DOMINION NEWS Yacht In Distress Towed To Napier

Greymouth Evening Star, 17 March 1947, Page 2

DOMINION NEWS Yacht In Distress Towed To Napier

Storm-lashed and with her auxiliary engine out of commission, the 57-foot keeled yacht, Waitangi, which was in distress south of Black Head, approximately 70 miles south of Napier, was towed back to Napier by a trawler on Saturday afternoon. The Waitangi was on a voyage from ' Auckland to Lyttelton. She had passed Hawke’s Bay on Wednesday night 1 and when picked up by a trawler ! which was dispatched in response to " a radio call for help the Waitangi was ■ lying between Cape Turnagain and • Black Head. The yacht left Auckland on Tuesday morning, March 4. ' She had been bought by Mr J. H. : Killian, of Lyttelton, who was en- ; deavouring to sail her direct to that ' port. The storm struck the vessel early on Thursday morning, carrying ' away some ol her sails. The auxiliary • motor failed and as the yacht was ’ unable to continue it was decided to send out an S.O.S. call from her radio. L This was picked up by an amateur I operator, Mr G. McDonell, a farmer, ’ of Ohakea, who advised the Marine • Department, Wellington. On board • the yacht were Mi' Killian and his 5 wife? Mr K. W. Windsor, of Auckland, 1 as wireless operator, Mr M. Yule, also 5 of Auckland, and an elderly man > named Hiller. — (P.A.) I Left Behind

A family booked to travel from Auckland to England in the Largs Bay had the unhappy experience of seeing the ship leave port without them, but with all their luggage.- The family, Mr and Mrs W. G. McCoy and their two children, went aboard the liner at embarkation time and after completing customs and othei’ formalities, went ashore under the misapprehension concerning the sailing time. They spent several hours away from the ship, and they returned to the waterfront to find that the Largs Bay had left for Sydney on the first stage of her voyage.—(P.A.) New Tallow Prices

Designed to increase exports to Britain, new prices for tallow bought by the Marketing Department lor export were announced by the Minister in charge of Stabilisation (Mr D. G. Sullivan). The Minister said that the United Kingdom had frequently expressed its desire to secure the maximum quantity of tallow from New Zealand, and the new prices should result in the resumption of collections of fat through channels, where supplies had been diminishing because of increased costs, mainly of containers. The increase in f.o.b. prices varies from £ll 2s a ton in case of low-grade gut. tallow to £2l 0s 6d a ton in the case of first grade beef tallow, and will apply to all 'tallow manufactured on or after March 17. —(P.A.)

To England and Back The first aircraft to fly from New Zealand to England and make a return journey, the Royal New Zealand Air Force Douglas Dakota transport aeroplane, which left the Dominion on January 12 carrying 14 aircrew members, who will ferry Mosquito aircraft from England, arrived at Whenuapai yesterday after a flight lasting 14 days. Commanded by Wing Commander L. H. Parry, A.F.C., the aircraft’s flying time of 65 hours 47 minutes was a record for a Dakota, and the flying time between England and Singapore, 42 hours 12 minutes, was also the fastest made by a Dakota. Apart from ferrying crews to England, Wing Commander Parry said the purpose of the trip was to conduct a survey of the route for Dakota aircraft. On return the aircraft carried 17 members of H.M.S. Gambia, _ who were awaiting transport to their homes in New Zealand. The first flight of Mosquitoes will leave England this week.—(P.A.)