THRILLS OF THE SEA

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20901, 17 June 1931, Page 6

THRILLS OF THE SEA

SWEDEN TO AUSTRALIA. . OPEN CUTTER'S LONG VOYAGE. HOW A BET WAS WON [FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT. ] SYDNEY. Jufte 9. An adventurous exploit by two Swedes was successfully concluded last Friday when Mr. George Benson, whose home is in Bexley, a suburb of Sydney, and Mr.i Johanson, of Gothenburg, Sweden, sailed the open cutter Gullmarn into Lake Macquarie entrance, near Newcastle. Tha cutter bad been sighted earlier in tha week by the Union-Steam Ship Company's steamer Katoa out at sea. Interviewers, on boarding the vessel, discov* ered to their surprise that the owner was a Sydney man.

Mr. Benson explained that though ha had lived for more than a quarter of a century in Australia, he was a Swede by birth. It. was when ho was on a visit to bis homeland, which began two year 3 ago, that he bought the Gullmarn for the use of his two sons, who live ney. Talking casually in a. restaurant in Gothenburg one evening, he said that ha was thinking of sailing the boat to Australia; When a bet running into hundreds of pounds, vas made that he would nob complete toe feat, he tjOok it up. Enlisting the services of Mr. Johanson as navigator, ■ Mr. Benson left Gothenburg .10 months ago. After touching Denmark and France, the Gullmarti put into Brixham, England. While he was there a minor explosion sent Mr. Benson.into hospital for more than a week, but this was not permitted to interfere with his plans. By. way: of Lisbon, Madeira and the West Indies the Gullmarn crossed the Atlantic to Colon.

After passing through the Panama Canal the cutter made for the New Hebrides. When she left that group of islands a month ago she met with the worst weather encountered during the voyage. The tv.-o adventurers were hourly in danger of their lives, but their little'craft'rode out the storm. Theiir provisions, however, were by that tinvn nearly exhausted. A lucky meeting with the Kat'.*!, however, made possible the replenishing of supplies.

Mr. Benson has not tired of adventures and he now talks of using the cutter for a further voyage to the Far East. Mrs. Benson, however, is anxious for him to remain at home for a time after-his roving and he will probably accede to her' wishes.