Dr. Davis Exchanges
p. 62 · Read in the full issue
Scalpel For Sextant
DR. T. R. A. Davis, young and extremely popular Chief Medi cal Officer for the NZ Health De partment in the Cook Islands, arrived in New Zealand in March to prepare the sturdy 48-foot ketch Soubretta for a voyage to Boston, USA, where he has been awarded a twelve months scholarship at Harvard!
University, commencing September,
1952.
Dr. Davis, together with his wife and two young sons, a Cook Islander as additional crew, and possibly also an American, Mr. McKall, who has been living in Rarotonga for some time, plan to sail from Lyttelton late in April.
It is understood that a call may be made at Easter Island on the long run across to Peru. It is planned toe sail up the South American coast, through Panama and via the Cari bbean to New York, thence via in land waterways to Boston further north.
Dr. Tom Davis has always beem interested in small-craft, is am amateur designer of yachts, and, when time permits, is a keen member of the Rarotonga Outrigger Canoe: Club. He has studied navigation asi a hobby and is also a licensed radio* amateur.
He is a descendant of Captaini Harries, famous as a schooner skipper in the Eastern Pacific 40 years ago..
His wife, Lydia, is a New Zealand! girl. Her amusing writings on sail ing in the Islands have appeared inj American and Australian magazines,, together with some more serious sur veys of Cook Islands affairs.
The yacht Soubrette, formerly owned by Mr. Don Reader, is already well known in the Cooks, where she ■ traded for a time in 1949-50. Mr.
Reader was formerly meteorologist; at Aitutaki Is., and had planned to < abandon the Weather Office in favour of trading. His father took : the vessel up from New Zealand on j an experimental basis. But the idea . was abandoned and the yacht, return ing to New Zealand, has been laid . up. She was purchased by Davis . last year.
The yacht will, of course, be fitted with radio, and it is expected that : regular contact will be maintained 1 with radio “hams” in Rarotonga and others along the route. Cook Islanders will certainly follow the voyage with considerable interest.