THE MONSUNEN

Evening Post, Volume CXVI, Issue 49, 26 August 1933, Page 13

THE MONSUNEN

LOXG VOYAGE HOME

LETTER FROM CAPTAIN

ANDERSON

On the morning of December 21 last a 1 strange and weather-beaten sailing vessel put into Wellington and attracted much attention. It was the fifty-seven-ton Danish ketch Monsunen, en route from Copenhagen, seeking repairs, after having sprung several large leaks. For a month the Monsuneu was in port and her master, Captain Knud Anderson, a dark, solidly-built, brown-bearded man,' was often seen about the city. He was a striking man, unconventional and virile, and during his stay here he made many friends. As an author, Captain Anderson is well known in his native land, and it was with the object of gathering material for a novel that he started on a cruise round the world with three sailors, a cook, and a dog for company. That he was "up against it" as far as finance was concerned was freely admitted by the captain, and during the period he was in New Zealand ho spared 310 effort to meet debts he had incurred .as a. result of .haying, to put into port. It had been liis original intention to sail, round, the world without putting into port, but fate decreed otherwise, for when about 1000 miles south-east of 'New Zealand the Monsunen met a strong north-easterly gale which opened some seams. Day and night .those on.board were kept pumping, but with little avail,, and Captain Anderson was forced to make port. TOPMAST .CARRIES.,AWAY. ■ Leaving Wellington on January 21 this year, Captain Anderson set a course for Cape Horn, and writing to a friend in Wellington he describes some of the vessel's experiences. "We took a rather northerly route across the Paeifiej" he writes, "so as to save my ship from too much hard weather and more leaks. That made us sail 5000 miles before we reached Cape Horn, but we sailed them in twentyseven days, so you, who know all about it, will imagine that we did a bit of driving anyway. Twenty-four hours out I carried away the topmast when running before a very fresh breeze, with topsail, and studding sail, and, in fact, everything set. It should, of course, not have happened —as any fool can carry away sails and spars-—but we were running wing and wing and the hook in the main rolling tackle stretched itself. The boom flew sky- ) high and jumped to windward, carrying away our after-stay or back-stay and then —of course. . . I jumped -aloft with one of my men and in less than an hour we had the \ broken., topmast on deck and everything cleared away. Then it was blowing a living gale. "We carried away two studding-sail booms and I carried away three ribs, but we did not lose a single sail. It was a great time, like in the rough old days when we ran easting down. You know how it is, hanging on, hanging on to the very last minute. But we reeled off some miles! For a wholo week, we had no day less than 200 miles. Oh, for a life in seaboots and oilskins, night and day! We were knocking the Wellington dust out of her all right—-with all ■respect to your wonderful, clean wharves. "We parsed Cape Horn in the afternoon at less than a quarter of a milo distance, but then wo had bad luck. Head winds, and foul winds, and calm?, and here we are with a south-east trade. (The letter was written in the South Atlantic, latitude lodeg lomin south, longitude 29deg 30min west.) Fivu days ago the cook reported no more fresh water. Our tanks must have I sprung a leak. Well, wo had seventyfive gallons left, but having thought the matter over I proposed that wo should go on and I have promised my men plenty of water in passing liv doldrums. I am bent on keeping that promise. Everything is all right." ANOTHER VOYAGE. Captain Anderson expressed the hope that some day he would be able to undertake another voyage round thu world, but in a smaller vessel, and with his little daughter on board. The Monsuncn arrived at Copenhagen on Juno 11 after a voyage of 141 days from New Zealand, having'taken just | three days over a year to make !h3 trip round the world. Captain Anderson has now made two round-the-world voyages.