The New York herald., 1922-11-05
SPEEJACKS NOW ON
ATLANTIC OCEAN
Long Voyage Of Mr.. and Mrs.
Gowan Around the World
Ending.
BY ARTHUR f. ALDRIDGE.

Somewhere out on the broad Atlantic
tiny power boat Is battling her way
towards the American shores. For six
teen months this yacht has been voyag-
ing around the world and sne has done
what no other vessel of her size and
power has done before. She Is 9S feet
long, OF as net tonnage. and powered with
a gasoline engine and with sails just
large enough to help slightly and to
steady her in a seaway this yacht. the
Speejacks, is now nearing the end OF a
$4,000 mile voyage.
On board are Mr.. and Mrs. A Y.
Gowan OF Chicago. who left here in
August, 1921, with q few others to make
the long trip. The owner and his wife
are the only two who have stuck to
the vessel from the start. Others had
to return because they could not spare
the time.
Mr. Gowan is the vice-president oi
the Lehigh Portland Cement Company.
He has always been fond of yachting,
has owned many boats and always had
an ambisss@n to build a stanch boat
with which TO explore hidden parts of
the world When his doctor last year
ordered that he take long rest. Mr..
Gowan decided to put his plans into
signed and built by the Consolidated
Shipbulding Corporation at Morris
Heights.
To make such an extended voyage II
was of course necessary that the ves-
sells should be stanch and seaworthy
and large enough to have comfortable
accommodations for a party of about
eight and sufficient space TO store pro-
visions. water and everything neces-
sary for such a cruise. It was also
necessary TO carry many extra parts of
machinery. rigging, spars. &C., in case
OF accidents. While the yacht was
building. Mr. and Mrs Gowan arranged
the itinerary of their cruise. They
planned to visit many OF the South Sea
islands, places In the Far East seldom
heard of. to touch at many ports and
make journeys into the interiors of the
different countries. 1t was arranged to
have camera man who would take
moving and still pictures and to gather
all sorts of data about birds. fish and
flowers and to send specimens home as
often as possible. Mr.. Gowan was to
keep a full record OF all done and seen
and that record is to be put in book form
for private and possibly public circula-
ton.
1t was necessary too that there should
always be a good supply Of fuel ready
at every port visited This item OF
gasoline has been an important expense
The gasoline had to be shipped on ahead
to many places in the South Seas and a
big supply had to be sent to the Sey-
chelles, in the middle OF the Indian
Ocean.
When everything was ready and
after thorough trials OF the boat and
engine the Speejacks left an anchorage
off the Columbia Yacht Club at the foot
Of West Eighty-sixth street and put Ia
sea- Her first stop was Jamaica, and
from there she went TO the Canal Zone
and passed through the canal into the
Pacific Ocean. Her next port of call
was Honolulu. and while making that
run she was caught I'm a terrific hurri-
cane and at ono time was reported as
lost. but she arrived all safe and sound.
Then she visited dozens of the small
islands that dot the southern Pacific
and finally got TO tho Philippines.
She went, among other places. 60
Japan. China, New Zealand. Australia
India, Ceylon. New Guinea. Sumatra
Java and then through the Red Sea and
Suez Canal into the Mediterranean.
After touching at many ports she ar
rived Mt Gibraltar and is now on her
way to the Canaries. She will make
short stops at the Cape Verde Islands
Barbados. Porto Rico and then home
Tho Spec Jacks is expected to arrive
here before the end OF this month