Cruising

Yachts

• PRECIOSA, 54 ft aluminium ketch from Oslo, Norway, arrived in Tahiti on February 12, carrying owners and builders Dag Juell Pettersen, Per Omdal, Kjell Myrann and Ola Heining, all of Nor way. They left Oslo on June 2, 1975, and have since visited many countries in Europe, sailed to the Canaries and West Indies, to Barbados and Rio de Janeiro, the Falkland Islands and around Cape Horn to Chile. They drank champagne 100 metres off the coast of Cape Horn.

After spending eight months in Chile they set off again for Robinson Crusoe Island, Easter Island, then on to Nukuhiva in the Marquesas, the Tuamotus and Tahiti. The four young men, who range in age from 22-24 yrs took four to build Pre ciosa, which is named for an old boat which in 1847 sailed the same route they are following. Future plans include sailing west and arriving back in Norway by May, 1978, but they are not sure of the arrival date.

Preciosa was on another leg of her journey in May, arriving on May 11 at Rarotonga. • RODONIS, 47 ft Skookum sloop from Anchorage, Alaska, carrying the Somers family of Dale and Randi, 16-yr old son Dan and 15-yr-old daughter Chris, left Alaska last July for Seattle, where they joined yacht DESPERADO for the sail to Tahiti, where they anchored on February 22. Enroute they enjoyed play ing tennis in the Marquesas and pool in the Tuamotus. They planned to remain in Tahiti for a short while, then sail to Samoa, Fiji and New Zealand. • SHEARWATER, 40 ft trimaran ketch from Venice, Fla left home in June, 1975, for the Bahamas, South America and San Bias islands. Owner-captain Bill Baker, his wife Janet Duke Baker and her brother Steve Duke spent four months in the San Bias islands then sailed to Panama where Bill's son Bill Jr joined them for their sail to the Marquesas and Tahiti, which they reached on April 22.

Bill Jr planned to fly back to Colorado to return to work, while the others intended visiting French Polynesia for some months and then heading to New Zea land, Australia and around the world. Just before reaching Tahiti they encountered 35 knot winds from Cyclone Robert. • SILENT ECHO, 44 ft Garden design ketch from Vancouver, left Huahine in French Polynesia on Feb 28, bound for Hawaii. Owner and builder of the wooden boat. Bill Penny, was making a return visit to the island he has come to love so much since he crashed on the reef in

1961 in a copra boat. He lived in Huahine for six months a year and the other six months were spent in the Arctic, then he moved to Australia and eventually to Vancouver where he married his wife Jill and built Silent Echo. They left on their voyage in 1974 and visited Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean and South America, passed through the Panama Canal and sailed to the Galapagos in September, 1976, visited the Marquesas and arrived in Tahiti in November. On board, as they sailed for Hawaii, was David Craig of Australia. • STUFF, a 46 ft fibreglass ketch, Cal-46, arrived at Tubuai in the Australs from New Zealand in February on a delivery voyage with professional crew to San Diego for the owners, Ron Hungerford

and Art Frank of All Seas Yacht Transport, a partnership in Za Mesa, California They were accompanied by Ron's wife, Harryette, and son Phil, and New Zealander Malcolm Wilson of Napier They stayed one day to take on fuel and then left for Tahiti, Marquesas and direct to San Diego • JOLLY TAR, a 32 ft fibreglass cutter Kendall-32, arrived at Tubuai from Tahiti on February 28 with Lon and Susie Woodrum and their young son Casey after 18 months' cruising from Redonda Beach, California, to Hawaii and Tahiti (Lon had cruised to Tahiti in 1956 as a

teenager.)

• KAHIKIMOE, a Cal-30 sloop with singlehander Eric Metcalb arrived on April 2 at Tubuai from Tahiti, after cruising

from Hawaii Eric left on April 20 in com pany with Jolly Tar for Raivavae and Tahiti Both yachts narrowly missed hur ricane Robert • BENEDIC, an Ocean-71 fibreglass ketch "the most luxurious yacht I’ve ever visited”, writes Don Travers from Tubuai sailed from New Zealand to Raivavae in 21 days, and arrived at Tubuai on April 22 after 75,000 miles cruising. Built in England, she has circled the Pacific, including the Bering Sea, Panama Canal (twice), and the Suez Canal. She completed circumnavigation in Australia Benedic has centre and aft cockpits, a main saloon with hydraulic operated table for raising and lowering, electric-powered adjustable lounge chairs, three stainless steel-lined shower head compartments, 115 hp auxiliary engine, 7.5 KW generator, intercom be tween all cabins, radar, bathometer, marine telephone, Omega navigation, satellite navigation, sight reduction com puter, a radio gadget that prints out the latest satellite weather map, interior car peted and lined with padded leather and cork a truly "gold-plated” yacht! She left on April 25 for Rurutu and Tahiti with captain owner Gerardus Dusseldorp (Dutch), girlfriend Atea (Tahitian), engineer Bob Chapman (Australian), cook Amanda Faruharsson (Australian), sea man Tony May (English), and Colin Hunter (Canadian). • EDYTHE, 28 ft ketch registered in Auckland, arrived at Rarotonga on April 17 from Bora Bora with New Zealanders John Atkinson and Peter Brown. They left NZ in May, 1976, on a Pacific cruise that took them from Auckland to Fiji, the Lau Group, Tonga, American and Western Samoa, Christmas Island, Hawaii, the Marquesas, Tuamotus and Tahiti. From Rarotonga they were homeward bound for Auckland. • TIR TAIRNGIRE, 32 ft cutter-riggec Tahiti ketch, registered at Seattle, arrived at Rarotonga on April 11 from Papeete with Michael Moriaity and his wife, Karen.

They built the yacht in Santa Barbara, ther sailed her to the Marquesas, Tuamotus anc Tahiti. On entering Avatiu Harbour, Rarotonga, a high wind blew a line over side. The line fouled the propeller anc damaged the engine and, as Mr Moriaity could not do repairs at Rarotonga, he piano ed to sail to Tonga and then NZ where he would get the engine repaired. From there, future ports of call were to be in Fiji anc Brisbane. • FROJ, 32 ft Danish ketch, arrived al Rarotonga on May 11 from the Society Islands with Jan Bertlsen, Lisbeth Johan nsen, Nina Flagstad, all Danes, and American Timothy Haber. The voyage started from Denmark 2'/ 2 years ago and plans were to visit Fiji. • MANTA, 38 ft ketch-rigged American trimaran, arrived at Rarotonga on May 8 from Bora Bora with owner captain Edward Sullivan and Japanese crewman Norio Ota. They left for Vavau, Tonga, on May 14