News of Cruising Yachts

• E. W. Lamberty, of Holland, before jontinning his round-the-world voyage vith ANNA ELIZABETH, made a point of •ailing at PlM’s Auckland office to say a 'ew words in defence of French Oceania K»rt authorities—and a few words against ©me others. Unhappily, more complaints han praises have come from yachtsmen rlsiting French Oceania, but where praise g given we pass it along. Lamberty says hat though certain regulations exist, in practice he has found that the French authorities are lenient in enforcing them, specially in regard to correct Port of Intry, a great many yachtsmen meeting © reprimand when they make their first iort of call in the Tuamotu.

This is not the case in New Zealand’s look Islands, where a yachtsman coming rom the north or east must first call at larotonga to clear inward, then beat a reat distance back on his course to visit ny of the outer islands. He cites a case I which arriving from Honolulu with some t his rigging carried away and in anger of losing a mast, he was hounded at of Avarua Harbour when he ran in ithout awaiting a clearance.

It is evident that the yachtsman who »es not bother about correct procedures sually “gets away with it”, and that pplies particularly to French Oceania.

Last year, on the report of a yachts lan from Papeete, we warned yacht lasters not to land ships’ gear on the aterfront while cleaning ship, carrying it repairs, etc., without first obtaining permit from the Customs.

“Fantastic,” says Lamberty, ‘This is done every day of the week and the Customs interfere with no one in this respect.”

There was probably more in the case in question than met the eye.

Those who do “get away with it” naturally do not write us in praise of the local authorities, and, no doubt, they

are in the vast majority. Those who strictly comply with the rules and regu lations find life in almost all Pacific territories, American, British and French! extremely irksome. Certain regulations at present in force may be explained by the Rhinoceros beetle danger. Local epidemics sometimes account for others.

Lamberty reports that both Governor

Petitbon and Secretary General Diffre, of French Oceania, are interested in yacht ing and in seeing that yachtsmen are well treated. In this regard yachtsmen may now obtain a permit to remain in French Oceania waters for up to eight months, the three months permit being extended in two stages, subject to good behaviour.

It is also anticipated, that with an in creasingly active yacht club coming to life in Papeete, the present pilotage and harbour dues payable by yachts will be relaxed, as in most other ports of the world.

In summary, Mr. Lamberty says in defending French Oceania that regulations do exist which look troublesome on paper, but the general experience is that the best policy to adopt is “let sleeping dogs lie”. In British and American territories the authorities observe the letter of the Jaw, rarely allowing any relaxation. It is the yachtsman’s business first to find out what regulations do exist, then decide his course of action.

No doubt if the various Administrations were approached by reputable yachting ■organisations, an easier attitude might be taken in regard to Ports of Entry for yachts. The trouble has been that an occasional yacht will spoil things for all by selling liquor to the local people in “dry” areas—most of the Islands—or otherwise smuggling goods ashore or trad ing illegally. • World-girdling yachtsmen and others with the necessary qualifications should be interested in the recently-formed Ocean Cruising Club, of England, which already has members of many nation

alities. It was founded January 27 last, with English yachtsman Humphrey Barton as Commodore. Requirements for member ship are an uninterrupted single-hop voyage of not less than 1,000 miles in a vessel of not more than 70 feet overall.

Evidence of such a voyage must be pro duced. The club, as it expands, should become a valuable aid to deepsea cruising

men. A journal of club news is b< published. Fee, £1 Sterling per ann Address, Lymington, England. • ANNA ELIZABETH put to sea 24 after tarrying in Auckland, since 1 7, where most of the crew took tempo: jobs. Robert Tedcastle, 19, of Auckli has joined the crew. Ernst Lambe instead of laying a course for Nor

