Adventurous Voyage

Manawatu Times, Volume 64, Issue 96, 26 April 1939, Page 12

Adventurous Voyage

SYDNEY, April 13. The auxiliary ketch Hispaniola, in *hich a Sydney taxi driver, Mr. George O’Brien, and his wife and two sons are sailing to San Francisco, heft Double Bay on Monday for Lord Howe Island, the first port of call. The ketch was built by Mr. O'Brien, it is 30 feet long, ten feet wide and weighs 12 tons, and carries on deck a flat-bottomed boat for u.>e among islands. Mrs. O’Brien is a daughter of Mr. Charlie Messenger, a Sydney waterman lamed for bis work for deep-sea fishermen. She has cruised along the coast ou occasions with her father in his own ketch, and has studied navigation. She has taken a school syllabus, and intends to instruct her two sons, Lyall, uguu ten, and Noel, aged eight, during the voyagje. The ketch was tested for seaworthiness during a voyage to Lord Howe Island last November.

Before he left Mr. O’Brien was asked to call at the Navigation Department to discuss his plans. Although the department’s jurisdiction is limited to

merchant shipping, and it could, then l'oi*e, give no instructions to M O’Brien, it is understood that reprcsei tations were made to the departmen and officers agreed to ask Mr. O’Brie voluntarily to inform them of his abi ity to navigate his vessel and of th precautions he planned to take for th safety of the two children. Mr. O’Brien willingly acceded to th lequcst, and was able to satisfy h questioners as to the seaworthiness c the Hispaniola, the safety measures h has taken for the two boys, and th completeness of the navigational cquij ment he was taking with him. He ala submitted himself to a brief examini tion of which his answers were satis factory. Officers of the dopartiner suggested that another man should b included in the party, but Mr. O’Brie left without one. Mr. O'Brien said that the Hispaniol was specially designed for single handed control in any weather. In th trial voyage to Lord Howe Island an back last November he was able to tes the vessel’s seaworthinoss thoroughly and he was confident that, unaided, h could trim her to ride out the severes storm in safety.