CALL OF ADVENTURE

Dominion, Volume 24, Issue 20, 18 October 1930, Page 27

CALL OF ADVENTURE

Out to Sea in Stolen Yacht

The story of how a lad of 17 took possession of a private yacht lying off Penarth, near Cardiff, induced two schoolboys to put to sea with him, got into difficulties, was arrested by dock pilots, escaped, and was next heard of in Spain, was related by the boy’s uncle. This 17-year-old boy joined a ship at Penarth, but did not like the captain, and while she was coaling at Barry he escaped. He dared not go home, and while wondering what he would do he sap a small'-private yacht at anchor close to the mudbank. Two schoolboy," came along, and he induced them ro go with him for a sail. There was a stiff south-westerlj breeze, which soon developed into a gale, and they got into difficulties. Several times the yacht nearly capsized, but luckily a man on the cliffs observed their plight and inform-

ed the Watch House pilots, who set out in a cutter in pusuit of the flying vacht. Finally a rope was got aboard, and the yacht taken in tow. The schoolboys were crying .bitterly, and'were in a state of panic, but not so their leader. He received the pilot with all the courtesy of the sea, remarking: “Have a cigarette, old man. You’ll need it after your excitement!” The young adventurer waited until the cutter was nearing the dock, and with a flying leap disappeared over the side.

Nothing was heard of the boy until the other morning, when the uncle at Porthcawl received a letter from him bearing a Spanish postmark in which he wrote: “I shall be home shortly.” “The boy is an orphan,” said the uncle. “He ran away to sea when 14. Since then he has twice been round- the world.”