Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-06-29
HUNTING STORY MATERIAL
2 Sail for West Indies
In 20-Foot SIoop
BY WHEELER JOHNSON

A pair OF hardy young men SET
sail from Buzzard Point yester-
day in a 20-foot sloop. bound for
Florida and the West Indies
with hearts joyful and heads
packed with ambitious ideas.
The five-month voyage of Les
ter N. Blackiston of Washington
and Thomas H. Vaughan. jr., of
Petersburg, Va. both "a. was
planned while the two were fell
low Navy divers. and later as fell
low students at the Richmond
Professional Institute.
With no set itinerary, they ex-
pect to reach Miami in three or
four weeks, moving mostly
through the inland waterway,
but with bountiful blue water
cruising planned in the Indies.
Aside from adventure, Blacki-
ston is concerned with material
for a novel. It's about one-fourth
finished. A major in English at
college - he had two years at
George Washington University
before shifting to RPI-he seeks
a literary career and already has
published a short story and a
number Of poems.
Marine Biology Student
Vaughan is majoring in ma
rine biology and aims to become
an oceanographer. In the West
Indies, he hopes to acquire some
valuable specimens of sea life
for RPI.
Both are crack photographers.
In the Navy. Blackiston primarily
was a photographer, with
rating of diver, second class.
Vaughan served with an under.
water camera team which was
loaned by the Navy for training
purposes to Walt Disney for the
filming of 10000 Leagues Under
the Sea. Blackiston served from
1949 to 1853 and his buddy from
1851 to 1855, and it was an ex-
citing life.
One moment of it was particu-
larly exciting to Vaughan. Very
likely no other man in Navy his
tory has been as close to being
hit directly by torpedo. During
submarine practice of Key West,
Vaughan was As feet down when
a torpedo, swerving As degrees of
course, missed him by inches.
Hazardous Experience
But Blackstone most perilous
experience followed his discharge,
when he took a flyer at salvage
diving. He was hired to retrieve
a grain hopper which slipped
from a fiat car and nestled in
the mud of Baltimore Harbor in
SIS feet Of water. To obtain
purchase on the hopper it was
necessary to blow mud from be-
meath it and while Blackiston
was busy with compressed air,
the thing shifted. 1t tangled
his air and life lines while the
youngster desperately fastened
a chain.
For 20 narrowing minutes he
was suspended, head down, with
two rockies in the business man.
ming the apparatus above. When
they wound the winch. the diver
went down instead of up. Some
how, the business was straight
ened out, but at the expense OF
Les Blackstone professional div
ing career.
ITO hell with this" he said,
and stalked of the pier.
OF Florida and in the Indies,
Blackiston and Vaughan plan to
spear fish for specimens for RPI.
Aqualungs, fms and masks are
prominent in the wide variety Of
equipment on their modest craft,
named Kon-Leaki. after the
powerless raft Kon-Tiki which
rode the currents from Central
America to Tahiti. The Kon-
Leak carries 235 square feet Of
canvas on a 20-foot mast. and a
five-horsepower cupboard aux
iliary. A part Of her ballast is
about so pounds Of canned pork
and beans.
The youngsters purchased her
at Buzzard Point after searching
the boatyards Of Washington,
Baltimore and Norfolk for a suit
able craft. Technically, the Kon-
Leak would be classed as q Mar
coni-rigged sloop. Her hull was
built In Holland. She gives the
impression Of being an excep-
tionally sturdy. but graceful Job.
To help with the finances,
Vaughan sold his Volkswagen to
the same Petersburg dealer he
purchased 1t from, for $1,000.
We're not worried about
money" Blackiston said, zone
reason being that Tom and l
are not averse to doing odd Jobs"
For some Of the cruises in the
Indies there will be third crew
member, to be picked UP at vero
Beach, Fla. That would be Mrs.
Blackiston. married two years
ago last Tuesday.