Siren Lost: Another

Cook Is. Mishap

Auckland, Oct. 6.

HARD on the hews of a mishap to the Ornant, at Rarotonga, in July (Sept. PIM), followed by the loss of the NZ freighter Alexander on Aitutaki in August, comes word from Rarotonga that the 43-foot trading ketch Siren, whilst anchored off Avarua await ing favourable weather to enter the Passage after a voyage from Pukapuka, suddenly parted her cable on the afternoon of October 4; and, before the motor could be started or sail made, she struck the reef stern first.

Despite immediate efforts to save the vessel— including an attempt to haul her shoreward across the reef and clear of the pounding surf with the aid of a PWD tractor—the ketch quickly suffered serious dam age and is exoected to become a total loss. The copra cargo was mainly saved. .

The Siren, built m Suva m 1946 for Captain Grey, is well known m Fiii waters. , , .

She has for a time been on charter to Messrs. Ken Windsor (skipper) and Gordon Knight of Auckland, and has proved an extremely use ful type of vessel for the Cook Islands trade, carrying upwards of 20 tons of MOP shell—the trade in which she was mainly engaged.

Though insured against total loss, her loss will not only be a heavy blow to Cook Islands communica tions in general but also to her Charterers who have of late been competitors in the pearl shell trade.

Only recently they despatched a diving machine to Penrhyn to ex

ploit their newly acquired machine diving licence granted by the A* ministration.

The loss no doubt will also ti felt keenly by Captain Grey (not resident on Kawau Is., near AucW land), who made the little ship hr home for a number of years.