Formal Launching of BP
p. 10 · Read in the full issue
Another New Ketch
For Fiji
Vessel
MANY Suva residents arose early in the morning of February 22. to accept the invitation of Messrs.
Burns, Philp (SS) Co. Ltd., to attend the launching, at Walu Bay, of the third auxiliary ketch to be built at Messrs.
Whippy’s boat-building yards—namely, the “Moala.”
The “Moala”, like her immediate pre decessors (the “Macuata” and “Taviuni”) is 83 ft long, has a beam of 22 ft, and a draft of between 8 and 9 ft, a net tonnage of 80 tons and a gross tonnage of 128.
She is powered with a Crossley Diesel Marine Engine of 120 h.p. and, under sail, she should make an average of 8 knots.
The other two auxiliary ketches, the “Macuata” and “Taviuni”, are already in commission and are doing useful service on the coasts of Fiji. Another—making the fourth of these auxiliaries—is now being built, and it is possible another will be laid down within the next year or so.
Mr. Srrtith, Collector 'of Customs in Fiji and Registrar of Shipping congrat ulated Messrs. Burns, Philp & Co. on having proceeded with the constructipn of this third vessel; and he invited Miss Noelene Kerkham (daughter of the act ing general manager of the Company) to christen the vessel and launch her.
The youthful Miss Kerkham, although apparently very nervous, made a first class job of the ceremony. She named the ship “Moala”, broke a bottle of champagne neatly across her bows, and sent her on the way; and, with compara tively little assistance from a crowd of shouting Fijian labourers, she slid down gently into the waters of Walu Creek.