The Smallships

Auckland Waterfront Gossip

“TUMP aboard” someone called, J “We’re just shifting berth. And let go that line for’ard, if you don’t hniind —and look out for the wet paint. We’ll take a turn out in the stream and tell you what’s cooking.”

I The vessel was the 35-ton, 60foot, 47-years-old hold-scow Scot; one of the numerous family trading [vessels built by David Darrach, of Omaha, near Auckland, in the first quarter of this century. Scot was for years operated on NZ coast, latterly with a motor. She was taken over by the Americans in the war, but was too small for NZ-Solomons run, lay in Auckland for years, and finally was bought two years ago by Mr, Lew Graham, former owner of those two wrecks which now grace the Aitutaki reef in the Cook Islands— |Karono and Alexander.

Aboard, we were surprised to see Captain J. McK. Arnot in “working kit” at the helm. The Eastern Pacific will remember Captain Arnot passing through last year—Mar quesas, Tahiti, Rarotonga—in his yacht Kimbala, from England. With 30 years of seafaring behind him, latterly with the Burma Oil Co., he came to New Zealand to buy a farm and say goodbye to all that. But the disease is deeprooted, it seems.

Captain Arnot had just returned from helping to deliver the Lady Stirling from North Auckland to Suva, where she is now operating for the Catholic Mission. Meanwhile, Kimbala is undergoing overhaul in an Auckland shipyard. “No, nothing denfiite in view. Writing a book in the meantime—and looking for any thing interesting that offers in the seafaring line— with or without KimbalaV Also aboard was Cec. Harrison, formerly of the Karoro and Alex ander—ready for another look at the Islands.

“Well, we’re heading for Fiji,” said Lew Graham “and we don’t ex pect to bring Scot back. There could be a job for her in a certain movie set-then, again, she may become domiciled in the Lau Group. Only thing certain at the moment is that she’s going to become well-known in Fiji.”

Scot, looking staunch enough, despite age, was due out on another adventure late in July—with two sturdy diesels and a full spread of canvas.

“Sorry we’re not going” we said.

“After all, with only 3 feet of draught, this one should be able to get well up onto a reef, so that a

man could walk ashore dry-shod, if need be!”

At the rail Captain Arnot had an other interesting morsel.

“Remember that story you ran about Captain Fullylove wanting to visit Rapa? Well I was going to sail him down there from Rarotonga.

We’d made that date to meet in the Cook Islands two years before—and we kept it. I’d just retired from the Burma Oil Co. at the time. Fully love flew to Rarotonga while on leave. But it was too late for the Rapa excursion—winter and strong westerlies from there to New Zea land—so we gave up the idea.

“By the way, you might tell them

in Rarotonga that I’ve had a letter trom Fullyloye telling me that he’s just got married. So there definitely won’t he anv pyp Qno cTming un'” excursi ° ns to Rapa coming up.

Another Southern Cross

At the Anglican Church’s diocesan 1 synod in Wellington, NZ, on July 16 the General Secretary of the Missions Board, (the Rev, W. S. Southward) announced that it is proposed to build a new ship in England to replace the present Melanesian Mission vessel Southern Cross.

Southern Cross, because of her age, is becoming uneconomic to operate.

A committee in Britain has commenrerl tn rake f, in Hc mencea to raise tunas.

Small Ships For Solo

Mons-New Hebrides

The Leper’s Trust Board and rep resentatives of the four Missions (Melanesian, Catholic, Methodist and Presbyterian) operating lepro-

In the news this month (top to bottom): The 35-tons hold-scow Scot, for Fiji.

The men who man her: Mr. Lew Graham, Mr. Cec. Harrison and Captain Jack Arnot. Missing from photo: Mr. Theo Young.

Figurehead of the Foz do Douro, now loading scrap in the Solomons.

Foz do Douro’s master, Captain Joao de Deus; and Captain L. Boulton of Maui Pomare.

Captain Boulton’s command, Maui Pomare, again causing speculation.

Oiseau des Iles, still refitting in Auck-

land, now has her three lofty masts ? for shortening—due to rot. They w? fitted only two years ago.

sariums in the Solomons-New Hebrides area, met in Auckland on July 14, to discuss details of four 55-foot motor vessels which the Board plans to build—probably in [Auckland —and give to the Missions lo operate. f Funds were allocated recently. hThe final cost is expected to be £15,000 (NZ) each. They will be used for general medical-patrol work [when not engaged on leper work.

F Idle Hour Sold To New

Hebrides

The 60-foot Brisbane River show piece, Idle Hour, a luxury cruiser once owned by a well-known seller of Golden Casket tickets, has been re christened Don Quijote and has sailed for the New Hebrides where she will be used for Condominium Government purposes. Captain W. L.

Kennedy, Sydney shipbroker, ar ranged the sale.

She left Brisbane under the com mand of the Vila habourmaster, Captain Alfred Broise and with a crew of four native Hebrideans.

She is equipped with twin diesels capable of pushing her along at 15 knots.

In keeping with the policy of neutrality maintained by the joint French-British Condominium, she has been given a Spanish name—Don

Quijote—we presume after the gent who used to tilt at windmills.

Nh Mission Ship Christened

A 28-foot launch built in Sydney for the Presbyterian Overseas Mis sion was named Goodwill by the Presbyterian moderator in Sydney, on July 12.

