TASMAN VOYAGE.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVI, Issue 121, 23 April 1936, Page 2

TASMAN VOYAGE.

POWERFUL LAUNCH. Per Press Association. AUCKLAND, April 22. With the yellow quarantine flag flying from her masthead denoting that she was from overseas, a powerful sea-worthy-looking launch arrived practically unheralded from Sydney shortly after 3 o’clock with an over-all length of 65 feet. The Coastguard made an excellent passage across the Tasman and, in spite of encountering strong head winds and heavy seas, she averaged a little over eight knots on her 1080 mile passage under the command of Captain Frederick Johnston, of Auckland. The Coastguard carried a crew of four. The captain's brother, D. Johnston, was mate, P. Bruell engineer, and S. Hebdon cook. The Queensland-owned Coastguard will shortly bo numbered among Auckland’s large fleet of seine net fishing boats. She was built at Sydney in September of last year for the express purpose of testing whether seine net fishing in the vicinity of the Great Barrier Reef could be made a commeicial success. With her base at Mackay (North Queensland), the Coastguard made a thorough investigation and study of the fishing conditions surrounding the Barrier Reef and found that fish of edible variety could not be secured in sufficient quantities. The vessel then proceeded from Mackay to Auckland, via Sydney. She cleared Sydney Heads on April 15. There was a strong easterly wind and head seas, and Captain Johnston said to-night that lie was undecided whether to return to Sydney or continue. It was agreed to carry on, nnd the Coastguard proved herself an excellent seaboat.- _ The rough weather prevailed until the craft was about halfway across the Tasman, when two days of calm were experienced. A further buffeting commenced, however, when the Coastguard was some 20(.‘ miles off Cape Maria Van Diemen, and she ran into a westerly gale, which continued until the launch reached the shelter of land in the vicinity of the North Cape.