SOUTH ISLAND KETCH HAS ADVENTUROUS TRIP FROM AUCKLAND

Greymouth Evening Star, 29 December 1949, Page 4

SOUTH ISLAND KETCH HAS ADVENTUROUS TRIP FROM AUCKLAND

BLENHEIM, This Day (P.A.).—A voyage from Auckland to Peldrus Sound, via Cook Strait, has proved an ordeal during the past five days for Mr D. M. Reader, of Havelock, and two Cook Island friends, David Sadaraka and John Taiano on board the 45-foot ketch Soubrette. The ketch was recently purchased by Mr Reader in Auckland and the party left there on Tuesday, December 20. A good trip was made to Cape Palliser, which was reached last Saturday morning, but from there to the South Island coast the voyage was full of incident. Half-way across Cook Strait the ketch ran into gale force winds and the crew took in all canvas except the mainsail. Cape Campbell was made in eight hours and an effort was then made to beat up to Port Underwood in the teeth of a northerly. This proved impossible and the ketch arrived back at Cape Palliser late on Saturday night. Sunday was spent sheltering behind the cape but on Monday another attempt was made to cross the. Strait. Once again a gale-force wind was met and the ketch hove to. It drifted down the Kaikoura coast. . On Tuesday .it was .possible to beat back to Cape Campbell and the course was then set for Cape Terawhiti from where, with a light southerly blowing, it was thought possible to get round to Pelorus. The wind changed to the north-west, however, and the ketch put into Port Underwood. . Today the vessel is being towed to Picton where it will gd on the slipway for repairs.