STORMY CHATHAM ROUTE

Evening Star, Issue 23176, 27 January 1939, Page 3

STORMY CHATHAM ROUTE

YACHT'S SUCCESSFUL CRUISE [Per Uxited Press Association.] CHRISTCHURCH, January 26. Believed to be the first yacht to make the voyage from the mainland to the Chatham Islands atid hack, the auxiliary yacht Faith arrived at Lyttelton at 3.,‘J0 p.m. to-day from Port Hntt, Chatham Islands. During both the outward and homeward voyages, and particularly while at the islands, tlie Faith encountered some of tlio worst weather experienced in that storm-swept stretch of ocean in the neighbourhood of the Cllnthams. Those who made the trip were Messrs W. H. Marsh (owner), G. Mounceu (navigator), F. Friedman (engineer), and E. J. Newman, and Mr Marsh’s seven-year-old son Michael. The Faith was built by Mr W. H. Marsh, of Christchurch, and is a stoutly-constructed craft of the Norwegian pilot-boat type. Thirty-six-feet in length, she is ketch-rigged and has a powerful auxiliary engine. Of the yacht’s performance in the stormy weather one of the crew said that the boat “ behaved like a lady.” and had proved herself fit for a voyage to any part of the world.

Leaving Lyttelton on January 4. the Faith took four days to make the Chatham Islands, meeting with moderate to rough weather. While at Waitangi the yacht met with cyclone conditions. The sea became so bad on tlie night of January II that the Faith had to put to sea, returning the following evening.

Leaving Port Hntt on Sunday, the Faith ran into a cyclone the next day and was hove-to all night. For the remainder of the trip to Lyttelton the weather improved, although there was still considerable sea.