Happy landings for sea-tossed crew

By PETER HEALY

SEOUL - Nearly three weeks after abandoning the launch Ruamano in a ferocious storm, the crew of five made landfall yesterday - thousands of kilometres from New Zealand.

The men stepped ashore at the port of Inchon in South Korea after a non-stop journey on a log carrier.

Blasted by a storm 100 nautical miles west of Raglan, John Green, aged 50, Malcolm Reynolds, 50, Sefton Powrie, 52, Stephen Blackwell, 40, and Boyd Swinburn, 47, were rescued by the New Laurel on New Year's Day.

A voyage to circumnavigate New Zealand to raise awareness for heart disease had been abruptly aborted. The Ruamano, a restored launch built in 1925 for wealthy Auckland businessman Alf Court, has not been sighted since.

The crew of the South Korean ship had no time to return the stranded part-time sailors to New Zealand, but were more than happy to take them to South Korea.

Despite the loss of their boat, the Ruamano five said they had little to complain about.

"The generosity and hospitality of the crew and the professionalism of Captain Kang was outstanding," said Dr Swinburn. "In a way we had bad luck, but then we also had good luck."

The crew of 22 aboard the New Laurel, carrying 30,000 tonnes of timber, laid out the red carpet. Food, drink, games and entertainment were furnished.

After a lunch of fish and rice, served punctually at noon, it was time for a favourite activity, swinging practice shots at the golf range.

Victory required the captain to shell out for a bottle of Wilson's whisky.

Testament to the esprit de corps on board, the crew emptied out their beer supply on their first Saturday evening party night on the New Laurel.

"It was a great time," said Dr Swinburn. "We all got together and had a big party."

Festivities featured a demonstration of the haka. Stripped to the waist, the New Zealanders impressed their audience with a high-spirited performance.

After the war dance, a rollicking karaoke session was in order, Mr Blackwell bellowing out Frank Sinatra's My Way with uncommon verve and Dr Swinburn offering new lyrics and a stylistic twist to House of the Rising Sun.

The New Laurel crew, mostly Filipinos, touted as a disciplined and efficient unit, cut loose with mellifluous renditions of various numbers.

"The Filipinos were impressive in every way," said Mr Green.

"As workers and as singers, they were very talented."

If the New Zealanders couldn't carry a tune, they could certainly carry their own weight in the daily exercise regime. After breakfast of eggs and rice served at 7 am, they spent an hour running up and down five decks of steep stairs.

During the afternoon they read a deluge of faxes and e-mail messages.

"The support we received was overwhelming," said Mr Green.

Their story has spread far and wide. The intensive local media attention has, for the most part, engendered sympathy.

Still, the five New Zealanders have been under fire for alleged lack of judgment. It is a subject that sharply contrasts with tales of fun and games aboard the New Laurel.

Perhaps they lacked experience, or perhaps they should have stayed on the Ruamano and rode out the storm, some accounts say.

"We're not very happy about the tabloid stories that have come out of this," said Dr Swinburn. "We had a crew with significant blue water experience and we were as well prepared as we could have been.

"We were well equipped with navigation systems, wet-weather gear and safety equipment. We had a lot of weather information and expert opinion."

Of the comment by Maritime Safety Authority spokesman Russell Kilvington that the crew had "bitten off more than they could chew," Mr Powrie, who owned and skippered the Ruamano, declined to comment.

Relieved to finally reach land, the crew were intent on returning straight to New Zealand.

They plan to hold a return party with family and friends, including those who were scheduled to travel aboard the Ruamano beyond the Cape Reinga to New Plymouth leg.

"There will be a big hug for the wife and family," said Dr Swinburn, "and then it will be back to life as normal."

Dr Swinburn, who next month takes up a position as professor of public health and nutrition at Deakin University in Melbourne, said it was not certain whether the charity it was promoting had a future.

"It's up to the sponsors," he said.

The Ruamano 2000 Hearts Cruise-Aid was sponsored by the Lion Foundation and the Heart Foundation.

He said the ordeal would not compromise his enjoyment of sailing.

"I've always had a healthy respect for the sea, but I don't think this experience will deter me from sailing again."