Los Angeles herald., 1906-06-14
DETROIT CREW
IN HARD-FIGHT
MEMBER OF PARTY TELLS OF
VOYAGE
Seams Open Up and All Hands Have
to Pump and Bail to Work
Yacht Into Harbor at
Avalon

According to stories brought in by
members OF the crew of the yacht De-
troit who arrived in Los Angeles last
night, yachting to the windward of
Santa Catalina island last Monday
afternoon was anything but pleasant
midsummer outing.
II. G. Hanawalt, one Of the crew of
the little racer, arrived at his home
about 6 O'Clock last night.
1T was not pleasant experience and
the work and exposure was something
long to be remembered said Mr. Han
await.
There is one thing l want to explain
right now" continued the yachtsman.
THE Detroit was not the second boat
to cross the line, as was stated in some
of the papers. The Detroit crossed the
line ahead, a few seconds after the
starting gun, and we held the lead
until we were forced to turn and run
before the wind off the western side Of
Santa Catalina to save our craft from
sinking.
THE Detroit was at times mile
! ahead of the nearest boat. At the time
we were compelled to give up we were
half mile ahead, and this despite the
fact that the crew had about stopped
working the boat and was devoting its
entire energies to keeping the yacht on
top Of the water.
Seams Open Up
I'VE were sailing under q double
reefed mainsail and were breasting
heavy cross sea. The beating we got
from the waves was something terrific
We constantly shipped heavy seas and
were working the small pump and bail
ing. The water gained steadily on us
and then it was discovered that the
nn obi Ian1 IaI
caused a dozen seams to open UP Just
forward of the mast
1.-Two of our men undertook to caulk
the seams from the inside. They
worked heroically down in the
bilge, but they achieved little. About
every member of the crew was con-
stantly at work trying to keep the
water from swamping us and to keep
her course and continue the race. More
seams opened and our skipper was
forced to abandon the cruise.
when we put about and ran before
the wind considerable less water came
in, and by constant bailing and pump
ing we made Avalon, where we were
able to patch the Detroit up.
The wind we had been sailing in was
puffy squalls which constantly knocked
us down, and this made it more diff
cult to bail, pump and caulk. We were
running to the westward when she
opened up.
DepIores Unsportsmanlke Acts
After we put about we quickly
scudded around seal rock and were
soon in the lee of the island and some
what protected from the heavy seas,
but the yacht continued to leak and
there was no let UP in the tiresome
work.
-ssXNbatavar nucnortc g, =, lilo or;+;o;e,,o,
have been made about our action in
putting back make little difference to
the gentlemen who were on board the
Detroit. The criticism came from those
who could not have known the position
we were in. 1t required much more
bravery to put back when we did than
it would have to have gone on, though
1t was the belief of the experienced men
on board that we might have never
brought our yacht to port.
''It was not at all pleasant working
with our cabin afoat. the food supply
damaged and constant bailing required
of all hands.
Crew Is Still Game
"Those things, however, are part of
the game and it is a pleasant remin-
iscence when it's all over. The part
that we regret is that any one should
he so shortsighted and unsportsman-
like as to criticise the sailing of our boat
when they knew nothing of the condi-
tions.
Skipper Howard Dodge worked the
racing yacht in a manner beyond
criticism and we have utmost con-
fidence in him as sailor and skipper.
His judgment is excellent and we are
proud of our captain.
THE Detroit reached Avalon at 2
o'clock. We patched her up the best
we could without taking her out of the
water. The yacht sailed for Terminal
at IL o'clock this morning and when we
were we'll outside we found the seams
were still in bad condition and we had
TO bail all the way across the channel.
1T was strenuous yachting but
none of the cre,u potoplained