Sponsored by the Frigidaire appliance company, in December 1933 the schooner "Seth Parker" set sail for the South Pacific via the Panama Canal. Departing from Portland, Maine, the ship docked at various ports along the eastern seaboard such as Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Jacksonville, Florida, from where they broadcast their short-wave radio program that was retransmitted by NBC. For the listening public, this was a grand adventure by a group of wholesome Americans led by the creator of Rev. Seth Parker. However, the broadcasts revealed a bit of the frivolity behind the scenes of a voyage filled with wine, women and the kind of songs that were not found in any Seth Parker hymnal. In February 1935, disaster struck in the form of a tropical storm off the coast of American Samoa. The ship was severely damaged to the point where the expedition had to be abandoned, which spelled the end of the radio program. The ship's distress signal on February 11 was answered by , which was carrying the Duke of Gloucester home to the United Kingdom. With little visible damage, Lord declined the offer of support, only to summon back the "Australia" with another distress call early the next morning. In heavy seas, the "Australia" took on board nine of the schooner's crew. In response to speculation that the distress signals were a hoax, the Australian government confirmed in May that they were genuine and that no action would be taken against Lord.