Whose Yacht

Is It?

Amazing Love and Sea Story From Pago

PACIFIC ISLANDS yachting . story of considerable piquancy has developed recently in [ynesia. There may be some uel of even livelier flavour. But •e is the story, up to date, ,ate in 1952, there arrived in Pago 50, port of American Samoa, the ft, Danish-built, Colin-Archer e ketch Alsirat, carrying Mr. and 5. Kenneth Harmon. They settled m in Pago, and sought unsuc sfully for employment (see Pirn, luary, page 117). n January, there was domestic able on the Alsirat —Mr. Harmon > paying considerable attention ;he wife of another man. When Thorsisle left Pago for USA, ;. Harmon was a passenger—she icated in forceful terms that she ild not be returning. [r. Harmon continued to live on yacht. Late in February, he ounced that he was about to de t for the Amazon, and the rat could be bought for the culously low figure of 10,000 US ars. sale was effected quickly. The Phaser was well-known “King” c Jennings, owner of Swains nd. He re-named the yacht [ins, and said he would use her bringing copra from Swains Is.

Pago, and returning with sup s. He was elated with his buy ; said the stores and surplus • which he had removed from Alsirat were alone worth 4,000 ars.

VRMON was getting his papers in order, ready for departure for USA at the end of February, n the Philante 11, with skipper Dl Rusden, mate Reggie mbers and Emile Sorenson, e into Pago. Then fireworks ,y started. le Philante II men went im iately to the American author - , and demanded the arrest of non, charging him with fraud forgery in connection with the hase of the Alsirat in Panama, nson, who claimed to be the I owner of the boat, said that non was wanted also in Panama “misappropriation of Govern t property.” They told an ex rdinary tale. appears that Mr. and Mrs. nson had taken the yacht out Denmark to Panama. There still a lien or mortgage on the for about $6,000. Then Soren lad to make a trip to Denmark, he left Mrs. Sorenson in charge le boat, at Panama, mehow, Mrs. Sorenson and non became associated; and

those two took the Alsirat from Panama to Punta Arenas, in Costa Rica. There, allegedly by fraud, they had the registered ownership of the yacht changed from the name of Mr. Sorenson to Mrs.

Sorenson. Then they sailed her back to Panama where, as the resuit of further representations alleged to be fraudulent, the

authorities permitted the sale of the Alsirat from Mrs. Sorenson to Harmon.

Then the couple, as Mr. and Mrs.

Harmon, brought the Alsirat, via Panama Canal, and by pleasant Islands stages, to American Samoa.

Meanwhile, Mr. Sorenson returned to Panama, got on the track of the runaway couple and the yacht, and

finally joined the company of th« Fairmile craft Philante 11. when ii was running between Tahiti anc Honolulu, at the end of last year THE Attorney-General in Pago Mr. Gerald Gottlieb, heard th( representations of Mr. Sorenson and took the case under advise ment; but he pointed out that hi could not take further action unti he had examined the evidence That examination might take time Mr. Sorenson had many document —in Danish, Spanish and English the laws of various countries wen involved: and Mr. Harmon insiste( that his purchase of the vessel wai completely legal.

The Philante II people decide< that, while they were waiting, the; would make a business trip to Apia in Western Samoa. They made thi mistake of taking Sorenson along It was understood that the polio chief in Pago would keep an ey on Harmon, When the Philante II returnd to Pago, Harmon was gone. Some how —no one seems to know how he had got away as a passenger o| the little inter-island ship Gauma tau (run by Nelson and Co, of Apia around the Samoas) and which ha( come into Pago most opportune! for him. Before the chase could to resumed, Harmon had travelled b; TEAL (early in March) from Apii to Suva; and from there it is pre sumed he travelled by air to USA Mr. Sorenson wants to blame th American authorities at Pago. Bu the latter could not detain Harmci until a warrant had been issues Probably, the American law offices thanked all the gods they know tha Harmon departed, thus removiil from their lap what looked like th father and mother of all nautica legal tangles.

But they may not have escaped If there is a lien on the yacht hel( by some Danish interest, the latte: may proceed direct to Pago am appeal to the US Governor fo possession of the craft from “King 1 Jennings. That, in turn, will in volve most complicated procedure in the examination of the “King’s' title. Or Mr. Sorenson may not to out of the picture, even althougl Harmon is gone. If he can co operate with the Danish holder o: the lien, and has the necessar evidence to establish ownership, hi also may have grounds for ai appeal for possession to the Pagt authorities— Special Correspondent