SUVA TO.AUCKLAND

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 6, 8 January 1930, Page 11

SUVA TO.AUCKLAND

VALKYRIE'S VOYAGE

STIiUCK BY HURKICANE

(By Telegraph.) (Special to. "The Evening Post.")

AUCKLAND, This Day

After an absence of nearly seven months the schooner yacht .Valkyrie returned to Auckland from Fiji on Monday. The vessel is owned by Captain B. Grilling, who set out with a party on 20th May "for a cruise of the Pacific, reaching Suva after a stormy and protracted voyage. .The passengers, which included several women, left the yacht at Suva and returned to.Auckland by steamer. - : At Suva Captain Grilling found it necessary to reshoath the hull of the Valkyrie with copper. It was proposed to arrange a cruise among the Pacific Islands, but eventually after five and a half months Captain Gilling decided to return to' New Zealand. Again storms dogged the yacht's course. Having engaged two Fijian boys, Captain Gilling left .Suva on Saturday, 30th November. He had waited three days for the hurricane to pass, but by 4 o'clock the.next afternoon they"were battling in the teeth of another gale. The steamer Tregartba passed the yacht before it was clear of .the reefs, and reported at Suva that the Valkyrie was "in the thick of it." When the yacht did not return before dark it was given up for lost, but it put back during the night, and early oh Monday morning'was once more safe in the harbour. ■ Two more boys were secured and after another wait the. Valkyrie sailed again, on sth December, with a failwind, which lasted four days. Then the hurricane which later did so much damage in Fiji struck the yacht, and for six days she was hovo-to. During that time th'o Valkyrie was driven westward to within 180 miles of New Caledonia to a position practically as far from Auckland as when she had left Suva. After that better weather prevailed, and the vessel made good sailing until a thunderstorm was met with about 55 miles off1 the North Cape. Again the yacht was hove-to, and this time she was driven, 30 miles off her course. Finally the yacht reached Bussell after being at sea for 19 days. TKe crew was then in need of water and fresh provisions. "It was a strenuous, time," said Captain Gilling. "Of the four boys who form the crew only one had been at se-a before, but they did well." At one time Captain Gilling never left the wheel for 39 hours, and,they were all in need of rest when the yacht Teached Eussell. From thorq on they made a fast sail down, the coast, calling at" Whangamumu, Kawau; Cowes Bay, and Bocky Bay.