HOLED ON REEF

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23859, 13 July 1939, Page 9

HOLED ON REEF

SOUTH AFRICAN YACHT GRAPHIC STORY OF WRECK DESCRIPTION BY CAPTAIN’S WIFE (Per United Press Association) AUCKLAND, July 12. A graphic description of the wreck of the South African yacht Land’s End on the south-eastern edge of the Lower Archipelago, Barrier Reef, New Guinea, has been sent to Auckland by Mrs Desires Jeffery, of Auckland, wife of the owner, Captain Jeffery. When the letter was written several weeks after the wreck Captain Jeffery was making an attempt to refloat the yacht and it -'/as expected that this effort would be successful, since a survey of its position had shown only one hole, about two feet in diameter, on the port side by the galley. It was about 11 p.m. on June 8, says Mrs Jeffery, that she was awakened by the peremptory tones of her husband telling C. Wilson, u South African member of the crew, to start the engine. Within a. few minutes she felt an ominous jar on the bottom of the yacht. Tien came a more definite jar, whic.. knocked her off her feet and wakened her 10-year-old daughter Helene. Dumped on Coral Head

Mrs Jeffery scrambled up on deck and found the men trying to start the engine. It took five minutes to turn over and then it was just too late. A huge comber caught the yacht and although the sails filled on the other tack when Captain Jeffery put her about, the great wave ’lifted her up and dumped her on a sharp coral head where she shuddered and paused. Mrs Jeffery went down below again and got her daughter ready to leave the ship, while Captain Jeffery set the crew to work making a raft, as the dinghy was too small for the six people on board. An extra large wave broke over the starboard side and flung Captain Jeffery into the oort scuppers. In the fall he sprained his wrist. Meanwhile, the crew lashed empty petrol drums to booms for a raft. In coats and trousers, pulled on over their night attire, Mrs Jeffery and her daughter were helped into the dinghy, where they were joined by Captain Jeffery after arrangements had been made for the crew to bring the raft up behind the dinghy and be towed. In the darkness, however, the two parties dia not find each other, and at dawn it was discovered that the men on the raft had returned to the yacht to make their craft stronger and to get a few more provisions and two mattresses, which they lashed to the booms to make their raft more buoyant. They then set out for the nearest island, which looked to be about 30 miles away _to the southwest. There was a piece of canvas in the dinghy, and Captain Jeffery held this up to catch any stray puffs of wind. On the raft the two other men paddled as hard as they could, tucking their legs under them every now and then when a shark came prowling about. Friendly Natives They landed on the island at about 6.30 in the morning. D. Ashton, of Whangarei, and W. Compton, of Auckland, went in search of duck or pigeons. They returned with the information that they had found a village and that the natives were friendly. The whole party then walked inland and was made Immediately welcome by the villagers, being given a hut which is kept for the use of visiting Government officials. The village they found to be at the east point on the island of Sudest, or Tagula, in Papua. On the third day a native came to the village and offered to take somebody to Griffin Point, where there was a store and a white man. Next day, therefore, three members of the crew set off. At one point they waited while the native went to get drinking nuts and because of this delay they missed catching up with a 32ft ketch which they suddenly saw moving out of the bay. They caught up with it at Griffin Point, however, and found that it belonged to two young Australians, Mr and Mrs Moffatt, who had spent the last four years trading along the coast These two people immediately placed their yacht at the disposal of the shipwrecked party. Captain and Mrs Jeffery and Helene were then embarked and the yacht sailed off to examine the Land’s End, which was found to have survived the pounding. After rescuing some more things they went on to Panawena, about 100 miles away, where Mr Moffatt had a friend, Mr George Burfitt.

When Mrs Jeffery wrote her letter the party was safely installed at Panawena and Mr Burfitt had placed a gang of 30 natives and two of his boats at Captain Jeffery’s disposal for the refloating of the Land’s End. Mrs Jeffery and Helene went on to the nearest civilised township, Dwagaoio, on Misima Island, while Captain Jeffery, Burfitt and the others set off for the wreck of the Land’s End.