Author-Skipper May Settle Down

Life Of Adventure

Author-Skipper May Settle Down in Cook Is.

Prom Our Own Correspondent.

Rarotonga, Sept. 22.

WHEN the schooner “Tiare Taporo” re turned from her voyage to the Nor thern Cooks, Tahiti and Christmas Is land, she brought an interesting passen ger in Captain Ronald Powell.

Although only in his 30th year Powell has led a life full of adventure afloat and ashore in many lands. Before coming here, he was for some time in the West Indies and Panama Zone, as captain of

an American millionaire’s luxury yacht, the “ Santa Maria”. He intends now to go to Mangaia Island where, he says, he might settle down to a life of peace.

Many of his sailing adventures are set down in his most interesting book “I Sailed in the Morning”. In it the author tells that when he left school he made up his mind to escape at the first oppor tunity from the monotony of existence in a small town, and sail out into the world in, search of excitement and foreign scenes. By the time he had reached 24 he had saved from a modest income something over £lOO. At the point of deciding to buy his own boat, he heard that Mr. Eric Muspratt, an Australian author, planned to cruise in the Mediter ranean in a small, but seaworthy 56 tons schooner, which was laid up in Haifa.

Captain Powell joined the crew as a volunteer, the other hands being Mr. and Mrs. Muspratt, with a Mr. Denne as ama teur skipper. Their varied and amusing experiences have been most entertainingly described by the author. On reaching Malta, he parted brass-rags with his shipmates, and lived for some time on the island. His next job was with an Ameri can owner of a small sailing ship bonne for New York, across the open Atlantic.

Since writing his book, Powell has been in many tight spots and queer comers of the world. He was in Barcelona at the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War, and was nearly shot, when mistaken for a German spy.

Mr, W. J. Errinsrton has joined the ac counts staff of Island Explorations Co. Ltd., at Daru. Western Papua.

Mr. A. Ward, Commonwealth Govern ment geologist, arrived in Sydney from Papua by the “Macdhui” on September 18. He made an extensive; inspection of Papuan Apinaipi Petroleum Co.’s area in the Gulf Division.

Captain Ronald Powell swaps yarns with Cap tain Cambridge, on board the Cook Islands schooner, “Tiare Taporo” in Avatiu Harbour, Rarotonga.