il*nd and Noumea thence westward, as huined earlier, headed back for Raro ,nga There F. Gobrait, of Tahiti, will itnrn home and Miss Rebecca Frebault, I the Marquesas, long-time friend of liberty, will join the ship, which will ie n turn west for Noumea via Tonga. • MARCO POLO, 28-ft. home-built |ch. as forecast some months ago, lared Auckland July 18 on commence ent of a circumnavigatory voyage which »y take five years, if all goes well, ward with 21-year-old owner-skipper my Armitt, Auckland accountant, is ■yan Loe, 22-year-old farmer, of Welling n. The voyage will be west-about with st calls at Norfolk Island, Lord Howe jlind. Barrier Reef waters and Torres tail. • BEYOND, Mr. and Mrs. Tom Worth’s ftal motor-sailer which passed through I Islands last year, was reported in and of Mahe, Seychelles, early May, head r for South Africa. • HAFF SAFE, amphibious jeep in lich Australian Major Carlin and his fe crossed the Atlantic several years D. is now preparing in England to sail f Australia via Panama, so this extra linary craft may be seen in the Islands gsibly next winter. • Manned by a German ex-Luftwaffe ot, Joseph Albrecht, wife Herta. and o children aged 7 and 1, a 53-foot cht, name as yet unknown, left Genoa, lly, for Australia recently. The route II be via the Indian Ocean and New linea. Albrecht built the boat in the istrian Tyrol, 120 miles inland. • Another unidentified, 22-foot yacht tnned by a German ex-U-boat officer, to Eichenger, and companion Herbert gffleitner, one time acrobat, is also lieved to be heading Pacificwards. • Yet another nameless craft cleared w York in June on a round-the-world page and will no doubt appear in the icific soon. It is a 20-footer sailed Intly by philosophy-student Jack Kidd d a friend, Bert Noble. • The auxiliary schooner LADY IRLING, under new ownership, arrived Suva from Auckland June 21 after rough passage.

Under the previous ownership of Mr.

Sheehan, she went to Fiji in May, 1952, loan to the RC Mission. Now owned Mr. M. Block, a Dutchman. » GLORIA DALTON, Chas. H. Otter in’s sizeable and attractive vessel sntioned last month, cleared Papeete ■ Ensenada, Mexico, June 2, but plans re to return to Papeete this year. • VEGA, Mr. Cornelius Crane’s big sel schooner which has lain in Papeete er since she was dismasted in the orea channel on her maiden commercial rage between Tahiti and Hawaii, has m purchased by Mr. Omer Darr, of nolulu, late owner of NORDLYS. dr. Darr formerly employed NORDLYS a charter-boat, and was to unite with GA in taking over the passengers night south from Honolulu by that isel once they arrived at Papeete, and show them round French Oceania.

Certain refitting work will be done in Honolulu.

It is understood that plans now are to shorten VEGA’S broken masts and re rig her. Then the big yacht will make cruises on the California-Mexico-Central American coast, with runs to Tahiti for the July celebrations each year. Paying or cost-sharing passengers will be carried. • LADYBIRD, first Auckland boat to head for the Islands this winter, arrived safe y at Pepeele Jure 23. After two months in French Oceania waters, Mr.

Hill and his wife and crewman Peter Edmonds plan to head west for Raro tonga, Nukualofa, Suva, and home by early summer. This 33-foot ketch was built in 1950 and has an 8 hp auxiliary.

She is a typical NZ type of cruiser-racer. • ATOM, with lone-hander Jean Gau in command, made Papeete June 10 from

New York via Panama. Captain Gau, oir a circumnavigation voyage, plans to spend a year in French Oceania waters before continuing westward. The 7-tonner was sailing soon for Bora Bora. The name “Jean”, incidentally, is masculine in this case! • MAREVA, on delivery to Mr. James McConnaughey, of Tahiti and the United States, was another June arrival at Papeete, under command of Captain Walter Kupicc and hired crew. As earlier reported, the 55-foot motor sailer will remain based on Papeete. Calls were made at Galapagos, Naku Hiva and Takaroa on the run from Panama. • Schooner masters in French Oceania need not be shocked if some day, as they scan the horizon, they spot what seems to be a figure walking the waters. It will be retired Admiral Durand de Saint-Frond

{bout his normal business mounted on his outboard-motor propelled float-cycle.

I The Admiral, we hear, a man in his late llfties. has made remarkable voyages between Tahiti and Moorea and between Kirious Tuamotu atolls, out on the open icean. on this craft—or vehicle —since he W nie to settle in French Oceania several (ears ago. The pedal version of the craft I commonly for hire at many beach •esorts in Europe and America. There ire a few even in Papeete. But Admiral Jaint-Frond’s has, in addition to out ward. been fitted with a glass-bottomed rax through which he can take colour (botos of coral and fish. Even with a notor. a voyage on the open sea for in excess of 10 miles is no mean feat, and certainly not without risk. • The Tahiti Yacht Club was revived md reorganised last year. Headquarters re at present located in Stuart Hotel gilding, right on the waterfront, and he club has commenced operations with he international Snipe class, a member hving apparently imported six or seven I these from France and sold them to thers. Regular racing events are now Iking place with these yachts. • MANU MOANA, 38-foot sloop in fhich Mr. W. S. Holder, of Mangonui.

