PERILOUS VOYAGES

Lake Wakatip Mail, Issue 3968, 30 September 1930, Page 2

PERILOUS VOYAGES

across the Atlantic in small craft

Sonic adventurous trips across the Atlantic in small boats are recalled by Air Stanley Rogers in his new book, ‘ The Atlantic.’ One of the most persistent voyagers was William Andrews, who had never been to sea when, in 1878, he was seized with the ambition to cross the Atlantic in order to see the Paris Exhibition, “lie talked it,over with his brother Walter, who not only fell in with the plan,” writes Mr Rogers, “ but agreed to make the passage in a craft smaller than any that had ever ventured across before. The two brothers had beard of a man who bad safely crossed in a IfOi’t boat, and they decided to attempt it in something even smaller. But a boatbuilder whom they approached flatly refused to build them a boat of less than 20ft, and they had to be content with that or leave it. They chose the dory type of boat, the flat-bottomed, keelless boat of the Grand Banks fishermen. As it had no keel they had a centreboard fitted, the housing of which considerably interfered with the space under the low decking forward. Whoever crawled under the deck to sleep had to lie on bis side, as there was not width enough to lie on bis back. A short mast Bft high was stepped well forward, and two sails were carried, a lateen and storm trysail. The dory was christened Nautilus, and set sail from Beverley Harbour, Massachusetts, in the presence of a large number of boats assembled to give her a send-off. “The wiseacres prophesied failure, and when, twenty-four hours later, the Nautilus reappeared at Beverly the wiseacres smiled. But the brothers had only returned to have a small repair made to their compass. In bad weather they made their second start, and at first had a perilous time of it. They knew nothing of navigation, and sailed entirely by dead reckoning, feeling sure that if they kept on long enough they were bound to hit the coast of Europe somewhere. Day after day the.y made a few miles of easting, sometimes meeting heavy seas, but gradually becoming skilful at riding out tbe worst gales, until by the time they reached tbe entrance to the English Channel on the forty-fourth day out they had both well earned the courtesy title of captain. They spoke many ships on the passage, and from them got their bearings. Their greatest hardships were being wet with sea water and being unable to stretch their limbs. England’s climate gave them an unfriendly welcome, for their lastdays of the passage were spent beating up the Channel in a north-east gale. After a week in England they sailed to France, and visited the Paris Exhibition, Walter Andrews never entirely recovered from the hardships be had suffered, and died shortly after nis return to America, but William lived to cross the Atlantic more than once again. “ He grew restless on shore, and decided to attempt a do-or-die crossing in a loft boat. After being sixty-two days at sea in atrocious weather he was picked up half-starved by a passing ship and brought back to Boston, whence he had sailed in the presence of 30,000 people two months before. The astonishing thing was that he was picked up only 150 miles from land. Back in Boston he was stirred by the news of a man named Lawlor having crossed the Atlantic in a dory. The redoubtable Andrews at once issued a challenge to Lawlor to race across for a 5,000d0l stake. Lawlor accepted, and Andrews had another 15ft boat built. He christened it the Mermaid, and the two contestants set out from Boston on their 3,000-mile sail in June, 1891. But the Mermaid did not live up to her name. She was badly designed, and capsized no fewer than seven times during one gale, and Andrews spent half an hour clinging to the keel before he could right his craft. This accident made a continuance of the voyage suicidal, for the drinking water was lost and the provisions spoiled. For the second time Andrews had to endure the disappointment of being picked up by a passing ship. Lawlor made a successful passage to Portsmouth, which he reached in for tvthree days.” But the spirit of Andrews was mi daunted by failure. He built a 14ft collapsible boat, which he named the Flying Dutchman, and issued another challenge to Lawlor, which the latter declined. In July, 1892, Andrews sot. nut in Ids collapsible boat for Huelva, Spain, to attend a celebration of the 400 th anniversary of the discovery of America. He reached the Azores mi thirty days, and from there sailed for Lisbon and thence to Huelva. Sixyears later he made another attempt to cross the Atlantic in a 13ft boat which he called the Phantom Ship, but he met with disaster and was picked up by a passing ship. Two years later he made another try in a collapsible boat 12ft long, and again tailed. In 1901 he married, and set out with Jiis bride for Palos, in Spain, in a 20ft dory. The boat was sighted when a week out, but that was the last that was seen of her and her two occupants. Other lonely voyagers who have crossed the Atlantic are Alfred Johnson, a Banks fisherman, and Howard Blanchard, who lacked fingers and toes as a result of having been severely frost-bitten. Johnson took fifty-six days to reach England in a 20ft dory, but Blackburn, who in 1899 crossed in a 30ft sloop iu sixty-eight days, made a second crossing in 1901 in a 25ft boat in thirty-eight days. But the most adventurous grossing ever made was that of two Norwegian fishermen, who rowed the whole distance from New York to St Mary’s, Scilly isles, in the English Channel, in 1897. Their craft was an ordinary clinker rowing boat, and the passage lasted fifty-five days. 'Phis feat was described by Mr Rogers in his previous hook, ’ Sea Lore.’ Ten days out from New York the hardy voyagers met their first steamer, a large North German Lloyd liner, westward hound. The liner stopped, and the officers spoke to the two adventurers. but the hitter declined all offers of assistance. The passengers on the liner wanted to throw food and even money down to the men in the tiny little craft bobbing alongside, out the two hardy sailors refused to take anything. They still had nearly 3,000 miles to row, and they announced that they must he getting along, so as to reach England before the winter set in. When they were four weeks out their boat capsized during a westerly gale, hut after strenuous efforts both men succeeded in reaching the upturned boat and getting it right side up again. When they set out on their voyage they had taken the precaution of having most of their gear and provisions fastened to the boat, and (his foresight was now their salvation, for