New Mission Ketch For
p. 100 · Read in the full issue
G & E Colony
Early Troubles on Voyage to Home Port
THE delivery voyage of the 80-ft. ketch, Halgard, from Sydney to the Gil bert and Ellice Island Colony (where she will be used by the Sacred Heart Mission) was not without incident in its early stages.
Halgard left Sydney on April 25 but struck engine trouble 350 miles out and returned to port on April 30. The trouble was rectified and the ketch got away again, Noumea-bound, on Mav 3.
Three priests (including Father Klip fel who will take charge of her from Suva to the G & E Colony) and three nuns were passengers. Crew members were Mr. George O’Brien, skinper as far as Suva; D. W. Reed (of the islands firm of William Reed) who sailed as radio operator; Les Williams, as engineer; W.
Ruder, cook; and Martin, a Giltaertese deckhand.
The second trip to Noumea from Sydney has been described as “difficult” —the steering cable broke and a hand tiller had to be used. But Noumea was reached on May 10 where the steering was repaired before the ketch left on the second leg of the journev with Suva the next port of call.
Mr. Ruder, the cook, was sick for most of the voyage to Noumea, the result of a recent smallpox vaccination it is be lieved. He left the ketch in Noumea and flew back to Sydney on May 11.