ADVENTUROUS VOYAGE.

Taranaki Daily News, 24 August 1922, Page 10

ADVENTUROUS VOYAGE.

TRIP OF THE YACHT RAATA. C3OO MILES IN PACIFIC. SCHOOL ATLAS AS CHART. A remarkable account of the adventure!' ous voyage of the auxiliary yacht Raata, 0300 miles across the South Pacific Ocean is by Alfred Westlake, the leader in the exploit, who, with his two companions, Thomas Butler and Leslie Burke, arrived from Sydney by the Manuka last week in charge of Detective M. Gourley and Constable E. Walton. The most astonishing feature of the long and hazardous journey is that the navigation, particularly toward the end, was based practically'entirely on a small school atlas, showing the whole of Oceania on a page of about lOin by Sin. Skill and ability in seamanship acquired in service on the New Zealand coast stood to Westlake in enabling him to accomplish what would seem to be an impossible task, and the feat is made the more remarkable by the fact that his associates are mere striplings, Bntler being a frail young man, aged 23, yhile Burke is a youth of 19. Westlake himself is 35 years old. The Raata left Auckland on the evening of May 3 last, Westlake stating it was his intention to make for Rockhampton, on the Queensland coast, in order to go in for fishing there. A call was made at Mercury Bay for the purpose of obtaining additional stores* and a course was then set to north-north-east, with the object of picking up the trade winds. On the morning of Sunday, May 7, the craft lay-to on account of very heavy seas, and it was estimated 220 miles had been covered. After remaining hove-to for two days the weather moderated, and the course was resumed, it being found that the Raata had drifted 38 miles to the eastward. At the beginning of the voyage it was decided each man should take four hours on watch, and eight hours off, but the youngest member of the crew was unable to continue duty, owing to sea-sickness, and Butler then took turn about, four hours on and four hours off, in fine weather.

BREAD FROM THE VERONICA. The Wairuna was sighted on May 10, 135 miles to the east of Sunday Island, in the Kerm'adec group. The steamer altered her course and passed within a quarter of a mile of the yacht, but no signals were exchanged. Two days later the Veronica was sighted astern, overtaking the Raata, and at 11 a.m. she was abreast and lowered a boat. Newspapers and magazines were taken to the yacht and an inquiry whether all was well was answered in the affirmative. The commander asked if any fresh bread was required and 12 loaves were supplied which Westlake says were “thankfully received.” After wishing the Raata bon voyage, the Veronica proceeded on her way.

Westlake then altered his course to make Rapa Island in the Austral group, 2281 miles from Auckland, and arrived there on May 24. Mountainous seas were encountered, however; and the yacht was hove to under sea anchor as well as double reef mizzen, the anchor paying out 120 fathoms of coir warp, which parted in the dark. For five days the Raata remained off the island, in the hope of making a landing, but as the boisterous weather rendered this impossible, a course was set for west-north-west. Next day a large school of whales was sighted. When hanging on to some reeling Westlake was nearly washed off the boom, through his mate not making the mainsheet fast on the cleat, with the result that the sheet slipped and the boom swung right out. carrying him with it. This happened in pitch darkness and Westlake, in case he was swept away, called out instructions to steer due west. However, after a desperate struggle he regained the deck, much to the relief of the mate,' who thought he had gone altogether. This incident happened 10 days after leaving Rapa Island.

THROUGH THE GREAT BARRIER REEFS. Subsequently the southern end of New Calendonia was passed and the course was altered for Libou reef, which is 3600 miles from Rapa Island. Gale followed upon gale, and the reef was passed within a quarter of a mile on June 13, a considerable amount of wreckage being sighted. A course was then set for the Great Barrier Reef, the only guide 'being the school atlas, drawn on a scale of 320 miles to one inch. Westlake was determined to pass through the formidable reef, regardless of risk, because povisions were runriing low. The first opening was passed at '4.30 p.m. on June 16 and darkness descended with the Raata hemmed in among a nest of coral reefs and without the needful light to select an anchorage. The result was that the yacht tacked backward and forward from one reef to another throughout the night, with a prospect of almost certain death if vigilance was relaxed. Tt was not until 4 p.m. next day that the last of the reefs was left behind. The Raata, which' had been renamed the Oneata, arrived at Yeppoon, Queensland, 585 miles'from Libou Reef, on July 2. Westlake states that while in the tropical regions a pastime was made of harpooning sharks, some of those secured being 14ft. long. Some of the sharks were cut up and pieces thrown overboard.