YACHT'S CRUISE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21469, 18 April 1933, Page 8

YACHT'S CRUISE

TRIP ON THE HEARTSEASE BOAT NOW AT SYDNEY TWO OF CREW RETURN A VOYAGE OF ADVENTURE [BY TELEGRAPH —OWN CORRESPONDENT] WELLINGTON. Monday Two members of the crew of Auckland's first-class yacht Heartsease, of 20 tons gross, which recently completed a tour of the South Sea islands, returned by the Makura from Sydney this morning. They were Mr. T. N. Silk, of Wanganui, and Mr. R. F. G. Hutchison, of Masterton, who made the trip as seamen. Mr. H. C. Dixon, radio operator, returned two weeks ago and the remaining three of the crew, *Captain A. McArthur, Lieutenant-Com-mander Juler and Mr. G. Douglas, are still in Sydney. Both Messrs. Silk and Hutchison spoke enthusiastically of the trip. There were times when extremely bad weather was experienced, they said, particularly just after leaving Whangarei and when approaching Brisbane, but nothing more delightful could be imagined than cruising around the islands of the South Seas. Experience in Gales After leaving Whangarei on September 23 last the Heartsease sailed direct for Tonga and after some time there proceeded to Suva. Some weeks were .spent cruising around the Fiji group. The boat made for Brisbane, via New Caledonia, and the final port of call was Sydney. The Heartsease was now lying careening at a cove at Kirribelli, Sydney. Negotiations for her sale to Hobart yachtsmen had been proceeding. Should the sale not take place and there is a transtasman race from Sydney to New Zealand next year, the Heartsease will probably participate. Mr. Silk said the two worst spells of the voyage were just after leaving Whangarei when the vessel was struck by a heavy north-easterly gale and when proceeding up the Queensland coast to Brisbane. On the former occasion the gale lasted four days and the Heartease was blown well to westward, almost to Norfolk Island. Conditions were very trying and during the heavy weather no cooking was possible. When making for Brisbane from Noumea land was sighted 40 miles to the south of the destination and the yacht had to run up the coast in thJ teeth of a hard gale, which made some of the crew think their last mipute had come. An Interesting Personality One of the most interesting personalities they met during the cruise, Mr Silk continued, was the Fijian chief, Rata Sakuna, district commissioner in the group. This man was educated at Wanganui Collegiate School, took his degree at Oxford, and was admitted to the Bar in London. He served with the Fijian forces during the war and also was at one time with the Foreign Legion. He met members of the crew at Suva and invited them to visit him at Lomaloma in the Lau group. They accepted the invitation and spent a most enjoyable week with him. He was a most outstanding personality. Afterward he accompanied the Heartsease in its cruise round the group, making his annual tour of inspection.