Adrift All Night In Bay Of Islands

Northern Advocate, 26 February 1940, Page 8

Adrift All Night In Bay Of Islands

When he lost the oars while rowing to a fishing ground at Russell on Friday the Methodist Minister (Rev. W. Bayliss) commenced a night of adventure in which he drifted helpless in his small craft. Opposite the Bungalow boarding house an oar caught in his coat, which gaped open as he rowed, and it made him fall backwards into the bow of the boat. He let go both oars so as to recover his balance, and they floated away from him. Having no anchor on board he started drifting. There was a big swell on; it was windy and altogether very unpleasant. The bag of weights, all right for a calm day, proved ineffective as an anchor in bad weather. Tied to Opua Buoy The small boat drifted until it reached a buoy near Opua. To this Mr Bayliss tied up his boat and remained a prisoner until 9.30 a.m. when he was rescued by Fuller’s launch, Knoxie. The weather was bad and Mr Bayliss, even when anchored to the buoy, was unable to fish because of the swell. He suffered only a severe cold as the result of his adventure. However, he took the moring services on Sunday , but in the evening was relieved by Dr. William Pettit, of Auckland Cn Friday the launch Knoxie, engaged on the cream run of the Bay, ran aground on Brampton Reef. The boat sustained only slight damage to the false keel.