YACHT WRECKED

Timaru Herald, Volume CLVIII, Issue 23321, 3 October 1945, Page 4

YACHT WRECKED

Two Members Of Crew Drowned Tragedy Off Cape Palliser Survivor’s Story (N.Z.P.A.) WELLINGTON, Oct. 2. Only 40 hours out from Wellington Heads on a proposed voyage to Tahiti, the 39-foot yacht Siren met disaster off Cane Palliser in the early hours of this morning. Her headsails having been blown out by a particular!'’ strong head wind and her propeller fouled by wreckage. the Siren drifted through the dark hours of last night at the mercy of the heavy seas. At 5 a.m., after the wind had veered to the south, the yacht was driven toward the rocks. As she was about to hit a rnck the crew dived overboard. Only one. Jack Hale, succeeded in reaching the shore about a mile away. The body of the skipper, Fred Haywood, was washed up on the beach about a quarter of a mile south-east of Cape Palliser Lighthouse, but no trace has yet been found of the third member of the crew, L. F. (Fritz) Zimmerman. The Siren first attempted to clear Port Nicholson last Wednesday, but heavy seas, a torn sail and a defective motor compelled the crew to return to Wellington. Jack Haywood, brother of the skipper, was aboard the Siren on that occasion, but this week he was delayed in Wellington and intended to join the yacht when she called at Auckland. Tragedy Described According to Jack Hale, steady progress was made on aunday tul the yacht rounded Cape Palliser. Once into the open sea a strong northerly gale was encountered, ana it was decided to stand about tor Wellington where the crew intended to shelter tm more favourable weather prevailed. Heavy seas swept the decics while me tiiren was passing Palliser Bay on the return journey yesterday, ana early in the afternoon a particularly strong gust blew out the headsail sheets and the halyard, which trailed overboard. | The seas running were too high to enable the crew to effect any repair work. The trailing sheets and the remains of the halyard caught round the propeller, thus rendering it useless. The crew's only means of salvation, the remaining sails, were insufficient to drive the Siren through the windswept seas, and a sea anchor was the sole means by which they could keep her bowsprit headed into the wind. The yacht could do little but drift, and with a change in the wind about 2 o’clock this morning she was blown on to the rocks about a mile southwest of the Cape Palliser Lighthouse. Crew Go Overboard Hale told the people at whose house he sheltered after his ordeal that the Siren did not strike the rocks till a considerable time after the crew abandoned her. When it was seen that she was going to pile up the crew hastily prepared for the water, and when they were about a mile from the shore abandoned the yacht as she approached a large jagged rock. The current swung the bows away from the rock and when the floundering men saw the boat had slid past the rock they struggled to reboard her. Hale alone succeeded in doing so. and in the inky blackness tried to throw lines to his companions. The turbulent seas swept them away out of sight, and that was the last time he saw them alive. For a short perioa the Siren drifted further toward the shore and foundered near Blacir Rock Hale was swept overboard, and after being continually buffeted in a strenuous swim managed to reach the shore. A landing shed afforded shelter and he lay there exhausted till about 9 o’clock when he made his way to the house of the Cape Palliser lighthouse keeper. One Body Washed Up Later in the morning the body ol Fred Haywood was found washed up on the beach near the lighthouse. Two pillows strapped around his body had kept Haywood afloat, but it was doubtful whether he was alive for long in the water. During the day wreckage from the yacht continually drifted into Palliser Bay beach, but at 11 o’clock to-night no sign had been found of the 1,1 member of the crew. Lifebelts which Hale ’ said Haywood and Zimmerman had been wearing were among the washed up wreckage. The Wellington Harbour Board’s tug Toia made a fruitless search of the coast near Cane Palliser this afternoon.