On Leisurely Cruise To
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U.S.A.
Te Rapunga Arrives at Cook Is. from New Zealand
From Our Own Correspondent
Rarotonga, Nov. 3.
ON October 1 the 10 tons ketch Te Rapunga arrived here after a 21 days’ voyage from New Zealand. On board were Captain George Dibbern (owner), Mr. Roy Murdock (navigator), Mr. Maurice Black, M.A., and Miss Eileen Morris, of Napier.
The Te Rapunga (length 32 ft., beam 11 ft., draught sft.) was built about 10 years ago at Kiel, Germany, and made the voyage out to N.Z. via the Panama Canal, her crew then consisting of Capt. Dibbern, his nephew Gunter Schramm, and the Baroness Von Fritch. On the journey from Panama to ’Frisco she set what must be almost a time record for small yachts, taking 101 days between ports.
Leaving Hauraki Gulf for the Pacific on September 11, the Te Rapunga encountered a succession of gales and calms, and during the former was hove to three times. The record run for the trip to the Cook Islands was 204 miles logged in one day.
Arriving at the Avarua anchorage some amusement was caused when the yacht fouled her anchor in the coral, and the doctor and customs officer having just boarded, were immediately conscripted to haul in the cable!
Captain Dibbern is renewing old memories and friendships in Rarotonga, and finds the island much changed since his last visit in 1913. It is his present intention to cruise slowly through the Society and Paumotu Groups, thence to Honolulu and San Francisco. At the rate which they are now proceeding—the Te Rapunga having already stayed here over a month —the trip promises to be a long one.