HAURAKI GULF RESCUE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 14 February 1939, Page 5

HAURAKI GULF RESCUE

CREW OF STRANDED YACHT BROUGHT ASHORE. FORMER MASTERTON RESIDENT ASSISTS. A former Masterton resident, Mrs C. L .Baddeley (nee Miss Vera Hubbard) took part recently in the rescue of the crew of a yacht which had been dismasted and driven ashore in the Hauraki Gulf. According to the "Auckland Weekly News” the yacht in question, the Daisy, a 36ft B class keeler, was driven helplessly in a high wind and big seas which constantly pounded the deck, while one by one the sails were torn to shreds. Finally, the little vessel went aground on the mainland about eight miles from Warkworth, she was dismasted and badly damaged, and the crew could not be rescued for several hours because of an angry surf. Those on board were the owner of the yacht, Mr John Ellison, of Wellington, Miss Isabel Kirkby, aged 21, of Stratford, who is on holiday in Auckland; her brother, Kenneth Kirkby, aged 19. and Peter Turner, aged 15, of Epsom.

When the yacht? was driven, in' heavy weather, from the anchorage in Kawau. the mainsail and other sails were blown away. Attempts to run into shelter failed and the dinghy was swamped' and lost. Eventually the yacht wa” driven ashore in Baddeley’s Bay, situated between the mouth of the Lower Matakana River and Lagoon Bay. The keel jarred heavily on the sandy bottom, and the two masts snapped off at the deckline. The rudder broke off and the sternpost was driven forward about eight inches. At the mercy of a boiling surf, the yacht shipped many seas, and bailing was of no avail. It was too dangerous to consider swimming ashore, and it was not until eight o'clock, when there was 3ft of water in the cabin, that the party's plight was noticed by Mr C. L. Baddeley. He put off in a surf boat with Mrs Baddeley, but was unable to effect a rescue until the fourth attampt, at about four o'clock in the afternoon, whene there was a temporary improvement in the weather. When rescued, the members of the yachting party were practically exhausted and stiff with cold, their clothing having been saturated for many hours.