HOLIDAY CRUISING

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 906, 25 February 1930, Page 14

HOLIDAY CRUISING

SOME EXPERIENCES Yachting and launch men‘who did the February trip seem to have had a fairly rough time of it this season, particularly those who went North. The wind has been “in” during practically tho whole of th€: past fortnight, and a heavy ocean roil has given crews a lively time. Mr. E. J. Kelly took a party of eight in his fine cruiser Linda on the Mercury Bay trip. His companions were Captain J. Mitchell, and Messrs. H. Crozier (Christchurch), W. Sinton, L. Shearer, D. Henderson, W. Saxon, H. Colledge and J. Arneil. The Linda cleared port on Saturday. February 8, and after pausing at Matiatia went to the Watchman, where small fishing was tried with success. The party reached Mercury Island next day and mad© the point their headquarters. A fresh wind had caused a long swell, and it was impossible to do any big-game fishing, which had been the object of the party. No swordfish were sighted, and the Linda went into Whitianga, staying there from the Thursday afternoon to the Monday morning. The cruiser had been in company with Mr. Alex Foster’s launch Raira, also in quest of big fish. The launches then set off for the Great Barrier, and met with a nasty sea which made conditions anything but comfortable. Port Fitzroy was made on the Monday afternoon, February 17. The launches then fished off Miner’s Head, where plenty of small kinds, schnapper, hapuka and the like, were caught easily. During a blow the Linda \ as dismasted through having no backstay. Mr. Kelly and his colleagues spliced the broken parts and were able to use the sail again. After leisurely fishing until the Thursday, the launch parties went to Kawau, after stopping at Canoe Rock on Sunday, where good fishing was obtained. While at the Barrier Mr. Kelly met Mr. H. O. Wiles, who had been North in his cruiser, Lady Margaret 11. He reported that the weather up the coast had been trying to a degree. A party on the launch Amohe said they had never been able to get a line out on account of a persistent northeasterly wind, which upset fishing completely. At Kawau the Linda party found Mr. L. Stericker, in his launch Rautangi, and Mr. J. Donald, president of the Richmond Cruising Club, in the Marion D. The launch lorana and Mr. Keith Draffin’s yacht Kotuku, formerly the Delville, were also there.

“The dirtiest weather for a holiday that I have experienced in 14 years,” is the comment of Mr. Foster, of the Raira, on the weather “outside” in the last fortnight. Mr. Foster’s party and Mr. Kelly’s were the only two at the Mercury Islands. Plenty of piper and one blue shark were landed, but the only swordfish seen passed within eight feet of the Raira, as she was rolling home. Mr. Foster’s boat got the dinghy tow-line round the propeller and at the same time the engine began to give trouble; water squirted everywhere. The pump was found to be hot, and one cracked water jacket was feared. Eventually the trouble was found to be an exhaust-valve caught up. The piston in that cylinder was sucking water back from the exhaust, and making trouble. The launch was drifting meantime, and Mr. Kelly came to the rescue and towed it back to Fitzroy. The number of boats making the February cruise is much smaller than usual.