsuccessful.