News of Small Ships

The Viria In Sydney

'ONSIDERED by most to be the ' flagship of the New Guinea ter-island trade. Mr. G. Zavatara’s 0-ton motor-ship Viria certainly )ked the part when she visited dney in March.

Built in Sweden, Viria has the ncally clean, attractive lines of the >dern Scandinavian vessel, with :ellent accommodation. Spotless I comfortably equipped, she is a cry from the old veterans that often gravitate to the Islands de after their normal life has led in tougher climes.

Vlr. Zavatara, of Italian parentage, nt the war years we believe, in an stralian internment camp. Suc sful in the New Guinea war plus scrap metal trade, he now ns Viria and another 300-tonner.

Captain R. Hughes, master of ia, joined that vessel after a long iod of adventurous sailoring on Chinese rivers where, in recent rs, his ship was fired on from fs along the river banks on almost ry voyage. He admits that he I his men did a certain amount successful shooting back. It was in the day’s work in China.

Gria brought scrap metal from

New Guinea and left Sydney laden with drums of oil for Rabaul. Viria is usually engaged in the drum-oil trade in New Guinea waters. * * *

Ranui To Be Laid Up

Acquired several years ago for Administrative duties in the Cook Islands, the auxiliary ketch Ranui arrived in Wellington, March 12 to be laid up there indefinitely.

The cost of maintaining the vessel in the Cook Islands does not warrant her use while the Group is provided with privately-owned inter-island craft capable of transporting Ad ministration officials and cargo.

She is considered too small to maintain a suitable connection be tween Apia, Samoa, and the Tokelau Is., for which service the Islands Territories Department has been seeking a vessel for two years. She joins the NZ Government steamer Matai, which is idle after a number of chartered voyages to Norfolk Island.

Matai, former lighthouse tender, is held in reserve as an ocean telegraph-cable repairing vessel. * * *

Margaret W In New

Service

Captain Emile Savoie reported on arrival Sydney per the 400-ton New

Hebrides trader Loyaute , March 16, that he has disposed of his motor vessel El Retiro to Societe Com merciale Gubbay, Vila.

Captain Savoie flew to New Zealand to take over his latest acquisition, the motor - vessel Margaret W. A native crew, brought down in the Loyaute, was flown to

Auckland to take the ship from NZ to Sydney and N. Hebrides.

Like the El Retiro, the Margaret W will maintain a cargo connection between N. Hebrides, NZ and Aus tralia, Margaret W, originally a Scan

dinavian 3-masted schooner, was taken to NZ some years ago by Captain Watchlin, an Auckland ship owner. She retains the clipper bow, but has long since ceased to carry sail. With an excellent motor she should be a useful addition to ranks of Island shipping.

Vila Star For Wellington

The New Hebrides Shipping Trading Co.’s vessel Vila Star, whic for some months has been runnir cargoes of scrap metal from tt New Hebrides to Sydney, will, at th conclusion of her next voyage, mal a special voyage to Wellington, NN to load general cargo for the Grou according to present intentions. ❖ ❖ ❖

Yacht Anna Elizabeth

From Our Own Correspondent “A Friend of France” was ho the official newspaper Echo t Tahiti headed its article welcomir Mr. Lamberty, of Holland, in h 35-foot yacht Anna Elizabeth c February 13.

The little steel yacht came fro Amsterdam by way of Curacao G days), Panama and the Marques; (24 days). She left Holland Augu 7, 1951.

Mr. Lamberty has a distinguish war record, including service wi the French Foreign Legion and long period in the Merchant Marin Since the war he has already mai a voyage as far as the Marques in a 27-foot converted life-bot which was wrecked there. F obtained passage by another yac to Honolulu, flew back to Hollar

d prepared the present craft. His nee joined him at the Marquesas r the passage to Tahiti.

The Mv Alt Air

Vila, Apr. 2,

Reported that the MV Altair, tied by French interests, has been 1 to Suva. At sea, the Altair ks to have only about 12 in. of aboard; but in spite of that she served this Group well.

To Replace Huia

ntended for trade between New iland and New Caledonia-New brides, Mr. N. W. Thomas of llington expected to arrive at

Auckland from Copenhagen aboard his new vessel June, late March.

Built in 1945 at Nova Scotia for Mr. H. H. Folk, of Denmark, and intended for trade in the Arctic, June was originally called Jane Lolk. Purchased last year by Mr.

Thomas, after the loss of his old schooner, the Huia, on Komekame Reef, New Caledonia, June has taken 3 months to come out from Europe.

Of 350-tons gross, June should be a useful ship on the poorly-serviced New Zealand-New Caledonia-New Hebrides trade route, which Captain E. Savoie, with his El Retiro, and now with his recently acquired Margaret- W, opened up 18 months ago.

Mystery Fire

Curious circumstances surrounded a fire which destroyed the Huia a fortnight after her stranding on Feb ruary 2, 1951. Purchased from the underwriters as she lay on the reef full of cargo—mainly drums of oil —the buyer is reported to have arrived on the scene to commence salvage just in time to see the last of the vessel going up in smoke.

People who should know consider that during the two weeks of discus sion between Underwriters and pur chaser a third party performed the salvage on his own account and set fire to the bare remaining hull. They could be wrong; but it would appear

op to bottom: Captain “Milo” Savoie exchanged his old El Retiro (below) the Margaret-W. [?] aptain R. Hughes, fresh from the [?] Coast, was in command of Viria, ship of the New Guinea inter-island [?], which arrived in Sydney fully [?]n (below).

likely that a vessel, even loaded h gasoline, would catch fire as she on a reef, surrounded completely water, two weeks after being indoned.