YACHT ARRIVES AT WELLINGTON

Southland Times, Issue 23682, 3 December 1938, Page 4

YACHT ARRIVES AT WELLINGTON

ROVER’S EVENTFUL TRIP FROM AUCKLAND (United Press Association) WELLINGTON, December 2. The yacht Rover which left Auckland on November 23 arrived at Wellington this morning. The Rover was becalmed on several occasions, once for the better part of two days and she struck really rough weather only a few miles off Wellington heads. The best day’s run was 150 miles—the stretch from Gisborne to Cape Turnagain—but there the wind failed. The crew had made a spinnaker boom out of oars and a plank and while improvising this, a member of the crew fell overboard off Cape Tumagain. They always had plenty of fish, only having to put a line over the side when they wanted them. On one occasion they caught an albicore, a rather rare fish with unusual side fins.

While fishing off the Palliser Light they signalled the keeper and asked him to report them, but they were still there the next morning. A shark robbed them of some fish at this point when they had two kahawai and two barracoutta hanging over the side. The Rover drifted till a light southeasterly wind sprang up off Turakirae. They struck a bad tide rip and the wind increased so that they had to shorten sail till they were under the foresail alone. One big sea broke over the yacht and there was six inches of water in the cabin and crockery was broken. Wellington harbour was beaten into under engine and sail. At no time did the craft give the crew the slightest anxiety.