TEMPESTUOUS VOYAGE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20302, 9 July 1929, Page 13

TEMPESTUOUS VOYAGE.

'AUCKLAND TO SUVA.

yacht takes five weeks.

A MOST TERRIFYING TIME."

experience of TWO WOMEN. With tho experiences of a tempestuoni voyago now only a memory—but not a very happy memory—two women who left Auckland in tho schooner yacht Valkyrie on May 20, Mrs. E. Scott-Shaw au 'd her daughter, Miss C. Scott-Shaw, returned to Auckland from Suva by the Tofua last ovening. "To say that wo nro glad to bo back in Auckland would bo to put it very mildly," Mrs. ScottShaw said. "For fivo weeks wo seemed to run out of ono hurricane into another. Our supplies of wator had to be rationed and altogether it was a most terrifying time." They wero tho guests of Captain Ernest Gilling on tho Valkyrie, which left on a 6000-miles' cruise in tho Pacific. Thoy expected to reach Suva from Auckland in about eight day 3, but tho voyago occupied fivo weeks. Barely had tho New Zealand coast slipped behind tho horizon when tho littlo vessel of 44 tons commenced to roll and pitch into tho teeth of a heavy head wind. Twenty Hours in a Storm.

At'the end of the first week the Valkyrie was only off Capo Brett after another week it was estimated that the vessel had travelled only 200 miles. Incidents occurred almost daily. One day they sailed through a largo area of pumico floating on top of tho waves. It was thought an island had been thrown up by soino submarine disturbance and tho crew and passengers stayed up all night, whilo a strict look-out was kept. In tho course of a few days tho stout timbers of tho Valkyrie were tested by two hurricanes and in tho second the vessel struggled for 20 hours in tho centro of tho storm. Tho wireless aerial was torn away, taking from tho littlo party its ono means of keeping in touch with tho world. Sleep during these 20 hours was impossible. Tho engines were kept running in an attempt to drive the ship out of tho storm and when finally she reached comparatively calm water tho stock of petrol was sadly depleted. Cup of Water lor Washing.

During tho height of tho storm Captain Gilling remained on watch for 12 hours without a break. Ho said it was the worst weather ho had experienced. However, tho only damage dono was to some of tho fittings of the ship. Tho ship's chronometer fell and was damaged slightly, destroying its accuracy. "Just before that storm there was a sunset, horrible and yot fascinating," Mrs. Scott-Shaw said. "Heavy clouds on tho western horizon were stained blood red and at intervals they were pierced by vivid flashes of lightning. When wo were clear of the storm wo were 200 miles off our course and thought we were near the Kcrmadecs. Once wo thought wo saw land, but it was only a cloud low down on (ho horizon. Our hopes sank for there was riot one of us who did not want to feel the tread of solid ground. "We had filled our water tanks at Kawau after leaving Auckland and after the first week it was realised that our supplies were getting low. Wo had plenty of tinned food, but our drinking water had to be rationed, while each member of the party could only have a cuplu] a day for washing purposes.". Tribute to Navigators. Tho vessel was headed again for Suva, but, after making good headway for a while, sho was becalmed off and on for three days, pitching in a heavy swell. Then another hurricane was experienced and for days the vessel, now within 300 miles of Suva, was tossed like a cork on tho top of the waves. When tho storrn abated it was found the Valkyrio was right off the steamer route. Sho had to sail to Suva right round the coast of the wain island. 'I ho little vessol swung her way into Suva on June 23. "Wo lost no time in getting ashore," Mrs. Scott-Shaw said. It was the end of the worst five weeks of my life. Everyone in tho party was feeling the strain. My daughter and I had intended to accompany the party for about two months, but after those storms we took the first opportunity to return to Auckland." Mrs. Scott-Shaw paid a tribute to the seaworthiness of tho Valkyrio, which stood up well to all the storms, and to tho oxcaJlent way in which she was handled under tho greatest of difficulties by Captain Gilling and tho other navigator in the crew, Captain Townsend. They had worked hard throughout tho cruiso and had fought every storrn they encountered.