Schooner ‘Ornant’ Is

Buffeted

Prom Our Own Correspondent

Auckland, Aug. 20.

THE 22-tons former American owned topsail schooner-yacht “Omant,” purchased by the Auckland firm of dagger & Harvey, Ltd., last year, for use as a trading vessel in the Cook Islands, narrowly escaped destruction in the Avarua Passage, Rarotonga, late in duly.

Following a 30-day passage from Auckland, during which rough weather was experienced, the motor disabled, and the chronometer put out of operation, the trim addition to the Cook Island mosquito fleet was lying at moorings in the Pas age, undergoing repairs, when a stern-line parted during a heavy squall which struck the so-called “harbour” about noon on duly 19.

The “Ornant” immediately swung across to the west side of the pas sage—close to the remains of the schooner “Tahitienne,” which was wrecked under somewhat similar circumstances in November, 1948.

Though bumping on the reef heavily for several hours, the Omant fortunately maintained a fairly even keel, thanks to some of the mooring lines holding. Mean while volunteers, directed by the Resident Commissioner, Mr. Tailby, passed a line from the schooner wharf to the imperilled craft, where it was secured to a point well up the mainmast. With all hands ashore then tailing willingly onto this line, the vessel was hove over and fortunately came clear. A fiirst inspection reported no damage of a very serious nature—but it was undoubtedly a very close call.

Mr. D. C. Brown’s Fairmile “Mahurangi,” and the Administra tion’s ketch “Ranui,” both lying alongside the wharf, were also con sidered in some danger at the height of the blow. Old hands re ported having rarely seen the har bour so rough, during the few hours that the blow lasted.

It will be recalled that the “Ornant,” returning to Auckland from Suva, where certain conver sion work to cargo carrying had been performed, had a particularly tough 22-days passage during March-April. Captain Donald Mac leod reported it as the worst pas sage he had experienced in 47 years’ seafaring. The graceful little ship had to undergo repairs following that passage.

Following on the Rarotonga in cident, Captain Macleod became suddenly ill a few days later and was operated upon in the local hospital—and arrived back in New Zealand as a plane passenger on August 16. The Captain had under

gone an appendix operation whilst the vessel was in Suva in March.

It is to be hoped that dagger & Harvey, Ltd., in their new shipping venture, have a change in their singularly bad luck of the past year.

Mr. Henry Zuberano has resigned from his position as Clerk of Court in American Samoa, owing to bad health.

Sir Alexander Grantham, former Governor of Fiji, and now Governor of Hongkong, has been awarded the Grand Cross of the Order of St.

Michael and St. George.

Dr. J. M. Cruickshank, OBE, of Suva, Inspector-General of the South Pacific Health Service, has been created Commander of the Order of St. Michael and St.

George.