YACHT’S LENGTHY CRUISE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18446, 6 January 1922, Page 3

YACHT’S LENGTHY CRUISE

ARRIVAL IN AUCKLAND.’ OVER 20,000 MILES SAILED, v An interesting arrival in port on. Sunday ■was the yawl-rigged yacht Amaryllis, which arrived from Sydney after a passage of 15 clays (says* the New Zealand Herald). The vessel is on an extended cruise, and has already covered over 20,000 miles. Lieutenant G. H. P. Mnhlhauser, RJfJR,, the owner and captain of the vessel, is the oply white man on board. He has with him two natives who joined the yacht at the West Indies, as tihe crew. The Amaryllis is a vessel of 28 tons gross, and is 52ft long on the water-line. Her beam is 13ft, and her draught 9ft Gin. As she lies anchored off Parnell flying the Naval Reserve and the Royal Yacht Squadron’s flags, the onlooker would hardly credit her with having sufficient sea-going qualities to carry her from England by a devious route to Australia and New Zealand. The yaqht left Plymouth, England, on September 6. T 920. The town was en fete that day, celebrating the 300th anniversary of the departure of the Mayflower for America, but no notice was taken of the small vessel which was commencing a long journey to the Antipodes. The voyage was made in 'Stages, and the distance between ports' varied from 50 to 3000 miles. From Plymouth she sailed to Vigo, Spain, then to Madeira, Las Palmas, Santa Cruz, and -then to Barbadoes. Of the four white .men who had left England in the yacht, two obtained positions in Barbadoes, and left the vessel there'. A cruise of 1600 miles round the West Indian group was made, and when the vessel reached Jamaica a third man went ashore and abandoned the trip. . This left Lieutenant Muhlhauser alone in the yacht, and as he decided to continue the cruisp he shipped two native young men for the crew. From Jamaica the yacht went to Colon, and then through the Panama Canal to Galapagos Group. The next run fo the Marquesas was 3067 miles direct, and occupied 26 days, the longest run between ports the yacht has made so far She next visited Tahiti, in the Society Group, Rarotonga, in the Cook Islands, and then Tonga and Suva, Fiji. At Suva aq American, whose sea experience had been confined to passenger linens, joined the yacht for a cruise to Sydney. On arriving' at Sydney, via Noumea, he stated that no amount money could induce him to make another*sea trip in such a small vessel. The yacht’s cruise so far baa been made without misadventure, and under fairly fine weather conditions. No Very severe storms were met with. A moderate gale off the coast of Portugal was experienced for 24 hoars,, The worst weather was between NoumCa''and Sydney, when strong , winds and a high sea made things uncomfortable on board and necessitated the vessel being ( hove-to for 60 hours when approaching the Australian coast. She cleared Sydney oh December 17, and experienced light, variable winds on all but four days, when > the ■ weather was somewhat stormy. '■ In spite of her small appearance the yacht is very commodious below, and is fitted out with every comfort. Lieutenant Muhlhauser was engaged during the war on nainp-Bweepers and sqbmarine-catchers. He is making. the cruise solely for the sea trip, and expects to stay in New Zealand until about April.