SNAPPED MAST.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1642, 8 January 1913, Page 4

SNAPPED MAST.

, YACHT PICKED UP IN STRAIT.;. /AND TOWED HERB. . , Yesterday the well-known racing yacht lorangi was Unved into Port Nicholson dismacrted. The (vessel had receutly been bought by Mr.! T. ; 11. Alexander; ,of Auckland, from.' Dunedin owners, and, accompanied :by lour other Auckland vacktsmon (Messrs.'. 11.. Metcalfe, W. L. Sheffield, L. G. Mahou.aud H. M, Phillipsbn), lie proceeded to Uuuediu. to 1 Bail thb. vessel to Auckland. Mr. W. T, l(obcrtson, of• Tort Chalmers, : was also a member of tho Crew.- ;-,'.' '' ■--,' \ Tho vessel continued her journey Horn, Lyttelton 'oh!-Thursday! evening 1 , J aiiuary 2, and experienced bad weather throughout tho trip to Wellington,' which occupied about live! days, with the ( result that tho little craft dismasted' and otherwise knocked about.; '•..•.■■'.'•,-. '■..'• In .'that! plight: tho".steamer : 'Ngahere picked the lorangi up; off Capo . Campbell, at about '3.30 o'clock 'yesterday morning, and arrived in! Wellington' with her about five .hour's later!' ~ -. When! ecen ,■ yesterday morning the yacht bore evidence of. having experienced severe weather, The deck was strewn with rigging, and the;ruins of tho niast littered ; .the .-deck;,.'-'. Cushions, .blankets,, andiwcaVirig>!ipp'irb],'|Were! also'*Jying", about. -, Symptoms of the weather were also visible, in'.the yacht's cabin, where everythiugi-vas wet and upsido down. './The "Wow" which disabled the yacht began.. to inako itself . really felt at 9,30 'a.m. ohSuiiilhy last, the vessel being then off Kaikoura, and,: the:snapping of; the most was'caused by a rigging screw:tarrying away. ' At-'tho"time, of tho, mishap, a; frosh N.E.'wind was blowing, and a hard sea'.!. The vessel whs. on! an out-ward-board, and was soiling under trisiil" 6nly, : the staysail having been taken off half-an-hour . before tho mast snap'-. ped. Messrs, Robertson and Phillipson wore*'on'-watch at tho time, but tho crash awoke tho'occupants of the cabin. The sea anchor, was promptly gof-out, and tho.; vessel was ■' hovc-to—to the .sea". an'chor—all;day. ■'.'. ■ ,'• ;, At 0.20 p.m. a jury mast had been, rigged, and a. coursoi was, then set for Port llobinsoh). some distance below ■ Kai--kduraj the yacht running under, a inizzen!' find a jib. y,'.'. > -. ',!, Presently, however; tho iyacht lost the wind, and, quito unexpectedly, a howling southerly "was upon,her, and : overboard went the jury. mast. A moderatej9ea .was running,, and, tho vessel remained hoveto all' night. .'••■■ ,'"-,.'. ,'-'!• •. ■ '■>■ . -~.-.. ~;On;Monday morning another-jurymast was rigged, and tho lorangi plodded on again under- a jib only,, and -. before' a fresh south-west breeze. A course was set for Kaikoura, but, owing to the weather being, so thick, it was decided to continue, on up the coast. At 1 o'clock,on Monday afternoon the lorangi was! ten-miles east, of Capo Campbell. The stormy appearance of, the' weather had then abated,. and a course - was. set for Wellington, the crew hoping that the ; southerly would keep -.'up/*as- this would enable them to !niake Wellington. 'The' lorangi moved', along /comfortably under! a mizzen. and jib. • , / . The luck of the drew was apparently but, however, for, at 2 o'clock yesterday morning, \when.the :vessel was only five milcsoff Pehcarrow, the wind changed to the north,,and the yacht drifted back, to a position' off Cape Campbell. At 3.30: o'clock.j the crew sighted a steamer coming round.the Cape. 'They showed a flare, and.tho steamer put about right away. - Tho steamer proved, to be the Ngahere, and sho at once took tho lorangi in tow. The steamer brought tho yacht into Port Nicholson, and cast her off near th* King's Wharf. • The tug Pilot then took her to the Wool Jetty, and later in the day the lorangi was taken to.the Boat Harbour by tho Moturoa. . Tho crew wish to thank Captain Dilner for his promptness in picking up and: towing the vessel. Mr, Alexander nbpeii to have, the : little craft ready to resume her trip to Auckland by Thursday,