Adventurous Trips

Manawatu Times, Volume 63, Issue 181, 3 August 1938, Page 9

Adventurous Trips

NELSON YACHT AT VAVAU. FXPE RIKN CEB IN STORM. AUCKLAND, Aug. 3. After &a adventurous trip to various South fiea Islands, the Nelson auxiliary yacht Blue Seas, manned by Messrs J. Anstice (captain), G. A Day and H* Lewit?, arrived at Vavau from Papeete on July 22, according to advice received at Auckland yesterday. The vessel left Nelson in May for Rarotonga, Tahiti and Vavau, on a eruise that was expected to take from three to five months. Between Fiji and Tonga the voyagers met with two whales, about 45ft. long, which came uncomfortably close to the boat. After the Blue Seas left Nelson a direct course was set for Rarotonga, which was reached in comparatively good time. After remaining there for a few days, the three men left for Papeete, where they stayed a short while before sailing for Vavau. Soon after they left Papeete the yacht ran into a bad storm, the wireless set refused te function, the crew could not get the correct time, and they were almost exh&usted through lack of sleep. At the height of the storm they passed close to Fiji without sighting land, and, according to the log, they were a long way from Vavau and apparently near Samoa. Some hours later, to their relief, they saw land which afterwards proved to be Vavau. After a good sleep they were fit again. It was expected that they would leave Vavau toward the end of last week and take the direct course to Auckland.