FISHING LAUNCH’S LONG PASSAGE

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 155, 29 March 1937, Page 8

FISHING LAUNCH’S LONG PASSAGE

From Chatham Islands To Wellington three-day JOURNEY While a tropical storm of great intensity was reported to be approaching New Zealand from the north-west, two hardy Shetland fishermen were making the ocean passage of 400 miles from the Chatham Islands to Wellington in a tiny fishing launch. The long jour-

ney, which occupied three days, was completed without mishap on Saturday morning when their boat, appropriately named Sea Hawk, took up her moorings in the boat harbour and her crew of two went ashore to stretch their legs. Shetland Islanders are a clannish people, and it was one of them, a Wellington man, who informed “The Dominion” that two of his fellows had just come in from over the seas and indicated where they were to be found tasting some of the joys of civilisation after being “marooned” for three years at the far-away, lonely Chatham Islands. . , , . James Dunean, married, and Janies Ward, single, were the two men who, after some persuasion, told their story of what, to them, seemed a matter of little concern. Typical, hardy Shetland Island fishermen, born and trained to the «ea thev said simply that they never worried about navigating a tiny fishing boat in stormy seas out of sight of land as long as their boat was seaworthy and they had plenty of water and “tucker.” They did not think there was “much to it, otherwise.” Forty-four-foot Launch. The Sea Hawk is an ordinary fishing launch, 44 feet in length,, fitted with a 20 horse-power motor-engine and carrying a fair spread of canvas. They had spent two years in fishing at the Chatham Islands, but with blue cod at a penny a pound they decided that the price of fish to them was too low. and that there was “more life up here.’’ So they made up their minds to come back to New Zealand and try their luck. They inquired the price of a tow from the Chatham Islands to Wellington, but the £5O asked was too much, and they decided to bring the launch back “on their own.”

“Jimmie” Ward here explained that the Sea Hawk, which was built at Dunedin, left Wellington two years ago, iu tow of the trawler South Sea, for the Chatham Islands. He went in her “with an ex-jockey as mate.” On the way down the tow-line broke in bad weather, and Ward and his mate navigated tlie Sea Hawk for the remaining 100 miles of the passage under her own power, but in company with the South Sea, to Waitangi. In preparing for the return journey from the Chatham Islands to Wellington. they decided, with the true instinct of Shetland Islanders, to carry “plenty of water and tucker” as well as fuel. They stored their little boat with provisions for several weeks, with 50 gallons of fresh water, and with 30 cases, each of eight gallons, of benzine for the engine. They had a good chart, but no sextant, and relied, as their friend said, upon dead reckoning in navigation, working with the instinct of Shetlanders used to sailing out of sight of land. In ease of bad weather they had a good sea-anchor and would beave-to. Departure Last Wednesday. The Sea Hawk left Kaingaroa at midday on Wednesday and for the first 15 hours or so experienced fresh northerly winds and moderate seas. After that she had variable winds and her crew of two, who worked “four hours on and four hours off,” were kept busy “with tlie sails up and down all the time.” The engine ran well all the way, the sails being used when the wind was favourable. They set a course for Cape Palliser, with the intention of running up to Castlepoint for shelter if the wind came away strong fromthe southward. Actually, tlie passage was uneventful. and a landfall was made late on Friday night, the light at Honeycomb Rocks, Kalian Point. 30 miles north of Cape Palliser, being sighted at 11 o'clock, bearing about west-north-west. The launch was then headed for Cape Palliser which was passed shortly after midnight. Fine weather lasted for the remainder of tlie trip, the Sea Hawk arriving in port about 10 o’clock on Saturday morning, after a good passage of barely 72 hours from Kaingaroa.

(Picture on Page 7.)