All-girl crew on yacht
ON August 26, 1969, The Fiji Times reported on an allgirl crew that sailed from Suva for the New Hebrides on a 55-foot cutter named
Baleia.
It was through a retired American road construction worker that an allgirls crew was selected to set sail from Fiji.
He was 60-year-old Hugh Sussex of Seattle who had chosen an all-woman crew “because I’m told they are better than men”.
This newspaper reported that Mr Sussex had been on the move on Baleia for two years before arriving in Suva in June, 1969.
He chose three girls to sail with him on his voyage from Suva to the New Hebrides, the Solomon Islands and New Guinea.
“I have so far had an allmale crew but I have been told by other yachties who have had girl crews that girls are better,” Mr Sussex said in the article.
First girl on the crew list was Makereta Toakasa of Suvavou Village, Lami who had been assigned on as a cook.
“I needed a cook so I hired Makereta. She will fly back to Suva at my expense from the New Hebrides,” Mr Sussex said.
He advertised for girls interested in joining the Baleia in the Sydney Morning Herald.
He told a reporter from
The Fiji Times he received seven applications.
“Out of these I have decided to take on two who are willing to help to pay for expenses on board,” he said.
They were Marilyn Hillier, 21, of Canada and Christina Gardiner, of Young, near Sydney.
He said Marilyn and Christina were due to arrive before the end of that week from Sydney to join the Baleia.
The girls had indicated they wanted to sail with Mr Sussex for three months.
“I will hire more girls if they decide to leave.”
Two men who sailed to Fiji with Mr Sussex had left the yacht.
I have so far had an allmale crew but I have been told by other yachties who have had girl crews that girls are better – Hugh Sussex