Catamaran for T

Tourist Traffic

From Our Own Correspondent

Papeete, July 18.

AT a cost of $75,000 the Waikiki Cata maran Co., of Honolulu, is building for the Hawaii-Tahiti trade a pas senger and freight catamaran, containing 15 luxurious double staterooms and capable of making the Honolulu-Papeete run in about ten days. When placed in service, next November, this new-type vessel should go far to solve the problem of Tahiti transportation. It promises to deliver a year-round influx of tourists to “the Pearl of the Pacific” (Tahiti). (The catamaran has two hulls, fixed side by side.) President of the company is Mr. F. H.

Crozier, graduate naval architect, of Northwestern University, who has had technical and practical experience in de signing ocean-going yachts and lake craft. Into the new 80-foot catamaran is being built accommodation for 30 pas sengers and eight crew members. Carry ing 3,200 square feet of sail, and powered with two marine diesel engines it will be capable of cruising to Tahiti and back to Honolulu without refuelling, at about 15 knots. Maximum draft of the vessel is seven feet, enabling it to enter with safety most of the shallow lagoons of the South Seas.

The Waikiki company is already fabri cating 20 ft. catamarans on a production line basis. These craft are busily ferry ing capacity loads of passengers among the various Hawaiian islands. Much prac tical experience has been gained thereby in their handling, so that the larger ves sel now being built is by no means ex perimental, but eminently practical. It

has come from the melting pot of re search and reality.

Long before the advent of the white man to the Pacific, natives of various archipelagoes were transportiing warriors and produce from island to island in double canoes, nearly 100 feet in length.

Although crudely built, with no advan tage of modern marine training, they are said to have made speeds of over 30 knots.

Vice-president of the new catamaran company is Mr. Don Beach-Comber, of Honolulu, who enjoys wide repute as a restaurateur and travel host. Booking office of the catamaran company is his

The Catamaran now being built for Hawaii —Tahiti tourist trade.

nationally-known headquarters at Waikiki

which is becoming regarded as the gate way from America to the South Seas.

A spacious saloon and lounge, 32 by 27 feet in extent, will be provided in the new craft, together with adequate dining facilities, bar, music room with piano, library, cardroom and two capacious sun decks above the saloon.

It is anticipated that the catamaran will carry 30 tourists from Honolulu to Tahiti, and that she will make four round trips per annum.

Noumea, New Caledonia, is to have a new' suburb of pre-fabricated houses, with modern conveniences including a hot water and electricity supply, thanks to the initiative of Messrs. Morault and Pentecost. They are importing 50 such houses, each of 60 cubic metres, from France. As an indication of what they will be like, one of these houses is being brought out in advance of the rest by the Owendo, a Messageries Maritimes ship expected in August, and will be erected at Anse Vata.