EVENTFUL VOYAGE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27276, 30 December 1949, Page 4

EVENTFUL VOYAGE

AUCKLAND TO PELORUS SOUND BY KETCH HIGH WINDS ENCOUNTERED PA BLENHEIM, Dec. 29. A voyage from Auckland to Pelorous Sound, via Cook Strait, has proved an ordeal during the past five days for Mr D. M. Reader, of Havelock, and two Cook Island friends, David Sadaraka and John Taiano on board the 45-foot ketch Soubrette. The ketch was recently purchased by Mr Reader in Auckland, and the party left there on Tuesday, December 20. A good trip was made to Cape Palliser, which was reached last Saturday morning, but from there to the South Island coast the voyage has been full of incident. Halfway across the strait the ketch ran into gale force winds, and the crew took in all canvas except the mainsail. Cape Campbell was made in eight hours, and an effort was then made to beat up. to Port Underwood in the teeth of h northerly. This proved impossible, and the ketch arrived back at Cape Palliser late on Saturday night. Sunday was spent sheltering behind .the Cape, but on Monday another attempt was made to cross the strait. Once again a gale force wind was met and the ketch was hove to. It drifted down the Kaikoura coast.

On Tuesday it was possible to beat back to Cape Campbell, and a course Was then set for Cape Terawhiti, from where, with a light southerly blowing, it was thought possible to get round to Pelorous. The wind changed to the north-west, however, and the ketch put into Port Underwood, where last evening the men had their first hot meal for several days. Today the vessel was being towed to Picton, where it will go on the slipway for repairs.