"Hoodoo" Voyage

Ends on Reef in Eastern Papua

THE South African ketch-rigged yacht “Lands End” was wrecked on a reef in Eastern Papua, described as 115 miles south-east of Misima, on the night of June 8.

The crew of four men got away on a raft; and Captain H. Jeffrey, with his wife (to whom he was recently married in Auckland) and his step-daughter, got away in the dinghy. The company eventu ally reached the island of Misima. Cap

tain Jeffrey left his people there while he went back to try and refloat the “Lands End”.

The “Lands End” left Durban in Sep tember, 1937; crossed the Atlantic to the West Indies; passed through the Panama Canal and visited Tahiti and Rarotonga, on her way to Auckland; and, between June and September, 1938, she was in Northern New Zealand and Central Pacific Islands ports. The “Lands End” left Auckland in December in resumption of her world voyage.

From the time that tne “Lands End” left Auckland in December, there seemed to be a “hoodoo” upon her.

Soon after leaving Auckland, the petrol stove exploded and the crew fought the fire for 20 minutes before it was put out.

Entering Haapai Harbour, Tonga, the “Lands End” struck a reef in the dark ness and listed alarmingly. Members of the crew dived into the water and eventu ally refloated her.

At Nukualofa (Tonga) the yacht had to shelter from a hurricane for a week under the lee of a small island. Every thing on board was soaked. Another hurri cane struck the “Lands End” at Suva.

On the run to New Caledonia from Suva there were gales all the way. There was six inches of water in the forecastle, and the sails were severely damaged. As the yacht entered Vila (New Hebrides) at night she ran aground, but was re floated on a rising tide.

Prom the New Hebrides the “Lands End” sailed to the Solomon Islands, then ran down toward Papua, where she was wrecked.