The Saga Of

Sammy

THOUGH yachtsmen in Papee last year, and early this yea will be thoroughly familiar wil one of the most interesting nautic characters ever to appear in th port of characters, the story Sammy is worth telling to others Sammy suddenly arrived Papeete per Messageries Maritin liner from France in mid-1953. / Egyptian of about 25 years of ag with a flowing black beard, ] created some interest even befo becoming a yachtsman.

His wealthy father had sent hi to France to study, but Sammy, appears, decided that the money ] had been given for this purpo could be more profitably spent < travel. There was very little le of it when he stepped ashore Papeete, but sufficient to purcha a 16-ft, flat-bottomed and very u; stable dinghy.

To the amazement of loc yachtsmen, Sammy set about ri ging this utterly unseaworthy pu for an ocean voyage to Austral: A mast and sail were fitted, b no centre-board, and some old, i: flated motor inner tubes were fas ened in bow and stern to cope wi emergencies, of which there seem likely to be many. Sammy th purchased some stores, put them cans with push-on lids, and w ready for sea.

He got outside the harbour, aft some preliminary capsizes, th capsized again and returned f some readjustments to stabili!

Another attempt was made sor time later, with the same results.

By then Sammy, though equipp with the very best in tropical sui ings, was financially reduced sleeping on the footpath in front Messageries Maritimes office, under a derelict yacht at Fareu' He had cabled to Pa for mo money, but there were lengthy and lays in receiving it, or even an ac nowledgement of the SOS, and ! was too proud to accept hospital! which was offered.

Desperate, Sammy decided make another attempt, but f Honolulu this time, in spite orders from the Harbour Mast forbidding him to leave the ha bour. He got to Moorea, 12 mil away.

Then came the long-await money. Frantic messages were 6 spatched to Moorea to tell Samr to come back and get his cash some millions of francs —and abandon his utterly mad attem on the high seas.

Sammy came in a schooner b later went back and sailed 1 “yacht” on a two-day voyage, ba to Papeete, where she was aga put up for sale. Sammy mov into the best hotel in town, ga elaborate parties, and lived

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manner to which he was iistomed until the next ship nd for Australia removed him n the scene about last March, gentleman, a non-drinker, and a -smoker, but-with a passion for ides, of which Tahiti is desper y short, Sammy—that was the r name he was known by—will ong remembered in that yachts l’s Mecca as the greatest trier, the dumbest yachtsman.

■Jps.