HOLIDAY AFLOAT

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22611, 26 December 1936, Page 11

HOLIDAY AFLOAT

YACHTS ANI) LAUNCHES

HUNDREDS GO TO SEA JOYS OF CHRISTMAS CRUISE Laden with provisions and with crews who refused to he dismayed by grey skies and falling rain, the great bulk ol Auckland's fleet of pleasure craft put to sea on Thursday for the annual Christinas cruise Kxperts hold that there are at least two thousand yachts and launches on the Waitemata and that of these about MOO arc being used by their owners for cruises over the holiday period. On the conservative average of five persons to each boat, about 7000 Aueklanders must be spending Christmas afloat. During the early days of this week there were scenes of constant actjvity at St. Mary's May, Mechanics' Bay and the other anchorages fqr pleasure craft. Gear was being overhauled, bunks fitted and stores being placed on board, all in a spirit of joyous anticipation. There was hardly the usual picturesque scene on the harbour on Christmas Eve. Generally a whole fleet of yachts and launches make a brave showing as they put off down the gulf, but on Thursday boats slipped away silently into grey, misty rain. Some did not leave until late at night or early yesterday morning, but tho confidence and enthusiasm of these Christmas sailors must have been amply rewarded yesterday when they found the weather clearing into the sunshine and warmth of mid-summer.

Provisioning for a Christmas cruise is a matter for experts, but Auckland's holiday sailors have gained a wealth of experience in this respect. Although they spend Christmas Day afloat, they do not neglect the Christmas dinner. Turkey or poultry may bo eaten cold on the swinging deck of a boat or on sandy beaches fringed with the crimson of pohutukawa, but the Christmas pudding can always be heated in a pot of boiling water. Fruits and other delicacies can make a notable repast, although subsequent meals may be prepared largely with the assistance of a tin-opener. Many of the holiday sailors will return to Auckland late to-morrow, faced with the necessity of resuming work on Monday. However, there are many others who are free from toil until the first week of the New Yepr and for them all the delights of a prolonged cruise are still in store.