RISKY YACHTING.

Shannon News, 30 October 1923, Page 3

RISKY YACHTING.

SINGLE-HANDED ACROSS COOK STRAIT.

Captain Cooper, an experienced seaman, who arrived in the Dominion a fortnight or so ago from India and who intended sailing the Muritai, a 32-l'oot yacht well known to >the members ol the Port Nicholson Yacht Club, which he purchased in Picton, had a narrow escape from going oh the rocks at Lyail Bay on Tuesday. With a broken spar and with his running gear fouled and the engine out of working order, lie lay from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. off Houghton Bay. . One anchor had gone and 'the cable of till© remaining anchor was stranding. After being visited and a good deal comforted by a surf boat crew from the Lyall Bay Surf Club, he was given a tow in by a launch from Island Bay. Captain Cooper purchasing the Muritai at Picton determined to sail over the Straits single-handed, being unable to get anyone to go with, him, and left on Saturday. He got on well enough until he struck the fierce northerly. He came abreast of the Pencairow Light at midnight on Sunday arid, being unable to make the harbour owing to the howling northerly .and not knowing the coast, put in .towards Houghton Bay with the rocks not far off on his lee. In bis disabled state the position was an unenviable one, as very soon one of his anchors carried away. From 7 a.m. he tried to establish communication with the shore by flying distress signals and at 11 a.m. the Lyall Bay- Surf Club's recently-acquired whaleboat put off with a crew and managed to get aboard the Muritai, whose owner was much concerned, as the cable of the remaining anchor was "stranding" badly. ■ Unable to attempt the towage of so big a craft, the whaleboat had to go ashore, getting; there, after several exciting 'attempts, on a big breaker. It was by now 1 p.m., but word was got to Island Bav and. a launch soon 'afterwards took' the Muritai-.out of trouble.