AMATEUR CREW

Taranaki Central Press, Volume IV, Issue 454, 23 June 1937, Page 2

AMATEUR CREW

A WANDERING SHIP Arrival At Sydney Sydney, June 10. Out of a recent grey dawn oame a vision of the past, the barquentine Cap Pilar, 46 days out of Cape Town. Under full sail she crept up to Sydney Heads to complete a stage of -a. voyage of romance and adventure around the world, manned by a picturesque crew which includes a \Situdent, a solicitor, .and others new to the sea. Owned and commanded by Captain Adrian Seligman, the Cap Pilar has an amateur crew, represent, ing a variety of shore occupations. Only the captain and the mate have had previous se-a. experience. A week ago Mrs. Seligman arrived in Sydney to await, the arrival of the Cap Pilar. She set out from London last SeptembeT in the barquentine □nd calls were made at Madeira, Teneriffe, Rio de Janeiro, the island of Tristan Da Cunha, and Cape Town. She then came to Sydney in a motorchip. ‘ We left Cape Town 46 days ago,” said Captain Seligman. “We made good time, everything itaken into consideration. The Cap Pilar’s best speed is 11 knots, but the highest we attained on the last section of the voyage was 10S knots.” The barquentine met tieavy gales •as soon as she cleared the South African coast, and was driven far to the south. Then she ran into a succession of south-westerly gales, which blew her towards Australia. The barquentine went far below Tasmania, and when she tried /to beat up towards the mainland, adverse winds battered her, but, she made a landfall near Hobart. For 24 hours.’ the barquentine was manoeuvred in vain ito make a call at Hobart, but Captain Seligman gave up the -attempt, and made direct for Sydney.

Financing the Voyage. Captain Seligman was roaming round Brittany when he came upon the Cap Pilar. The vessel is of 200 tons, and is registered with the Royal Corinthian Club as a yacht. For 25 years the had been used as a fishing vessel, making a voyage each year to the banks off Newfoundland. Her officers and crew now number 19, the strangest crew that one could imagine. “They are fine lads,” Captain Seligman. . “They may not know everything there is to be known about sailoring, but they have brought the ship where she is without mishap.” Every man paid into a common fund to help to finance the voyage. Many of them bearded, clad in thick sweaters, and with tea boots, they appeared rough until they spoke in courteous and cultured tones. The navigator and steward is a Master of Arts of Cambridge University. Another is a retired Englishman who joined the vessel at Cape Town.

Another was a P. and O. Company clerk until he read one evening that the Cap Pilar was /the first British sailing vessel to take mails to Tristan Da Cunha for 35 years, and, tired of pen-pushing, be had signed up on the Cap Pilar next morning. The ?ook was a ventilation engineer in England. The boaitswain, who now sports a red beard, wag. a solicitor when he heard of and ’ took the chance of making a passage in the vessel.