Yachts

• W. N. RAGLAND. This top sail schooner, registered in [Halifax, Nova Scotia, stirred more than usual interest in \ Rarotonga, reports Paul Rysavy from the capital of the [Cook Islands. Word spread ; quickly that she is owned by [rock star Neil Young, formerly of Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, and that he was ex pected to join the boat in Rarotonga. Unfortunately, Neil was busy working on a new album and never arrived. W. N.

Ragland dwarfed the other yachts in Avatiu Harbour. The schooner, named after Neil Young’s grandfather, is 24m on deck and 31m overall. She was built in Denmark in 1913 as a Baltic Schooner. [ Young began refurbishing

the schooner in 1976, and the job was completed in 1978.

Skipper Roger Katz and his permanent crew of Scotty Fairchild, Tree Conway and Suzanne Valier left Fort Lauderdale, Florida, in November 1978 and sailed to the Bahamas, Panama, Cen tral America and Mexico, and then cruised in a leisurely manner up the coasts of Cali fornia, Oregon and Washington to Canada for the Wooden Boat Festival, which Katz claims was the highlight of their North American cruise.

From Canada, W. N.

Ragland returned down the coast to Mexico before striking out for the Marquesas, which Katz describes as ‘Paradise Regained’. From the Marquesas the schooner sailed for Tahiti where Neil Young, his wife Peggy and their son Ben came on board for a cruise through the So ciety Islands. After Young and his family returned to the US, W. N. Ragland sailed directly to Rarotonga where at time of writing she has been berthed for about three weeks. From here she sails to New Zealand

to wait out the hurricane season, after which she will return to cruise through the Tongan and Fijian islands. • MOTHER CAREY. Another visitor to Rarotonga, Mother Carey is an 11m South African canoe stern racing cutter. She was launched in Durban in 1963, and came into skipper Hank Knobloch’s possession six years ago. His only crew member is Jacqueline Moak.

Knobloch left his home port of Annapolis, Maryland, in June 1976, and made for the Caribbean, where he spent four years cruising before go ing on to the San Bias Islands, the Marquesas, Tuamotus, Bora Bora and finally Rarotonga.

After spending a leisurely three weeks here Mother Carey headed for Nukualofa before sailing to New Zealand to sit out the hurricane season.

In March 1981, Knobloch plans to sail to Fiji and then south to Australia. When asked how long he expected to keep cruising, the skipper said simply: ‘l’m on a 20-year plan.

This is the only home I’ve got.

So why should I be in a hurry?’ • TWIGA. The six-year-old 11m cutter arrived in Rarotonga in October with Stephan and Marja Vance.

Twiga was designed by William Lapworth and built by Gensen Marine in California. She left Dana Point, California, in 1979, and sailed to Acapulco, the Marquesas, Tuamotus, and the Society Islands before arriving in Rarotonga. After a short spell here Twiga con tinued on to New Zealand where she will remain for the hurricane season. Stephan Vance says that they have had a wonderful time, but they have no exciting sea tales to tell. He’d like to keep it that way. • DRYAD. A late -comer to Rarotonga, in view of the fact that the hurricane season be gins in November, was Dryad, a 14m Rhodes Yawl which arrived in late October. The 43-year-old yacht, owned by Dick and Marty Pratt, is regis tered in St Thomas in the Virgin Islands. The Pratts left St Thomas in 1974 and sailed to Panama, the Cocos Islands,

the Galapagos, Societies, the Cook Islands, New Zealand (where they spent a year and a half) and back to Tahiti, where they have been living for three years. The Pratts have enable a habit of coming to Rarotonga for a holiday each year, and plan to return here at about the same time in 1981. • GULAN WIN. An 11m steel ketch, was built in Brisbane, Australia, by skipper/owner Yves Vernier, reports a corre spondent in Ponape, Micro nesia. Gulan Win was com pleted in 1979 and sailed through New Caledonia, New Hebrides and Solomon Islands. While in the Solomons, Yves Vernier met Sandie McConkey of Hawaii, who had been cruising the South Pacific for the last four years.

Together they sailed to Australia to prepare the yacht for a leisurely cruise.

