THE YACHT WAITANGI

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 63, 8 December 1920, Page 7

THE YACHT WAITANGI

9 ROUGH PASSAGE TO AUCKLAND. Tho yacht Wailnngi, which was recently purchased by a party of Auckland yachtsmen, airivcd Iruiu Wellington on. .Saturday (states the ".New Zealand Herald"). She left Wellington at miunigni on Saturday, November 27, in charge of AI-r. 0. Harrison-Smith, wlu) had with him the following yachtsmen for his crew:—Messrs. T. 31. Alexander, B. W. Beaumont, W. Alexander, V. i'earce, and A. Scott. , The AVaitangi experienced a light breeze from the- nortli-west until roundlniug Cape Palliscr at 3.30 a.m. on November 28. She was then becalmed for two hours, and later a 'light north-west wind- was again picked up. As the day advanced the wind freshened, and it was necessary to take off the big jib and replace it with, a smaller one. Two reefs were put in the mainsail, which eventually blew out owing to the hard breeze. A big sea -was running, and matters became very uncomfortable for all hands. The yacht shipped a quantity of water, which found its way into the cabin, owing to a leaky skylight. The wind fell away lato at night, and the next twenty-four hours saw tho Waitangi becalmed. Lato on Monday night the yacht picked up a west-north-west; breeze,' which brought her to within 35 miles of Cape Kidnappers. Here a coursewas set to clear Bull Rock, off Portland Island, by tliree miles. On luesday afternoon the wind went round to south-south-west, and Wow very hard, resulting in tho staysail being badly ripped.' East Cape was rounded at 7 o'clock the same ovening, and when on the' Caps the yacht experienced a very heavy tide rip, which made it impossible for any one to stand on deck to reply to the liglithouse-keepor on tho Cape, who had asked for the name of the yacht. Calms were again experienced until Wednesday, when tho yacht encountered northerly and afterwards westerly winds.. , Mayor Island was sighted on Wednesday, and a course was-at outside tho Altleraaus for Gape Colville. \s tho weather became very tluclc and threatening on Thursday it was decided/ to put into Mayor Island, where the night was spent. On Friday morning the voyage was resumed, and after meeting with head winds the yacht reached Onetangi at 9 p.m., and remained thero overnight, coming into port on baturdav morning. Tho Waitangi was built in Auckland by tho lato Mr, It. Logan, sen in 1895, and was sailed m Wellington by her builder shortly after being, launched Her principal dimensions are: -Length. 55ft.; "breadth, lift.; and depth, 9ft. Her new owners are Messrs. T. M. Alexander, N. L. Mackay, J. W. Prater,. J. B. Johnston, and K. Rutherford. ,