TANNER’S ARK.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXIX, Issue 3756, 28 February 1907, Page 3

TANNER’S ARK.

The Latest Edition.

The adventurous and optimistic Mr Felix Tanner, undeterred by the untimely fate of previous “arks” has produced another barrelboat in which it is to be presumed he hopes to safely circumnavigate the globe. On Thursday morning he sailed triumphantly into Lyttelton in the latest result of his ingenuity, entering within the moles at 11.40 a,in, and bringing his craft to anchor among the yachts moored to the westward of No. 7 jetty. His port of departure was Nelson, and he is highly pleased with the behaviour of the latest edition of the ark on her voyage therefrom. In this voyage it may be noted, he is not alone, being accompanied by two “ A.B.’s” exceedingly good specimens of their class, who seem inspired by his spirit of hopeful confidence. To a Lyttelton “ Times ” reporter, who visited him 011 board his ark, Mr Tanner dilated upon his hop.-s and expectations. These are, shortly, that vessels of the barrel type will, at some future time, be adopted as life boats on ocean liners, his idea being that when the loss of the big vessel is inevitable, the best thing for the people on board to do is to stow themselves into the barrel boats put on the hatches, and allow the doomed ship to sink, leaving the novel life-boats to float in safety. The craft which he has just built to exemplify his ideas, is 30ft in length, 6ft 6in in beam, and 6ft in depth. It differs from its unfortunate predecessors in the barrel being oval instead ol circular, and by making that variation Mr Tanner believer he has solved the problem which has baffled him afore time. The barrel itself is 14ft long, a stem and stern are fitted to it, and there is a massive keel, 12ft deep, loaded with railway iron. On either side of the upper part of the barrel there is a decking two feet in width, and a rail runs round the the vessel surmounting bulwarks of vertical planking painted green. The ark is built of white pine, the staves of the barrel being an inch and a quarter thick. The hoops are of galvanised steel. The interior of the barrel is arranged as a double cabin, and is fitted up with four berths. The little vessel is rigged as a ketch. Her total weight is only about two and a half tons. She now has five tons of ballast, but owing to her buoyancy, Mr Tanner declares that she would be better with three tons more. She is fitted with a pump, and provided, her owner states, with all the appliances necessary to . enable her to make a voyage round the world. The ark was built by Mr Tanner himself at Wakefield, about 20 miles from Nelson, and the same distance from the sea. She was conveyed to the latter by means of a lorry and a traction engine, and sailed on her first voyage, the present one, on the night of Monday, February 11, so that her passage to Lyttelton occupied ten and a half days. Owing to a series of calms it took nearly week to get to the French Pass, her progress being, as her builder and skipper described it, mostly drifting. She went through the Pass on Sunday, and on Monday morning set sail therefrom with a northerly wind. Jackson's Head was reached at 4 p.m. the Brothers’ light was passed. The little vessel rounded Cape Campbell at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, and that night was off Kaikoura. Thenceforward until within ten miles of Lyttelton Heads strong head winds and a heavy cross sea were experienced. On Wednesday night the wind fell, and the ark anchored to wait for the morning. Mr Tanner was exceedingly pleased with the behaviour of the vessel throughout. In the head wind and cross sea of Wednesday she proved herself a thoroughly seaworthy craft., She stayed well, beat up well against the wind, and in short behaved quite satisfactorily. Mr Tanner, who has shown a persistency worthy of Noah in the construction of arks, is apparently convinced that in his present boat he has the craft which is to successfully realise his ideas. A couple of years ago, in a former and less perfect ark, he came to grief between Wellington and Lyttelton, having to abandon bis boat, and being rescued, after a trying experience by the Mararoa. He is naturally pleased that on the present occasion he has succeeded in making Lyttelton safely. Mr Tanner intends exhibiting his vellsel either at Christchurch or Sumner, and it has been suggested that the ark should be utilised as an “ extra attraction ” at the Exhibition. From Lyttelton the adventurer and his boat will proceed to southern ports.—-Lyttelton Times.