EXCITING TRIP

Southland Times, Issue 22768, 19 December 1935, Page 6

EXCITING TRIP

AUXILIARY KETCH. VOYAGE FROM PAGO PAGO. (Per United Press Association.) Auckland, December 18. Under jury rig with about 15 feet of the mainmast broken off and lashed to the deck, the 32 foot auxiliary ketch Idle Hour arrived at Auckland from Pago Pago to-day on a cruise around the world. The young American University student who owns and navigates the craft described this last passage as the most eventful he has experienced since sailing from Seattle. The ketch presented a truly battered appearance. Her skipper, Dwight Long, was in the best of spirits in spite of his misfortune, while the Tahitan boy, Timi, who comprises the entire crew, was overawed at seeing so many ships. It was his first glimpse of civilization. Leaving Pago Pago on November 23, the Idle Hour has been almost 25 days limping under a heavily reefed mizzen and jury mainsail. For two weeks terrific squalls and heavy seas were encountered, while to add to the difficulties the yacht’s wireless refused to function and Long had to rely upon a most erratic chronometer to plot his position while sailing through treacherous groups of coral islands. Frequent fierce squalls were met soon after leaving Pago Pago. During one particularly bad squall, the mainmast snapped off with a loud report and all the rigging crashed down on the deck, narrowly missing knocking Timi overboard. With no canvas set the yacht wallowed helplessly in .he sea. Waves broke over her deck and torrental rain fell. “With Auckland some 1300 miles distant and a broken mainmast, prospects were anything but bright,” said Long. “In addition we were in the middle of a hurricane zone.” With a little sail rhe ketch was soon put under way and immediate danger was averted. The voyage to Auckland was continued without further mishap.