YACHT OVERDUE

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 688, 13 June 1929, Page 1

YACHT OVERDUE

NO NEWS OF VALKYRIE, BOUND FOR SUVA ORGANISER NOT ALARMED Where is the 44-ton yacht Valkyrie, which left New Zealand three weeks ago on a six months’ voyage in the South Seas? She left New Zealand with Suva as her direct objective, 1,100 miles away, and has not been heard of since. When the Tofua left Suva her skipper was asked to keep a watch for the yacht, but, although the weather was fair, the smaller vessel was not sighted. Has she been blown out of her course? With ordinary conditions, she should have reached Suva in a week. She has now been 24 days out. When the Tofua left Suva she was 17 days ouf. Although the Valkyrie is overdue, no great anxiety is felt by those in Auckland connected with her for, with a sailing vessel, time is no object. So much depends upon the elements that no trip can be made to schedule. “We are not worrying about the vessel until she is six weeks overdue,” said Mr. C. B. Madden, who was responsible for the Auckland organisation of the cruise. She is amply provisioned, having enough food and supplies to last for a couple of months.

“In addition to a five-valve wireless receiving set, she carries the apparatus for the construction of a transmitting set with a range of 100 miles.” NOT THE KERMADECS It has been suggested that the Valkyrie may have put in at the Kermadec Islands, but Mr. Madden is not of this opinion, as it was necessary for Captain Ernest Gilling, master of the yacht, to sail straight to Fiji to pick up three passengers there. Even had he been blown out of his course, he would not have put in at any islands but would have kept straight on. The Valkyrie left from Russell, where she took in water, and she may have been delayed in the first lap of her journey by bad weather off the *coast, for at the time of her departure Auckland was getting the tail-end of a north-easterly storm. Two vessels were hove-to about 100 miles off the coast, and vessels were delayed in making port. It is thought that from the start the Valkyrie may have been blown ofi her course. The crew of the vessel is as follows: Captain Gilling, owner and master; Captain Townsend, aged 75 years, mate; J. Martin, and a boy of 15. The passengers are Mr. C. Paget, of Epsom, owner of the Auckland yacht Maru; Mr. F. Lowe, Devon port; Miss D. Wilson, Auckland: Mrs. ScottShaw and Miss Scott-Shaw, of Manurewa. At Suva an American journalist, who will describe the adventures of the vessel, will be taken aboard, in addition to two other passengers.

Mrs. Scott-Shaw and Miss ScottShaw may be rather unfortunate in the delai’, as they are cruising with the party for two months only. They may not be able to get back to Auckland ior much longer than that. The rest of the passengers will be aboard for the whole cruise. The Valkyrie is registered with the Marine Department, which entitles her to the same assistance in the event of trouble as any merchant or passenger vessel. She may call upon any ship to give her help. She carries two lifeboats, each 12ft long, and also is equipped with an auxiliary engine, which is capable of driving her along in calm weather at the rate of five knots. She has 150 gallons of kerosene aboard, which should last 300 hours.