News of Cruising Yachts

Stortebecker 111, English doctor John Franklin-Evans’ 33-ft. yawl, would be offered for sale in Hono lulu, according to Aucklander Ronald Lamb, who recently arrived back in that port from French Oceania. (Next page)

Lamb joined the yacht before she sailed from Auckland August 30 (PIM, October, p. 115). No fixed ports of call were planned, the idea being to eventually reach Honolulu and possibly San Francisco. The first port of call was Rapa, where permission was obtained to remain 10 days to carry out minor repairs.

There they were treated most hospit ably by Roland d’Assignies, only European on that island, and by the Tahitian medical officer. They climbed around the jagged ridges

of Rapa’s spectacular peaks in their spare time and thoroughly enjoyed the break there after several weeks at sea. Then on to Ravavae, where an even more enjoyable three days were spent, the people showing them the greatest hospitality. Thence to Tahiti, Titiaroa, Fakarava and Takaroa. At Takaroa there was great MOP shell diving activity, and a most interesting time was had at this Tuamotu atoll.

Lamb left the y«,cht there, re turning to Papeete by trading

vessel Wahine Tahiti in time t catch a vessel back to New Zealam Stortebecker 111 was to continue 01 via other islands, to Honolulu, fror where, if the yacht could be sol( Dr. Franklin-Evans and Norwegia Frank Jensen would return t Europe by orthodox means. * * * Kimbala, English 40-ft. ketcl changed hands in January. She ha been sitting in a cradle at Aucklan since her owner Captain J. Me Kenzie Arnot went north som months ago to take over the com mand of MH’s MV Altair. at Suv £ It is understood that after a con siderable overhaul her new Auck land owner may cruise to the Islands next season.

Sin Miedo, a stout ketch of 40-od' feet, arrived in Papeete from Hono lulu on December 31. Her America: owner, Paul L. Mitchell, is accom panied by his wife and child am a crew member, Emile Felios.

From Tahiti the owner plans ti head for the Cook Islands. * * * Last October (p. 115), we men tioned Wanderer 111, successor t Wanderer 11, which noted Englisi yachtsman and yachting writer Eri Hiscock had built after disposing o Wanderer 11. For some time pas the latter yacht has been lyinj in Papeete. We now learn tha Wanderer 111, with Eric Hiscock am his wife, Susan, left Barbados am was expected at Panama at thl beginning of January. Mr. Franl

yre, of Melbourne, in correspond nce with Hiscock, tells us that Vanderer 111 will sail direct for 'ahiti, thence Cook Islands, Tonga, amoa and Sydney in the course of round-the-world voyage.

Writing in “Yachting Monthly,” [iscock indicates that he is not ompletely satisfied with some of le features of the new craft. The [g may later be changed from sloop ) cutter.

Built to the designs of Laurent riles, the yacht is 30’ 3” x 26’ 4” x ’ 5” x 5’ and has a built-in dark )om for photography. The craft, y one of England’s most dis nguished designers and in the ands of a foremost English y adits lan, is bound to create consider ble interest along the route.

While Wanderer II rests her wings >r a while in Papeete, awaiting the id of the Cook Islands hurricane >ason before pressing westward, le of her joint owners, Bill Howell, as been off on a side-jaunt to bnolulu in Messrs. Rusden and aker’s Fairmile Philante 11. While rank McNulty was left holding the >rt it was reported that during eavy weather in Christmas week i Papeete, Wanderer II took loard a good deal of water and iffered damage to ship-stores. In ‘moving these ashore to clean out le ship, McNulty unthinkingly mtravened Customs regulations id was reported to be in trouble itil the matter was straightened it. * * * Philante 11, (November, p. 123) as reported as still likely to be xmired from her present owners, essrs. Rusden and Baker, of New >aland, by the Government of :ench Oceania. Negotiations be g delayed pending the election of new Assembly, the Fairmile made survey run to Honolulu and re rn in connection with a planned issenger service which her owners tend to establish with a larger issel this year. Northbound, while Christmas Island, skipner Rusden ceived a request from Fanning to tnvey a sick woman and her three lildren to Honolulu. Returning in ecember, the launch landed a ;banese named Nicholas on Pal yra Island as companion for Mr. illard-Leo, owner and only other esent resident of the war-time r-base. Several days were also tent at Penrhyn, N. Cooks, before riving back at Papeete, December In addition to skipper Rusden id Bill Howell, the company cou nted of American Reg. Chambers, ate, Herb Case of Honolulu, Peter arokmorton, Emile Sorensen, Gus ve and Hiro Levy—the latter three Tahiti—and Mrs. Leonie Hay, a ew Zealand recently resident in awaii. Mrs. Hayes continued on to ickland by air, declaring the un thodox method of travel a great [venture. If the sale of Philante is further delayed it was reported

as likely that she would make a number of runs from Pagopago to Honolulu under contract to deliver several hundred emigrants from American Samoa. =l= * * White Heron, luxurious motor cruiser belonging to Richard J.

Reynolds, American tobacco mag nate, after several months in French Oceania waters, departed from Papeete for the Caribbean on De cember 28 —on the deck of the MM liner Caledonien —in care of skipper Peter Barber and crewman Jack Cash. Mr. I. E. Walker, of Papeete, built a special cradle for the craft.

