Beyond the west horizon by Hiscock Eric C

Author:Hiscock, Eric C
Language: eng
Format: epub, pdf
Tags: Wanderer III (Yacht), Voyages around the world
ISBN: 0192175203
Publisher: London, New York, Oxford University Press
Published: 1963-11-15T00:00:00+00:00

were immediately taken in hand. A few days later Wanderer was hauled out in a cradle which was lent to us, and placed close to the Club House, where we received much help and kindness, particularly from the secretary, Charlie Williams, and his lovable wife.

Susan and I continued to live aboard, and in great comfort, for all the Club facilities were put at our disposal, and bread, milk, groceries, and the daily paper were delivered on board; and when we went ashore to sample the almost continuous stream of hospitality we had only to climb down a ladder instead of making a wet trip in the dinghy. We remained there for three pleasant weeks, and in good weather attended to the refit. But at times it was difficult to get on with the work because of the number of people who came to talk or to offer us meals or drives through the countryside, or who wanted to take us away to live with them for a week or two. Some of these temptations we could not resist, and thanks to our good friend Jack Brooke we were able to see a lot of the North Island. The people who lived in the scenic South Island could not understand why we declined their invitations to go and stay with them; but our time in the Dominion was necessarily limited, and always we prefer to get to know a small part of a country and its people well, rather than catch a fleeting glimpse of a larger area.

While the ship was hauled out we received much practical help from other sailing people, for among the fraternity are men skilled in every branch of boatbuilding and engineering, all eager to assist in any way they could. Susan and I spent most of the daylight hours cleaning, scraping, chipping, rubbing down, and painting and varnishing, and we removed the green deposit from the copper sheathing to expose copper oxide, which provided a new lease of anti-fouling life.

Towards the end of our time ashore Pombili (she had arrived in New Zealand some time after us) was hauled out nearby, and it was good to have Roger and Bill—the one fair and lean,

plate 18

A buffet Christmas lunch, prepared by Mrs. Lidgard, was eaten on the lawn in the sunshine by a party of thirty-six; all had come by boat.

106 BEYOND THE WEST HORIZON

the other dark and handsome, and both deeply bronzed—as close neighbours. They, like ourselves, had come south to refit, but Tahiti was pulling at them so strongly that for the present the completion of their circumnavigation had been postponed. They were both working long hours at a refrigerator factory, rubbing down parts before painting, so as to earn enough money to enable them to sail back and spend another season among the islands. Although they could afford to spend only the week-ends working on their old ship, they managed to give her a good refit and made a number of improvements to her and her gear.

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