THE NORTHERN LIGHT

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 74, Issue 191, 14 August 1931, Page 8

THE NORTHERN LIGHT

A PRIVATE YACHT. ARRIVAL FROM BRISBANE. An interesting arrival at Wellington on Tuesday morning was the private yacht Northern Light which passed through the Heads about 10 o’clock from Brisbane direct. After being pass ed by the Customs and Health authorities the vessel berthed shortly before 2 p.m. at the Clyde Quay Wharf. The Northern Light is owned by Joyce Bordern Balokovic, wife of Zlatko Balokovic, the Croatian violinist, and they are on a cruise round the world. Mrs. Balokovic (formerly Miss Joyce Bordern) was a wealthy Chicago society girl, and the yacht which she commands

was built by her brother. The master of the vessel is Captain Paul, late of Sir Thomas Lipton’s Shamrock, and there arc also on board two mates, three engineers, six able seamen, a steward, a cook, and a galley boy. The Northern Light is a vessel of 250 tons gross and 140 ft in length. She has a 6000 ft spread of canvas and is fitted with two Fairbanks-Morse Diesel engines as auxiliaries. Originally design cd for Arctic exploration, the yacht has a hull 22in thick. She was built at Oakland, California, in 1927, and was sailed 11,000 miles to Wrangel Island by Commander John Bordern, brother of Aladame Balokovic. She carries an entirely British crew of fifteen, the surgeon (Dr. It. L. M'Colloni) being the only American on board apart from Aladame Balokovic. Luxurious fittings are a feature of the yacht. There is a bathroom for each cabin, with hot and cold water, and the iounge and saloon are of the type usually associated with large ocean liners. Across the Tasman. When the yacht drew alongside the Clyde Quay Wharf there was quite a large crowd of interested spectators waiting for a glimpse of the voyagers. Despite the fresh northerly breeze sweeping across the harbour the mooring lines were soon fixed, and Captain A. V. Hale-Alonro, of the Wellington Harbour Board, stepped on board, followed by Air. W. Duncan, representing the Wellington Yachting Association. The advantage, of having two naviga tors on a vessel was immediately apparent to The Post reporter who sought an account of the happenings en voyage. While Captain Paul was seeing to berthing operations Madame Balokovic, who has been closely connected with yachts since her childhood days, when her family spent the summer months on the coast of Alaine, was free to tell of the south-easterly winds early in the trip, which later gave way to northeasterlies. The seas were very moderate, she said, and in fact the voyage was made in almost disappointingly calm weather. Though the sails were hoisted, the auxiliary motors had to be used practically all the way over. The most exciting incident on the trip happened about five days ago when the vessel was drenched in an exception ally heavy rainstorm which, at one stage threatened to flood the occupants out of their cabins. An Extensive Tour. The Northern Light left Brisbane on 2nd August, having visited there after leaving Sydney. The tour commenced from San Francisco on 2nd April last, and since then the Pacific Ocean has been well covered, and numerous ports ou the Australia:? coast have been visited. A trip will be made round the coast of the Dominion before returning, possibly via Fovcaux Strait, to Sydney. Aladame Balokovic said that the yacht was lying idle for about three years after her brother returned from his trip to the Arctic, and she then purchased it off him. “We have had exceptionally fine weather all the way,’ she concluded, “ and the Northern Light has behaved like a perfect lady in any seas she has met.”