Mr. and Mrs. Reynolds flew back to the States. It is understood that they have a new yacht building in

England which will appear in the Pacific in due course.

There’s further news of Captain George Dibbern and Te Rapunga.

The skipper wrote interestingly from his island farm —Woody Island —near Hobart, in December to say that coconut radio reports of his impending return to the sea are correct.

“From January on my island here will be leased and I am free to sail.

I first intend to finish a book and then—it will not be before May— start for Auckland and the Islands.

That is, God and . . . war (?) per mitting. Crew will be Eileen Morris and our daughter, Michele Lalani, aged SJ, and perhaps one or two

more friends as they finally com along Am just getting the old boa into shape again. Details will fol low later.” . Dibbern, originally from Germans 15 well known in the eastern Pacifi with his yacht. Several years ag< he won a half share (£5,000) in i Tattersalls sweep. * * * Lahara, Des. Ashton’s 33-footer made a return run from Sydney where Mr. Ashton is a student ai the Mosman School of Pacific Ad ministration, to Auckland in De cember-January. Bad weather wai encountered in the eastbound pas sage, the yacht arriving in Auck land on Christmas day. Mr. Ashtor spent some time with relatives ir Whangarei, his original home town He was accompanied by Messrs. K Shepherd, of Sydney, and C. Hooper of Whakatane, NZ. Mr. Shepherc flew back and his place was taker by another Whakatane man, Allan Thompson, for the returr passage, which commenced January 15. Mr. Ashton said that it is pos sible that he may dispose of the year-old sloop before returning to NG in a year’s time on completion of his course in Sydney. Though registered with the Port Moresby Aquatic Club the yacht has not yet seen that port. She was built in Tasmania. * * He Scaldis, another one of those ex cellent steel Dutch yachts, should be seen in the eastern Pacific this winter. The 15-ton, 33-foot sloop cleared Yarmouth, England, on the run south towards Panama last October. Owned by Dutchman Cor van der Torre, 25, his 20-year old wife, Greta, 3-months-old son, Corry, Brother William, and an un named 31-year-old engineer and his wife, the yacht seemed well for the cruise to the antipodes where they evidently plan to settle.- Scaldis carries 350 gallons of fresh! water for washing purposes in the double bottom, as well as 120 gallons of fresh water and 120 gallons of fuel oil in other tanks.

She has a semi-diesel auxilliary.

An English yacht, Maid of Alphin, left Torquay, also in October, on a two-year world cruise. Built at a cost of £12,000, the yacht is owned by a retired Gold Coast man, Mr.

W. A. Ellis. With him as navigator is an American, Janus L. Cox complete with a collection of 400 charts. This yacht should appear in the eastern Pacific soon.

Latest news of Tropic Seas, Caldwell’s yacht at present in Papeete, is that he plans to arrive in Auckland about November of this year. The yacht will soon leave to visit other Groups en route. It is interesting to note that the owner of Calypso, also currently at Papeete, sold Caldwell his previous yacht Pagan, in which he made the voyage described in his book, Desperate Voyage, Fiji yachtsmen will remember

ally Walton, keen RNZAF yacht g man of several years ago. Off i a summer cruise to Norfolk land in his little 22-foot Susan he rived at the island 11 days out Whangaroa on January 7. Some ncern was being felt at Norfolk le to the rather slow passage. isan lost her mast-head in a uall. On arrival at Kingston she as lifted out of the water by ane and sat on dry land until her parture. She arrived back in ickland on January 26. * * ♦ A yacht that seems to have nished from all ken is the 86-foot tch Argosy, which left New York »t May 29 to follow in the wake Charles Darwin and HMS Beagle.

A.rgosy is on some kind of an ex dition. She is under the com tnd of American Capt. E. Davies t the expedition party is under 3 control of Captain G. B. sborne, a Scot. 1 rgosy was to pass through nama, then call at Galapagos, ster, Pitcairn and the Cooks. She s scheduled to be in New Zea id waters by last December but ce her departure from New York reports have been seen of her ivements. * * * 7arua, owned and skippered by 11 known William A. Robinson )eep Water and Shoal”) arrived ;k in Papeete from Panama last jtember, according to news just

eiyed.

rhis American yachtsman, now niciled in Tahiti, left there in luary, 1952, on a trip to the ites. The return run from aama was made via the Gala gos and Mangareva.

'riends at Mangareva, incident r, were pleased to partake of 3h potatoes grown at Galapagos n the equator but cooled by the mbolt current. * * * nspire, Brixham trawler, which ; been trading in the Cook aids for some months, but which ping in Papeete during the hurri es season, is being offered for ; there at a reported 1.4 million ;ific francs (£ Stg. 7,800). It is ught unlikely however, that Syd owner Mr. Williams will obtain price with copra currently de ling in value. The yacht was verted to a trading vessel in iney a year ago at a cost of 00. nglishman Tom Hepworth’s hur Rogers, at present in the te port, is also reported for sale 2 million Jrancs (see earlier -es). ionsieur and Madame Van den ek d’Obrennan of Papeete sailed a visit to France in January in new Messageries Maritimes r Caledonien. Monsieur Van Broek d’Obrennan is the enthu tic chief of Tahiti’s Syndicat itiative.