They left in September 1980 and spent two months cruising through Papua New Guinea waters. In November they ar rived in Ponape, and planned to make their way to Guam for Christmas, then on to Japan, the Aleutian Islands, Alaska, Canada and the USA that may take a year, or perhaps two. • HORNET. Named after the US navy aircraft carrier by owner Dale G. Huber and his wife Geraldine, Hornet is a 13m centreboard cutter, 1.6 m draught with board up and

3.1 m with the board down,

reports Gunter Gross from Suva. The boat was custom designed by Robert Mataya and built at Port Everett north of Seattle. The Hubers left their homeport in July 1978 to cruise down the Californian coast. In October 1978 they started the passage for the Hawaiian Islands. In July 1979 Hornet left from Hilo for the Tuamotus, and the Society Islands. In Aitutaki, in the Cook Islands, they were the first yacht to clear officially at this new port of entry. The cruise went on via Pago Pago and Vavau to Fiji, where they ar rived in October 1979.

During the Easter floods on the Viti Levu southeast coast they had a fortunate escape from destruction. Hornet was tied up in the Little Navua River

and during a 48-hour struggle to save her Dale and Geraldine got no sleep at all. Three trees were pulled out of the river bank, two I.9cm diameter nylon ropes snapped, two anchors and a dinghy were lost, but, after it all, Hornet emerged from the ordeal with out structural damage. Daugh ter Maureen, 12, and grand daughter Channon, 8, enjoyed their time aboard Hornet, and were sad when the time came for them to head back for the US and school. Hornet plan ned to sail to New Zealand via Vanuatu and New Caledonia.

• Bremer Warren. A

13.4 m steel ketch was built in Bremen, West Germany, for George and Erna Henze and launched in May 1972.

Together with their children they cruised extensively in European and Caribbean waters. In June 1978 George and Erna left Germany for their present circumnavigation.

After entering the Pacific in January 1979 they called at the Marquesas, Tuamotus, So ciety Islands, Suwarrow, Pago Pago and Western Samoa on their way to Fiji. Their best memories are of a stop at Toau atoll in the Tuamotus where the six inhabitants live at the bay of Anre Amchot and are very happy to welcome the occasional cruising yacht with typical Polynesian hospitality.

Plans are to carry on with the circumnavigation via New Zea land. Australia. Papua New Guinea and then on into the Indian Ocean. • NAUSIKAA. A 15.3 m con crete ketch was built in Vancouver by Hago Hadeler in 1971. Boris and Shirley Smrcek purchased her at the beginning of 1979 and set sail for Hawaii in September of that year with infant son Trevor and a crew of four. From Hawaii they carried on to Fanning Island, Christmas, Suwarrow, Pago Pago, Western Samoa and Vavau and Fiji. In Vavau they enjoyed real South Pacific hospitality when they were invited to celebrate the king’s birthday at a great feast. Plans were to sail to Australia via New Caledonia in the near future: Shirley was expecting the arrival of a new member of the family last November.

• GOLEM. Skippered by Holger Strauss with crew Christina Rosien. this 12.8 m steel ketch was built in Hol land. She arrived in Funafuti in October from Wallis Island and after a week departed for Tarawa in Kiribati.

• Aigle Des Mers. Eagle

of the Seas’ is a 10m fibreglass sloop sailed by Pierre Blavette from Noumea. It arrived in Funafuti in October from Rotuma and soon after de parted for Canton Island, then Hawaii. • lONE. In Port Funafuti, Tuvalu, for the month of September, was the lone a

10m sloop, sailed by Jim and Joanie McCammon, a Cali fornian couple from Redondo Beach, reports Peter McQuarrie. lone arrived in Funafuti from Wallis Island and is expected to sail for Port-Vila, Noumea, and then Brisbane where she will wait-out the hurricane season.

Below: In Tubuai, Austral Islands, from New Zealand was Cameo, with (second from left) skipper Lionel Jefcoate, his daughters Anne and Jennifer and Owen Byfield. Bottom: Also in Tubuai, from USA, was Moonglow III with (l to r) Rodo Williams, owners Dick and Mary Morrison and Arthur Wood