Evening star., 1940-12-06
Skipper Who Crossed
Atlantic in ketch
Surprised at Furor
No Other Way to Get
Here He Soys Simply;
Had Many PeriIs
BY JAMES BURNS.

BY JAMES BURNS.
MIAMI, Fla, Dec. 6 CN.A.NA.).-
Mines, Nazi bombers, an Italian sub
marine, shortage of food and the
perils of amateur navigating were
just part of the routine in his 62-day
crossing of the Atlantic in q 112-foot
ketch. Marie, according to the story
that Henry B. Clarke told here. The
American operator of an airplane
parts factory in England risked the
hazards of such a Journey to spend
Christmas with his family in Ros-
lyn. N. Y.
Mr.. Clarke left for that city yes
terday. more concerned over what
to give, his wife for Christmas than
over the risks that he had encoun-
tered His ketch was anchored here,
awaiting repairs. with the crew Of
four Britons and two Danes denied
permission to land until immigra-
ton problems can be Strengthened
out
There wasn't any other way to get
here Mr.. Clarke replied. when
asked why he took such chances,
because an American citizen could
not embark upon a British vessel.
The Clippers were booked weeks
ahead. so I just bought the ketch
and decided to make it home for
Christmas"
Took Latitude Readings Only.
He admitted that he would not
undertake such a venture again, but
only because there is no necessity
for it,"
The American was his own navi-
gator, for, as he explained, he was
the only one aboard who could use
a sextant. He shot his course by
latitude only. and had to make his
reckonings at high noon. His only
previous experience was as an anna
teur sailor.
The ketch, renamed Marie at
sea, started from Dartmouth, where
it was machine-gunned by a Nazi
plane.
Il didn't know we were being
machine-gunned until one of the
crew yelled at me to get below" Mr..
Clarke said. I'VE finally left from
Falmouth, and to my mind the most
nerve-racking Of all the experiences
was sailing down the Channel, in
a convoy, in the black of night.
We got lost from the convoy and
almost rammed another ship"
Made Passage in 5s Days.
The Marie, with ~. S. A." and
an American flag painted on each
side of the ketch. made Nassau in
SO days after experiences which
the average man would regard as
thrills of a lifetime. Mr.. Clarke
tried to make them appear very
ordinary. He expressed surprise
over the wave of interest in his trip.
The submarine. Italian, was
sighted 280 miles northwest of Lis
bon.
Our lookout cried, Submarine
dead ahead" Mr.. Clarke recalled.
Sure enough, there it was. The
sub had its coming tower gun
trained on us. We could see the
captain In hts white sweater, and
we didn't know what would happen.
We waved at the sailors, and we
were happy when they waved back.
The sub circled us, and then lit out
in a northwestwardly direction. Then
we saw the italian nag. The sub
was 230 feet long,"
Mr.. Clarke reported that 400 miles
from the British coast their ketch
was circled by Nazi bombers. They
flew low for a good look, and then
went on their way.
Put in at Madeira.
The ketch picked up fishing net
which fouled the propellers. so Mr.
Clarke put in at Madeira for re-
pairs. That was 20 days after the
start.
When they we're within 400 miles
of Nassau they ran out OF, food
They restocked from the tanker
Arabella, out of Baltimore, and con-
tinued on to Nassau. There was
some trouble there over the ketch's
registry, but through the interven-
ton of the Duke Of Windsor the
Marie was permitted to come on
to Miami. A gale delayed the ketch
on the last lap Of the journey.
"The sky of Miami sure looked
good" Mr.. Clarke admitted. But
I did not think the trip was much
out Of the ordinary. Guess we were
lucky"
But one member of the crew, Nor
man Middleton, a Briton, and the
steward. was not so happy over the
trip. He had never been to sea
before, and he made the trip "just
for excitement"
II got enough of it," he said. mo
more sea trips for me-"