WORLD CRUISE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22350, 22 February 1936, Page 12

WORLD CRUISE

KETCH IDLE HOUR LEAVING AT NOON TO-DAY ■ ■ ■ > TWO AUCKLANDERS IN CREW THE VESSEL REFITTEP

On another stage of a world cruise, the 32ft. ketch Idle Hour will leave from near the Admiralty Steps between Queen and Central Wharves for Sydney about mid-day to-day. The possibility of a delay until Wednesday has been .avoided In addition to the owner, Mr. J)wight Long, a 23-year-cld university student, of Seattle, the crew will comprise Timi, a Tahitian lad, who joined the vessel at Bora Bora. French Oceania, and two Aucklanders, Mr,. Ivan Palmer, a journalist, aged 25, and Mr. Len. Campbell, aged 21, son of Mr. George Campbell. Mr. Campbell's present intention is to go only as far as Sydney, but it is likely that Mr. Palmer will remain on the Idle Hour until England is reached. Both young men are old boys of King's Collage. Travel Up Queensland Coast

The first stop will be Kawau, wher« the week-end will be spent. After a, Hhort stay at Russell, "the voyagers expect to leave New Zealand at the end of next week and the trip across the Tasman .to Sydney is expected to occupy about three weeks. . - A few weeks will be spent at Sydney and then the Idle Hour will travel no/th up the Queensland coast inside the Great Barrier Reef. Then the route will be to Thursday Island, Port' Moresby,- Papua, and on through the Dutch East Indies to Singapore. Then the Indian Ocean will be crossed before the ketch reaches England by way of Suez and the Mediterranean.: The final stages of the world cruise will be across the Atlantic to New York arid back to Seattle by way of Panama. Since leaving Seattle about 17 months ago Mr. Long has travelled 12,000 miles across the Pacific, stopping at the Hawaiian Islands, Tahiti, Bora Bora, Pago Pago, Samoa, and other smaller islands. In the entire cruise the Idle Hour will have covered about 40,000 miles. Tribute to Auckland People

During a stay of two months in Auck- . land the Idle Hour has been almost . completely refitted. The mainmast, which was snapped in a gale 24 daya before the craft limped into Auckland, under jury rig, has been replaced by a. fine new mast, and the remaining portion of the old mainmast has been used in place of the former mizzen mast, which was very light. All the rigging" has received attention and the ; fourcylinder auxiliary motor and the short- ' wave radio for receiving time signals have been thoroughly overhauled. . In Spite of her sinallness the Idle Hour has trim lines, especially beneath the waterline. The fact that the craft has a draught of 6ft. provide? ample space in the trunk cabin which gives full headroom. "Auckland people have bi*?D• very kind to me and I have- made niany friends here," said Mr. Long "1 am particularly "grateful to Mr. S. H. Leyland, and Mr. G. Tyler, of th« staff of the Auckland Harbour Board."