LONG VOYAGE

Northern Advocate, 8 November 1932, Page 6

LONG VOYAGE

TWO MEN JN A BOAT. .10 URN A LIST* S EX PER 1 KNCES. .SYDNEY, October tit). An exciting story of. adventures in a ;;7 feet yacht in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans was related by a London journalist, Air Sidney Howard, on his airival in Sydney by the Alakura. Mr Howard, with one companion, left Dover in dune, JtKH, their intention being to go for a year’s cruise without any definite destination. The yacht, which was of eight tons register, was called the Pacific Aloon, and was purchased at Dover. She was equipped with a small auxiliary motor, on which, however, the adventurers subsequently discovered they could [dace no reliance. They could carry only L’U hours’ supply of fuel. The Pacific Aloon was cutter-rigged, and drew six feet of water and had a sail area of about 1000 square feet. “We left. Dover in June,” said Air Howard, ‘‘and crossed to Boulogne, with the intention of seeing something of France. From there we sot a course for the Isle of Wight, but a fierce gale sprang up. Our jib topsail and mainsail were torn and we were forced to go to Newhavcn for shelter. AVe effected repairs and left Falmouth on July 7, IlkTl, for Spain. Again we were battered by a storm for three days in the Bay of Biscay. We were in Spanish waters- for about three weeks.

Eu route to Cape Verde Islands, Mr Howard’s shipmate, Mr J. W. .Johnstone, fell overboard while reefing the sails. Air Howard was asleep at the time. .Johnstone saved his life by clutching the log line, trailing behind, and pulling himself to the taffrail. His shouts for help awakened the sleeper, and he was dragged aboard. The 2100 miles between Cape 'Verde Islands and the Barbadoes were covered in 20 days, despite the strong prevailing trade winds. After visiting- the principal islands of the West Indies, the voyagers sailed leisurely through the Panama Canal, and then tackled the longest stretch of the trip—from Panama to the Marquesas Islands. Numerous misadventures befell them. Once a shark snapped off the log rotor, sails were torn, some of the food went bad, the chronometer proved faulty, a whale once appeared beneath the stern of the frail craft, and a swordfish pursued the boat for some distance, but was frightened away. While in the Low Archipelago the two adventurers met the famous pearl fisherman, Mr Victor Berge, who has achieved fame in America by an authoritative work on pearl diving, Air Berge has the reputation of being the only living man who has arranged a duel between a shark and an octopus. The octopus won by -winding its tennelos around the shark’s gills and drowning it.

Air Howard sold the Pacific Aloon in Tahiti to an Argentine yachtsman, who has sot out to Java with an American captain and a Frenchman, Air Johnstone returned to England via Panama, and Air Howard will return to London, by the Otranto. It is his intention to publish a book on his adventures, after which he will resume journalistic work in London.