Three Years’ Cruise Around the World

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 530, 6 December 1928, Page 13

Three Years’ Cruise Around the World

Sth. African Couple’s Romantic Honeymoon THROUGH THE SOUTH SEAS A romantic honeymoon cruise around the world, in the yacht Sarie Marais, is being undertaken by a South African couple, Mr. and Mrs. Eloff, who sailed from Capetown recently. Their voyage will take them through the South Sea Islands and around the north of Australia. The Sarie Marais is a yawlrigged sailing yacht, with a length of 44 feet, a 12£ foot beam, and a J foot druught, built at the Capetown Docks. She has ’a 15 h.p. auxiliary crude oil engine, but she relies chiefly on wind power. The crew includes “Alex,” the puppy, Captain Dirk Eloff, chief navigating officer; Mrs. Helen Eloff, second officer, looking very smart In her yachting cap and nautical jacket; S. Jacobz, first mate (a nephew of Mr. Eloff) Bosun ‘'Bill” Guther, and Paddy Neville, deck hand. “Alex” was a present from Captain Noerner. of the yacht Alexandra. The first port of call is St. Helena, says the “Cape Times.” From there on the course is not definitely fixed; but they will probably touch at Ascension, Trinidad, and one or two of the West Indian Islands, go through the Panama Canal to the South Sea Islands, and then, passing between Borneo and North Australia, Captain Eloff proposes to work up to India, and through the Suez Canal and the Mediterranean Sea to Western Europe. There they will probably visit Norway and Sweden, and return homo again via the west coast of Africa. Mr. Eloff expects to come back in about two or three years’ time. The Sarie Marais is wonderfully compact in her internal arrangements. There is a cosy little saloon, with two tiny double-berth cabins (so small that you might not notice them) leading off from its for’ard, and a galley and engine-room combined aft; not to mention another two-berth cabin for’ard for the crew. Since she was built, a few months ago, she has made trial trips as far as Saldanha Baj- and Simon's Town; and off Cape Point, she stood the test of a. heavy storm and proved herself a seaworthy craft. She has on board all the charts aud navigation instruments necessary, and Captain Eloff has taken a six months’ course in navigation to prepare himself for the venture. She carries 350 gallons of water and provisions for three mouths. A gramophone and a short-wave wireless set, on which they can get any European station, will help to beguile the crew through the Doldrums. At 3 o’clock, with the sun shining and a fresh breeze blowing off shore, the Sarie Marais took up anchor, and. spreading her white sails to the t\ind, circled round the bay and past the pier. A few minutes later the yacht was speeding before the wind out to the open sea—to romance and adventure and the glamour of the world beyond.