WATER LILY'S CRUISE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21161, 19 April 1932, Page 11

WATER LILY'S CRUISE.

TWO WEEKS IN AUCKLAND. VOYAGE TO THE ISLANDS. NO FIXED PLANS FOR FUTURE. Ten days out from Wellington, the ketch Water Lily, with her crew of seven former pupils of Christ's College, Christchurch, arrived at Auckland yesterday afternoon and berthed at Prince's Wharf. The vessel, which will remain in Auckland for probably two weeks, is on the first stage, of an adventurous voyage to the Pacific Islands and the East and, should circumstances permit, a journey by way of Africa to Europe. No eventful incident happened during the voyage from Wellington. The master, Mr. Stephen Gerard, a former student of Oxford University, who has already sailed the Atlantic Ocean from England to Barbados in a ketch, stated that the Water Lily was not to be regarded as a vessel capable of fast passages. The voyage to Auckland had been leisurely and thoroughly in keeping with the time on the earlier voyages from Bluff to Lyttelton and Lyttelton to Wellington. Unfavourable winds were encountered until the Water Lily was standing off Hawke's Bay, but steady south-west winds were experienced across the Bay of Plenty. The Water Lily entered the Hauraki Gulf between Great Barrier Island and the Coroniandel Peninsula and was sailed to north of Tiri-Tiri, where she was becalmed on Sunday evening. The passage down the Rangitoto Channel to the Waitemata was made by using the auxiliary engines.

Future Movements Uncertain. From Auckland it is proposed to proceed to Tonga, but Mr. Gerard made it clear that time was not a great consideration in the itinerary of the Water Lily. "Our itinerary itself is very vague," he said. "Our future movements are entirely dependant on weather and circumstances. After reaching Tonga we shall go on to Samoa and Fiji if conditions suit and wo hope to have the benefit of the easting." Asked about the proposal to make a journey to England, Mr. Gerard said the project was undoubtedly before the crew of the Water Lily. The circumstances of the moment were again the most important question, but it was hoped to voyage through the East Indies to India and Ceylon, across to the eastern coast of Africa and around the Cape of Good Hope to begin the northward journey to England. Many people acquainted with the early years of shipping in Auckland assembled on Prince's Wharf yesterday afternoon to study the vessel. The ketch, which is 66ft. in length and has a tonnage of 42, was built by a Norwegian in Auckland in 1865, heart kauri and pohutukawa being among the timbers used. The ketch traded to Great Barrier Island, the Coromandel Peninsula and the Bay of Islands for many years. Trading in Southland. Subsequently, it was engaged as a fishing boat in Hawkc's Bay. It was partly rebuilt at Port Chalmers 19 years ago and for some years past it has been trading on the Southland coast. When a scheme formulated in Auckland to make a voyage in a sailing vessel to the East was abandoned because a suitable boat was not available, a member of the crew of the Water Lily who was interested commenced a similar project in the South Island. Inquiries mado at Invercargill, where the Water Lily is registered, and Bluff resulted in the purchase of the ketch in an interesting manner. The intending buyers of a suitable vessel had exhausted all seeminc offers and were chary of negotiating for the purchase of the Water Lily because it was still being employed for commercial uses. They made an offer for the ketch more in jest than anything else and were considerably surprised when their bid was accepted. This marked the actual beginning of an ambitious cruise.

A visit to the Water Lily shows that everything possible has been clone to equip the vessel for ocean travel. What was once a hold used to carry cattle or Stewart Island oysters has been converted into a saloon supplied with an extensive library. Each member of the crew has a cabin, and, in each compartment, there is a substantial keg of salted beef. There is ample space on the Water Lily and every care has been taken to provide sufficient provisions. Fast-vanishing Type.

The ketch is unusually heavily timbered and is of a type which has practically vanished from New Zealand waters. The crew, which is comprised of Messrs. L. W. Pember Reeves, P. A. M. Williams, Tristram Reeves, W. J. Harris, F. St. J. Parson and J. K. Atkinson, besides the master, Mr. Gerard, lias been responsible for most of the work of fitting out the vessel. Two small kittens are carried as mascots. One was presented to the crew formally at Lyttelton, but the oilier was virtually thrown on board from the wharf as the ketch was leaving port.