WORLD CRUISE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23025, 30 April 1938, Page 16

WORLD CRUISE

COUNT TON LUCKNER DEPARTURE NEXT WEEK YACHT NOW ON SLIPWAY After 10 weeks in New Zealand Count Felix von Luckner expects to leave Auckland for Sydney about Monday in his auxiliary schooner yacht Seeteufel, in continuation of his leisurely voyage round the world. The Seeteufel is at present on the Harbour Board's slipway in Freeman's Bay, having some adjustments made to her propeller, and seafaring men have had an opportunity to admire her fine lines. She was originally a Norwegian fishing vessel, and is 100 ft. in length, with a tonnage of 240. Her two hollow metal masts can carry 4000 square feet of sail, and she has a 160 horse-power Diesel engine, with fuel storage for 6000 miles. Start Made a Year Ago The yacht's present-voyage began at Stettin on April 18, 1937. After visiting Baltic and American ports she passed through the Panama Canal in August. Count von Luckner had intended originally to sail down the South American coast, calling at Rio de Janeiro, Buenos Aires and elsewhere, and then to visit South Africa and Australia before reaching New Zealand. However, he changed his plans, and thus hastened his longpromised Teturn to the Dominion. His Pacific cruise included Hawaii and Samoa, and he reached Auckland on February 20. Since she has been in port the Seeteufel has made two very short cruises, one down the harbour to Motuihi and the other into the Hauraki Gulf to enable German citizens to vote in the Austrian plebiscite outside territorial waters. Stay in* Australia The count, however, has travelled some thousands of miles through New Zealand with the countess in pursuance of his lecturbg tour, visiting not only the cities, but also most of the principal secondary towns, and receiving warm welcomes everywhere. Count von Luckner will probably spend two months in the cities of Australia, where his war-time exploits nave made him as widely known as in New Zealand. He will return to Germany eventually, but, being free to go where he pleases, he has no hard and iast itinerary. After saying good-bye to the Commonwealth he expects to \ oyage home bv Suez and the Mediterraman, but his plans, as in the past, are always open to revision.