SEA ADVENTURE.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20365, 24 July 1934, Page 8

SEA ADVENTURE.

Riding the Storms Aloft on Barque. THRILLING experience. (Special to the •• Star.”) AUCKLAND, July 21. Midnight of a storm-dark night, a lac working in the rigging, one hundred and ninety feet above a ship that writhed and drove in the grip of half a hurricane, decks that in the enveloping darkness and the confusion were scarcely to be told from the seas that crashed all round, rigging that raved and wailed and canvas that crackled and bellied and struggled to l>e free, figures that breathed and cursed and strove with numb fingers to curb that struggle —truly here was a baptism “of fire” for a young New Zealander who, just for experience, with 2d in his pocket, sailed from Auckland to Australia before the mast with the four-masted barque Passat when last she was here. He has j returned from Australia, where he left the vessel, after a variety of experiences, including almost death from snake bite. It was only after much pleading that T. G. *Lake, of Auckland, persuaded the captain to allow him to make the trip; but where there’s a will there’s a way, and one long-awaited night lie lay in a real ship’s bunk, hoping for, and at the same time dreading, the dawn that meant parting from security, home and friends. “I could not sleep,” lie said. “Memories of all the books about sailing ships I had ever read flitted through my mind —stories about ‘hell ships,’ about seas as high as mountains, about storms and wrecks and a hundred and one such other,” —for the would-be sailor is only 21, and youth is ever romantic—“and I wondered if I had made a mistake.” When he awoke, it was to hear the clanking of chains, the shouting of men and the sound of running feet. The Passat was getting under way. He reached the deck. He looked up, and there high above were some of the crew letting lines go. and preparing the yards. On deck others were coiling ropes and carrying out the sail to be set when at sea. lie was given a cup ot strong coffee and a ship’s biscuit —his first meal at sea. He was young enough to be thrilled. Then lie was sent below to help coil the huge anchor chain. First Time Aloft. When the Passat was opposite Devonport lie was ordered aloft to help unfurl the gallants; but when hardly up the great mast, lie gazed down and began to feel afraid. Nevertheless he went on and up. “And after that,” he added, “I gradually lost the fear of heights, and of clinging on to a thin rope with next to nothing between me and space. I will never forget the first time 1 saw her under full sail. I had seen pictures of ships like her; but it is one thing to see them and another thing to be aboard and looking up and up, and seeing nothing but sails, and sails, and sails. I never lost a feeling of loneliness at seeing wave after wave of canvas mounting 190 feet up.” For days out they had head winds; but one day even these winds dropped. A flat calm fell; and the crew decided that the time was opportune for deep-sea bathing. “And so we did,” said young Lake, “out there in mid-ocean, and I never thought of sharks or anything else. We were cautioned to keep near the ship’s side, though.” It was about 10 days out that the Passat struck the first storm, he added. All day long the wind had been freshening; and then, just before midnight, when the wind had reached half hurricane force, all hands were called out to shorten sail. It was his first time at night, and he will never forget the sensation. Rigging at Night. As he climbed up, foot after foot higher into the rigging, the blackness appeared to increase, until it. seemed as though he were the only soul in all the ocean. He felt absolutely solitary. Other men were near him, but at first lie was oblivious to them. “It was a queer sensation,” lie said. “Jt was not fear. It was more like awe. It was like floating in mid-air, nothing above, nothing below. “And then I realised that I was there to work. I don’t think I was much good that night, though I did all I could. The trouble was to hang oil. I got to the royals, and the wind was terrific, at least I thought so. I was flattened against tlic curve of a sail once, and thought I was gone. It was some time before I dared to move. 1 was pitehina and tossing all over the place. Sounds were roaring in my ears. The wind through the rigging was unearthly. There is no other word for it. It screamed and wailed and moaned. But there seemed also to be a steady roar, an undercurrent or background of sound. Tlie sails were heaving and bellying, and the rest of the crew were stiuggling with them, and cursing and helping each other, and muttering-—and they seemed quite at home. “I looked down. The deck you could not see. But, far below—it looked miles away—there were dark patches of waves, and broken foam as it dashed against the side of the ship only lo fall away again. When I came down I was bitterly cold, hands and feet numb, and face aching. Second Storm Worse. “But .the second storm was worse That one liad been bad enough. Ever the men said so. VVe were going through Bass Strait the second time when the wind dropped—suddenly and absolutely. Things became very quiet and very still. The sails were loud as they flapped. The air became dark and sultry. Everyone seemed to be waiting for something to happen. The Passat began to lose way; and it was just at that time, of all times, that a peculiar order was given. We were told to ’bout ship and shorten sail. Shorten sail! I could not understand it. We carried out the order, though, and I thought that tlie crew seemed to be working at higher pressure than usual. One man cursed me when I was a bit slow. “But we had not long finished when I understood. There was one puff of hot aii' —and then we were far over on our side, tearing along at a terrific speed. I’ve never seen or heard such wind, and the sea seemed to gather itself into knots and ridges straight away. The wind came in a lime, dark and low-lying. We ran before it, and the seas simply treated our bows as though they were not there. Things were like that for several days. We lost sight of land altogether. It was during that storm that I saw a sail that took 30 men to handle simply burst into shreds. I remember the turmoil and bustle there was getting it temporarily furled. “It blew itself out, though, and we rode it out all right. At last we arrived at Spencers Gulf, and after calling at Port Wallaroo, the vessel ! passed oil to Port Broughton, where she was to load wheat for England.”