YACHT'S VOYAGE

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXII, 27 January 1939, Page 8

YACHT'S VOYAGE

TO CHATHAM ISLANDS AND BACK

CHRISTCHURCH. 26th January. Believed to be the first yacht to jmake the voyage from the mainland ito the Chatham Islands and back, the j auxiliary yacht Faith arrived at Lyttelton at 3.30 p.m. to-day from Port Hutt, Chatham Islands. During both the outward and the homeward voyages, and particularly while at the islands, the Faith encountered some of the worst weather experienced in that storm-swept stretch of ocean in the i neighbourhood of the Chathams. I Those who made the trip were Messrs |W. H. Marsh (owner). G. Mouncerj i (navigator). F. Friedman (engineer ). ■E. J. Newman and Mr Marsh’s seven-year-old son, Michael, j The Faith was built by Mr W. H. i Marsh. Christchurch, and is a stoutly- ; constructed craft of the Norwegian i pilot-boat type. 36 feet long. She is | ketch-rigged and has a powerful auxiI liary engine. Of her performance in I stormy weather, one of the crew said that the boat "behaved like a lady.” and j had proved herself fit for a voyage to any part of, the world, j Leaving Lyttelton on 4th January, j the Faith took four days to make the, Chatham Islands, meeting with moderate to rough weather. While at Waitangi the yacht met with cyclonic conditions. Captain Day. harbourmaster at Waitangi, described the range as the heaviest he had ever seen. The sea became so bad on the night of 11th January that the Faith had to put to sea hastily, returning the following evening. 'Leaving Port Hutt on Sunday, the ; T aith ran into a cyclone next day and was hove-to all night. For the remainder of the trip to Lyttelton the weather improved, though there was still a considerable sea.