BLOWN OUT TO SEA.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 11686, 1 May 1916, Page 5

BLOWN OUT TO SEA.

ARM MISSING. EXCITING EXPERIENCES. As a result of yesterday's sou'-west storm thi' motor-boat Ariki, of New Brighton, while endeavouring to make Sumner from Lyttelton, was blown to sea, and is still missing-. About 10 a.m. yesterday the auxiliary yawl Sea Bird, equipped with a crew consisting of Messrs S. Bargrove. Manrice Fougere and Cecil Shields, left Lyttelton with the intention of going to Sumner. AV.ben they got to the Heads the weather had become very bad. with a heavy sea. They took shelter under the lee of Godley Head, and while thero were overtaken by\Mr Charles Wondt. in the Ariki. They called out. to him, and found that ho was on the same mission as themselves. The parties decided to go together, but the Ariki, having a faster engine, soon, forged ahead. Suddenly, however, the boat- was overtaken by engine troubles, and when the Sea Bird came up Wendt had an anchor out. Subsequently he caught up again and went on, but again had engine trouble, and was passed by the Sea Bird a second lime, the Sea Bird going on to reconnoitre the bar. When off Sumner the crew found that a crossing was impossible, and they turned back and ran for shelter. On Hearing Godlev Head again they found that the. Ariki was about two miles to leeward and drifting out to soa. Then the engine of the Sea, Bird gave out, owing to" the rolling of the boat displacing the water cooling the engine, and the crew hoisted the mizzen and 31b sails, but tho gale was so strong that it immediately blew the mizzen out of its rovings. This was at about 3 p.m. An anchor failed to hold, so they sank the dinghy and used it as a sea anchor, hut the sralp was so bad that it had no effect. They nulled the dinghy in and hoisted her' aboard and lay to in tho trough all night. When daylight failed the weather was moderating, and during the night the wind fell, though a heavy sea continued to run. At 7 a.m. they hoisted sail and made back to Lyttelton, arriving under the power of the engine, which they got going during the morning. The' engine was repaired at the third time of taking down with six tH'icknesses of newspaper used as a gasket for one of the cylinder heads. Port was made about 1 p.m. The men were wet through, but otherwise little the worse. , Thev were much concerned for the fate of Wendt. in the Ariki. and do not think that he is provisioned for more than a few hours, and they reckon that at the r.-ne they went out. and the fact that he k in an open boat with 110 sails, and the engine out of order, he must be at least: about fifty miles out._ The matter was reported to Captain J. H. MareieJ, Superintendent of Marine, and he informed -Mr Cyrus Williams, secretary of the Harbour Board, who has commissioned the tug Lyttelton. which loft at 3.15 p.m. to search for tho Ariki.

At. 2.30 p.m. the signal station reported a small boat with a mast about ten mi!es to the north-west, but inquiries show that the Ariki has no mast. . The Lyttelton police were informed by the crew of the Sea Bird that they last saw Weirda ofT the Sumner bar at -1.30 p.m. yesterday, standing up in the Ariki and waving his arms as if in difficulties. h i? understood thai the Ariki is owned by Mr J. Deveroux. of New Brighton.

The Ariki is simply n motor-boat, and is 20/t long. She was in a much more precarious condition than the Sen Bird, a:5 she is not an auxiliary boat, being merely a small open craft.

Mr C H. Gilby has undergone an operation in the Lowishnm Hospital, Boaley Avenue, and is making satisfactory progress towards recovery.