Nightmare Voyage in

Small Yacht Left Tahiti For Panama —Ended in Samoa

Prom Our Own Correspondent

Apia, Feb. 8.

Extraordinary bad luck dogged the voyage of the small British motor-yacht, “Satanella”, 45 tons, owned and sailed by Lieut.-Commander E. M.

McCausland, R.N. (Rtd.), which left Papeete, Tahiti, on November 6, 1939, and headed for Panama, on her return to England.

About 800 miles east of Tahiti, the engine broke down. Over-heating of the engine caused the chronometers to stop, making proper navigation merely guess work. With sails hoisted, the “Satan ella” was set tacking against the ruling south-easterly trade winds —without suc cess. An attempt to land on a small atoll in the Tuamotus failed, as also did the attempt to turn back to Tahiti.

Meantime, food supplies had dwindled and a leak developed in the water-tank —3OO gallons were lost before the dam age was discovered.

Realising that the “Satanella” had drifted far westward of Tahiti, it was resolved to try to make the nearest land, under full sail—any land at all, but preferably Western Samoa. The crew became weakened from lack of water and food, but providentially the “Satanella” ran into a heavy squall, which yielded a hundred gallons of rain water, A sudden drop of the barometer and huge swells caused -mew fears of an approaching hurricane, but it proved a false alarm.

After 70 days out of Tahiti, and a voyage of over 3000 miles by the log, the first land was sighted—Manua Island (American Samoa). Being now close to Apia, Commander McCausland decided to make that port. When at last Upolu came in sight, the “Satan ella” was becalmed for 24 hours. It was the 74th day after leaving Tahiti when the Apia harbour launch “Pilot” went alongside and towed the yacht to her anchorage.

Apart from the owner, there were on board three Americans, Messrs. T. H.

Worthing, A. H. Ezell (a journalist who joined the yacht in the Marquesas), and J. D. Kaufmann (a former pilot at Bal boa, Panama); an English boy, C. M.

Paul (who had been aboard since the vessel left England in September, 1938), and Mr. and Mrs, P. C. Browning (who joined the yacht in Tahiti, after selling their own boat, which they sailed out from England).

Negotiations are proceeding now to keep the “Satanella” in Samoan waters to carry on the service of the inter island vessel “Tutuila”, which recently was wrecked on the coast of American Samoa.

Nurse McMillan, of the London Mis sionary Society’s hospital at Metoreia, Papua, arrived in Sydney in February on four months’ leave. She intends to visit New Zealand.

Captain Lotte, of Noumea, has re turned to France after six years’ service in New Caledonia as head of the De partment of Native Affairs and Immi gration.