ACROSS THE TASMAN

Evening Post, Volume CIV, Issue 21, 25 July 1927, Page 10

ACROSS THE TASMAN

ADVENTUROUS CRUISE

TINY CRAFT FOR LONG

VOYAGE

SEVEN MEN IN A YACHT

(By John Crossley Hartle.) (Copyright. AH Bights Reservod.)

The following is the first of a series of articles to be-published in-"The Evening Post" describing the cruise of too yacht Utlakah 111., now somewhere in the South lU\blume\u£is uHn? wmch.boElin at in both the North anil" Southaris°land' Orof :New Zealand and back to Melbourne.

As a foreword, a short description of the yacht may not be amiss. Built in Hobart, Tasmania, of Huou pine, two years ago, her tonnage is 37, length 50ft, beam 15ft 6iu, and her draught Cft Giur- She is ketch-rigged and fitted with a 24 h.p. petrol engine.

The crew consists of seven "British Men," as it says in the manifest. I. E. Giles and A. Hamilton are the owners, the former acting as captain; A. Peck, M. Mackie, G. A. Soilleux, H. N. Scotf, all Australians, and the writer, an Englishman.

We fitted her out at AVilliamstown, and for forty days, to say nothing or several nights, we lived "in an atmosphere of incessant noise. We worked harder than most men do for a living, and yet, forsooth, this is a pleasure cruise, a "lazy" yachting trip. And the laying in of stores—let every honest housewife imagine for herself what that might be. Six months' stores for seven grown men. And after that the ship's needs—tar, paint, grease, glue, rope, twine, canvas, brushes, and gear of all sorts, oil and petrol for the engine, kerosene for the Primus stoves, whereby we cook,.and a ton of water. Ah well, we got away at last, after certain delay over engine troubles and spare parts, and a leaking petrol tank. Breaking out from our moorings on a Friday—evil omen—at eleven of the morn, off we went, and after a ten days' trip under varying conditions we galloped into Sydney and were escorted up the harbour by yachts and motorboats.

By repute tho Sydney yachtsmen are both jovial and hospitable, and it came to pass that we experienced heavier Weather and got dizzier inside "our 'arbour " than ever we did outside. We certainly received a hearty welcome, and the joy with which we had our first warm bath and decent meal since leaving Melbourne is still too sacred and blissful to describe. We were also photographed to' such an extent' that the ten days' growth of beard on our faces was worn nearly smooth. SAILORS AND YACHTSMEN. After several attempts we managed to leave Sydney, the first being marred by someone breaking a tooth, necessitating a visit to tho dentist for repairs. Next day we were almost off when the engine stuck. On the third day we hoisted sail, when suddenly 3, pathetic wail arose from below to the effect that the batteries had run dry. After chasing all over the place for another hydrometer and seeking counsel from a service station, they were proved to bo all right after all. By this time we had lowered sail, so we had the pleasure of hoisting it all up again, and finally got to sea.

Now, the difference between a yachtsman and a sailor is somewhat after this wise. The sailor does what has to bo done because it is useful or necessary, aiul when done, it usually stays put, but tho yachtsman does what is supposed to be the correct thing according to theory, even if it be noither useful, necessary, nor ornamental, and usually it has to be done all over again in accordance with some other weird story. When the sailor is in difficulties or fears Bad weather ho puts out to sea in order to get room to roll his eyebrows, whereas wo yachtsmen bolt for the nearest funkhole. The ono looks on his ship as his servant, and as a means to an end, Hut the other is a slavo in the service of his yacht, and apparently looks upon it as an end in itself. Our gods are Mulhauser, Voss, Connor and O'Brien, Ralph Stock and others of that ilk, and their writings are our bibles and our psalters containing all the law and the prophets. Tho genus is also much addicted to tho keeping of .voluminous diaries, full of wind (in more senses than one), courses and bearings of every object in or out of sight. As a matter of unpleasant fact the wind is always in tho wrong quarter, making the sea horribly rough—any other direction would bo infinitely better than where it actually is.

BOUND TOR LORD ifoWE ISLAND.

From Sydney we set our course N.E. by E.K for Lord Howe Island, with a fresh breeze on the starboard beam, but after a couple of hours it shifted ahead, and, ns according to the wiso ones the weather was evidently going to do something positively dreadful, wo turned north and ran into Broken Bay, tho mouth of the Hawkesbury River. For which relief much thanks, as the se:i was bumpy in the extreme, and before long the majority of us had broadcast the menu of Sydney's hospitality over tho wild waters.

Tlic bad weather did not put in an appearance, liut two days of dead calm instead, and we put in our spare time in this charming spot among the oysters. Then off we went for Lord Howe IsIcnd with a good westerly'wind on our quarter. Carrying all sail, including spinnaker, for a few hours we made good headway, until the boom guy carvied away. Then the wind coining dead astern we decided to set our squaresail-cum-awning. First of all, off came the other sails except iiiizseii and jib, and as the ship was rolling a good deal this was rather a tricky job. During the battle one of the crow fell into the skylight, due to a sudden lurch combined with a damaged foot. Ho learned that to tread on a skylight was most imyachtsinanlike conduct, and as each casualty occurred we were reproached bitterly from the helm, and lectured frequently about such goings on. Incidentally, the squaresail was set upside down. GOOD SPEED IN ROUGH SEAS. "We then proceeded to roll, and rolled the heart out of everything, including ourselves and a petrol tin. Still, we knocked off 160 miles the first day, but shipped several seas, making things very wet above and bejow, and I havo known better places to sleep in than wet bunks on a yacht. We also dispensed with regular meals, and decanted the oysters.

Then, with tho wind coming in from the starboard quarter, we changed back to double-reefed mainsail and staysail, getting the ship under comfortable rig while still able to crawl about and take a little notice. About midnight we had a gibe, the main boom slamming across liko a cannon, shot. Instead of braining the helmsman and hurling him forth into the vasty deep, it missed him by a fraction, but from what the skipper had to say about the matter afterwards, the wretched fellow must have felt sorry it didn't hit him.

Next day we registered IG7 miles in a. very big rough sea, sliding and lurching up and down the waves and wallowing like a drunken pig in the troughs. HAPPY TIME ON SHORE. At four in the afternoon we sighted land, and by 8.30 wore abreast of the island, having made the passage of over 400 miles in 5(5 hours, \Ye hore-tq for

the night and at daylight went looking for an anchorage. We dropped the hook twice, only to pull it up again, and finally were piloted inside the lagoon by the friendly islanders, and at long and welcome last felt something solid under our feet again. ° Wo were received with great hospitality and were entertained during our stay in a most kindly manner, being made free of houses, food and fruit, to which we did full justice. We dined and sang, danced and cavorted with the maidens and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.

By far the best part of going to sea is getting on land again.

We love the ocean's mighty roar. We lore its ceaseless motion; >\c lore It best wheu viewed from shore. But still we love the ocean.