Missing

Fiji Sea Mystery American Couple Missing

Mystery surrounds the fate oi Doc and Dottie Tanner, owners of the cruising yacht Annette ; which has been discovered sunk! on Dibbles Reef, in the northern Lau area of Fiji.

THE Tanners—an American] couple, and experienced Pacific yachtsmen—left Apia for Suvas cn September 24 and expected t(D arrive in Suva around October 6 c When they became overdue, ships in the vicinity of their route were asked to keep a look out, but it waa not until the end of October that*, any real effort was made to locate, the missing yacht.

On October 28, a RNZAF Sunder land sighted a submerged yacht om Dibbles Reef, which is about 12 miles north of Vanua Balavu. About thej same time life belts bearing th©j name Annette were picked up atb Natewa Bay, Vanua Levu; and a life: jacket was found by Mrs. Elizabeth!

Hennings on Naitauba. Both Natewas Bay and Naitauba are in the direct;; line of north-west drift from where' the yacht was found.

Padlocked Cabin

A party of RNZAF skin divers wasi nown to the submerged yacht ora % ct( JP er 30 and they spent a couple! .investigating the yachtr w i-n£n lies in about 21 feet of water, t They found that everything hacbj been locked up and the spars lashecb;

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"Annette”

before it was abandoned. No bodies were found, although the divers forced their way into the padlocked cabin. Marine growth was found on mast and spars, and bedding and other gear in the cabin was dis integrating—indicating to the divers that the vessel had been submerged for several weeks.

A search has been ordered of all the islands —particularly the un inhabited islands in the area. But the chance of finding the Tanners alive on any of them, after this time, was considered remote.

The Annette is a 32-ft cutter. The last time that PIM heard from the Tanners was in August, when a letter from Mrs. Tanner said that they intended to visit Suwarrow after leaving French Oceania —then on to Apia, Suva and Sydney.

Loss of Previous Yacht

Both are experienced small-ship sailors and have previously experi enced emergencies and survived. In 1950, they lost Bachelor’s Wife (and almost their lives) off Lord Howe Island.

Considering the large number of yachts always cruising long dist ances in the Pacific, the accident rate is not high, but Pacific cruising

is a pastime demanding constant caution.

The fact that Annette , which would normally seek a Fiji land fall at Wailangilala Light when approaching from Samoa, did not strike Duff Reef, to the north-east of Dibble Reef, indicates that the yacht was to the south of the direct track and was approaching on a more westerly course.

If the mainsail was furled and perhaps a jib set, this would indi cate a cautious approach through poor visibility or failure to have sighted the light at the expected time.

Theoretically, the light should be visible from the deck of a yacht under clear conditions at Dibbles Reef. There may have been rain squalls, or the yacht may have been well ahead of reckoning and no close watch was yet being kept.

Dibbles Reef is within 5 miles of Kimbombo Island, which is 190 ft high. (Over)

Another theory advanced, is that the Tanners anchored the yacht near the reef, locked up and went :>ff on a quiet normal expedition in the dinghy. A storm got up, and diey were lost. At some subsequent ;ime, the yacht dragged her anchor, tioled herself on the reef, and sank.

It is feasible, but we may never snow the truth.