The Small Ships

[?]lbert Bonneaud For New Hebrides

S smart, clean, and attractive an Islands ship as any to visit Sydney for a long time was nptoirs Francais des Nouvelles brides 240-tons motor-vessel lert Bonneaud, which returned Vila mid-February, after four nths’ overhaul. Certain en jements and improvements were de to the crew’s accommodation. !ompletely belying her past his y—she was originally a garbage sel for the US Fleet at Noumea ith her pale blue hull and white nmings and her generally neat (S, Captain Courtois might well proud of his little vessel, he normally trades entirely bin the New Hebrides, with a y occasional run to Noumea. * left Sydney fully laden with firm’s cargo.

Hy Vega Was Dismasted

/hen the 138-foot schooner ht Vega was dismasted off hti in November (PIM, Decem , page 127) the incident was ced on as an unfortunate event t might well happen to any ing craft. ow, however, from a Honolulu rspaper we learn that, prior to ing, the name of the vessel had n changed to Te Rame. To any

seaman this puts the matter in an entirely different light. Old shell backs were firmly of the belief that changing a ship’s name was simply asking for trouble.

The Rarotonga schooner Ornant had her name changed to Te Aroa at about the same time —and arrived at New Zealand after a 40-days’ passage, and in very sorry condition. <PIM, January, page 124.)

Notes From The Cooks

Messrs. A. B. Donald & Co.’s twin screw inter-island motor-vessel Charlotte Donald was reported to have carried away a coupling on one of her shafts when about to berth at Penrhyn (N. Cook Is.) in January. Mr. D. C. Brown’s Mahu rangi was chartered to take the necessary spare from Rarotonga.

Early February, the Mahurangi

was reported to be preparing to depart for Papeete for dry-docking.

A number of Rarotongan passengers were making the round trip to visit relations. Mr. Tom Neale, of Raro tonga, was making his annual visit.

The ketch Siren, purchased by Mr. D. C. Brown as she lay wrecked on the Avarua reef, is now reported a s almost ready fof re-launching.

The 42-foot English ketch Kim bala, which left Rarotonga, Novem ber 28, arrived at Auckland, January 10, and Captain Arnott reported having had a very adverse passage.

She apparently met the same storm as Te Aroa.

The Tereora Mystery

Ten years ago—January 16, 1942 —the Tahiti schooner Tereora left

Papeete for Uturoa with cargo \ several passengers. She disappese without a trace.

It was thought she probably I been sunk by a Japanese rat which, on New Year’s Day, 11 sank the Matson freighter Mals in the vicinity of the Aus?

Islands. But when Captain M colm Peters and the crew of ti vessel were released from a prii camp in Japan after the war, td had no knowledge of any attacks the Donald schooner.

A search of Japanese naval cords might disclose something..

The weather in the French Oceania was reported g* when Tereora disappeared, and! known facts can account for loss. She was built in New ZealsJ about 1922.

The American yacht Viaf manned by Mr. W. Harry Close, . wife, and a friend, Mr. D. H. Woe side, arrived in Papeete on Dece ber 16 from San Francisco, Hawaii and Christmas Is. T'; plan, after a month in Tahiti,,, head westward for Samoa, I Tonga, and thence home.

Betua In Trouble

The British Solomons new ho:c tal vessel Betua, after delays, saf from Sydney mid-February Honiara. She was reported February 21 as having sprung a I and anchored in the Macleay R:d (central NSW coast), seeking

Sydney observers wonder her she is going to make a r showing than the Adminis m’s hoodoo ship Kovala.

News Of The Varua

iliam Albert Robinson, whom will remember as owner of

the yacht Svaap and writer of the book “Deep Water and Shoal”, has been resident in Tahiti for some years. There he is President of the Anti-Filariasis Society, to which he has given much time and money since returning to the South Seas in his yacht Varua.

He left Papeete in Varua early in

January bound for “nowhere” according to our Tahiti corres pondent. Then came a telegram from Valdivia, Chile, addressed to Mr. Lewis Hirshon, of Papeete; “Driven to 50 South Latitude by head winds, gales, whale, iceberg, albatross. All well. Chile wonder ful. Miss Tahiti—Robinson.

[?]ll ships in the news this month:— [?]ERT BONNEAUD.—Smart little of the Compagnie Francaise Nou- Hebrides, which returned to Vila overhaul.

UTGAN.-Mr. Marinacce’s ship, which been delayed and is still lying in [?]der Bay, Sydney. (See Feb. PIM, [?]36.) VALA. —The BSIP vessel, whien has three years in Sydney, now reclines [?]st a derelict in one of Sydney’s waters.

PIRE.—Sydney yacht, which was [?]g in the Cook Is. last year, is soon [?]turn. Rarotongan crew members and Pepe express their pleasure in [?]y Islands way.