Z. visited Fiji between August and fetober, 1953, sailed again from Auckland, lily 6, and Mangonui. July 9, on a four konths’ winter cruise first port Nukualofa, with a possible call at Raoul (termadecs) en route. From Tonga the icht will head for Fiji. With the owner his son and two others. One of these I Mr, Bob Narruhn, originally of the Slberts, more recently of Suva, and itely employed with an Auckland Metrical firm. He went to NZ in this icht when it returned from Suva two sars ago. • MAKAI, 38-foot ketch owned and fippered by retired San Francisco lurnalist, Mrs. Constance Hitchcock, eared that port July 4 bound for Marquesas and Tahiti, where the owner is obtained permission to remain cruis g inter-island for two years.

MAKAI was built in 1937 and purchased r the present owner in 1941. Mrs. itchcock loaned the yacht in 1946 to iends who cruised to the Hawaiian lands. She has been planning the •esent cruise for six years. With her hen she sailed were Bob Anderson and ric Johnson, both experienced yachts en. • KONA departed Rarotonga July 25 ter an 11-day stay. The Honolulu ketch id earlier called at the Australs and angaia. A call was planned at Aitutaki, icnce to Pago Pago. • MANDALAY, last reported west mnd from Papeete in March, seems to ive vanished behind the Coconut irtain. Friends in Honolulu, Tahiti and sewhere had no news of the 40-foot reenwich, Conn., ketch at mid-July, by hich date she should have been at Pago igo or further west. With owner J.

Dckfeller is Jack Grant, formerly of the icht VENTURER (see May).

• WINDJAMMER, with owner Peggy Poor of New Orleans, navigator Jim Cox. and crewhand Gordon Nicol-Sey, last reported clearing Balboa late January for New Zealand via Islands, was in the Galapagos early June. A change of plans has occurred. Next ports are now given as Easter Island, Juan Fernandez, and Chile, others depending on weather and inclination • r UANA, 41-foot schooner owned by Jay and Jean Wilsey, will be remembered by some as calling at Polynesian islands several years ago. This American couple. who have lived aboard the yacht for 10 years, have been in Hawaiian waters for the past two years and plan to remain there indefinitely, based on Honolulu. • NEW SILVER GULL, owned by Harry

and Oceana Scott of Australia is now at Nanaimo. British Columbia, moored off the home of the Farralls who sold their yacht WINDSONG in Suva in 1962 KONA, of Honolulu, expected to be in Pago Pago in the latter part of Julv then on to Suva. „ r . , , R> r / n !j y . ‘® or udson ’ OBE RN (ret,red) ’ d,ed ln Townsville July 12 on the eve of leaving in his yacht paIMOSA for a cruise to the Solomons Fiji, Samoa and New Zealand He made many calls in the Pacific and elsewhere during his world-wide wanderings since before World War I, in the two craft he owned and sailed in between Royal Naw assignments.

Captain Hudson, aged 70, sailed to Aus tralia in his yacht RONDA after long

service with the RN. He was in Towns ville at the outbreak of World War 11. rejoined the Navy, served throughout the W'ar, and for a time was in command of

Hmas Westralia.

He had left RONDA at Townsville, presumably to be cared for by local residents, but she was neglected and eventually destroyed. After the War he went to England and came back with PALMOSA, which is now tied up at Townsville. The dead Captain’s friends hope she meets a better fate than

Ronda.

• Ronald Johnson duly arrived in Sydney as a passenger on EASTERN ‘GLORY at end of July, complete with his new “yacht”—but the yacht turns out to be a Chinese junk. At the beginning of August, the junk (which had a lot of publicity from Sydney newspapers) was being held by Customs as a “prohibited import”.

Johnson was negotiating with them to release it so that he can use it as a home. He wants to anchor in Rushcutters ® a >’ —but make occasional cruises away. • In early August an American couple, Mr. and Mrs. E. Allen Peterson, were in Sydney en route to Papua to inspect the remains (if any) of a junk in which they were wrecked on Sudest in the Louisiade Archipelago in 1989.

At the time of the Japanese invasion of Shanghai in 1987, they escaped to America in the 9 tons junk, the HUMMELL-HUMMELL. A Pacific voyage in 1939 followed, and ended on the reef of Sudest.

During July, a District Services patrol left Lae to investigate the wreckage of a war-time aircraft, tound in April in the mountains north of Lae. It was discovered during an air search for a Tiger Moth and its pilot, Mr. Ray Stock ton, who crashed on a flight from Lae to Madang. Stockton got back to Lae, but the searching aircraft

saw the wreckage of the other p: on a high mountain.

Mr x Shih - Fan g Tung, advise] the Overseas Chinese Commisi of the Chinese Nationalist Gov« ment at Formosa, visited Fiji New Britain recently to discuss problems and conditions of local Chinese.