In the New Hebrides the boat will be skippered by the Rev. Cam Williamson and have a crew of three or four New Hebrideans. Goodwill has been strongly built for work in the open sea and among dangerous reefs.

The new launch has been named for a Canadian minister, the Rev.

John Goodwill, who with his wij and children went to the Hebrid< in 1871 to make the first attempts 1 convert the cannibals. It is recorde that the entire crew of a tradir vessel was eaten by the natives mile from their station a year aft< the Goodwills arrived there.

Dibbern Heading Islane

Wards?

Since Captain George Dibben well known owner-skipper of th yacht Te Rapunga won a half-shai in a Tasmanian lottery—total £lO,OO —in May, 1950, nothing has bee heard of him in the Islands.

The skipper set himself up on little farm on an island in th approaches to Hobart, intending t live there happily ever after, wit Te Rapunga moored nearby an available for short week-end sorties.

But, a friend in New Zealand re ports that the 62-years-old maste mariner is again developing itch heels. He plans to head Islandward again to renew old acquaintances i the eastern Pacific—so watch out fo a yacht on a north-easterly course.

Philante Ii Reaches Tahit

When the Dutch immigrant shi] Sibajak arrived at Wellington, N 7 on July 23 she had aboard three mei and a woman who had joined th vessel at Papeete. They were par of the crew of the Fairmile passenge launch Philante II which had arrive* there from England via Panama oi July 8.

Philante II was the vessel pur chased by Mr. Athol Rusden wh< went to England from Tahiti afte selling the schooner New Goldet Hind to a Tahiti firm last year.

The former crew members o Philante II reported that that vesse has now also been handed over t( Tahiti buyers.

The delivery voyage commencec from England on April 10. On< woman member of the crew left th< vessel at Panama.

Wan Yui By-Passes The

Unions

To beat what has been describee as the “ransom money” demandec by Australian Seamen’s Union, the Chinese LST Wan Yui (PIM, Ma} and July) was employed in late Julj to tow a vessel from Sydney tc Noumea.

The vessel concerned, the ok Union Co. freighter Ngakuta, hac been sold to overseas buyers ir the Far East but, in line with it; policy in regard to all vessels sole to overseas buyers, the Seamen’; Union insisted on manning the vesse

for the delivery voyage, at very high fates of pay—plus return air fares etc. or, alternatively, the payment of a large sum as compensation if the [vessel was foreign-manned. [ To avoid this ransom money the buyers chartered the Wan Yui to itow the vessel as far as Noumea. A fessel under tow does not require a full crew.

I At the end of July, Wan Yui and [her tow were reported sheltering from tough seas in Brisbane.

£2Oo Prize

Sponsors of the next trans-Tasman yacht race (in 1954), the Royal [Hobart Regatta Association, have announced that, as part of the Tas manian 150th anniversary celebra tions, they will donate a £2OO prize.

It is hoped this will attract a good “field,” including Islands entries, i Lahara, of Port Moresby, was the only Islands entrant in the last race.

Chiquita Calls At Papeete

Auckland yachtsmen are watching with interest the progress of the new 35-foot reverse-sheer cutter Chiquita, which arrived at Papeete on July 10 after an excellent passage from Raro tonga (PIM, July, p. 126).

Full plans of this yacht—first of her kind to be built in NZ—were published in a NZ yachting magazine coincident with her departure from Auckland.

Owner-skipper, Jack Campbell, plans to sell the vessel in San Fran cisco where a brisk market for over seas yachts is reported, due to high costs and preoccupation of shipyards on defence work in the United States.

Nolan Fleet Auctioned

Three motor trawlers which had belonged to the fleet of J. M. Nolan, who died while shell diving in New Guinea last year, were offered at auction in Townsville in late July.

The three boats, Ellen, Josey, and Gwen May were offered as a fleet, but bids did not reach the reserve of £15,000. When they were offered separately Ellen was purchased by Mr. E. R. Snook of Lae, New Guinea, at £5,000. The bids for the other two boats did not reach the reserve.

Mr. Snook purchased the launch Tangalooma some time ago at Townsville and sailed her to New Guinea.

Schooner For His Majesty?

When the Auckland scow Scot sailed for Suva on July 29 it was understood that she was one of two “possibles” in the running for a place in the Warner film “His Majesty

O’Keefe.” The other vessel was said to be the Waimana of Rabaul — a larger vessel more nearly approaching the appearances of the original.

However, the Scot’s crew were letting their beards grow en route, in the hope that, being actually on the spot and looking the part, the job would fall to vessel and crew.

Te Aroa Still In Trouble

From the Cooks comes belated news of that ill-starred vessel Te Aroa (ex Ornant ), repeatedly in trouble since taking to the Islands trade.

After a smart 14 days passage from Auckland, the schooner arrived back in Rarotonga on May 10. Her

Master, Captain D. S. McLeod, ex perienced difficulty in obtaining a crew in New Zealand, and cleared port with only two besides himself.

Soon after leaving Auckland, her auxiliary engine slowed up and finally stopped completely. Upon ex amination, the sump was found to be dry and the engine seized up. At one stage the vessel logged 175 miles

in 22 hours under sail alone.

As both of the U.S.S. Co’s launches were out of commission when Te Aroa arrived in Rarotonga Captain McLeod was faced with the unenviable task of sailing right into the harbour; no mean feat in Avarua Harbour which has claimed so many ships in the past.

When it was apparent that the en

gine could not be repaired ur spares arrived from New Zealai the owners decided to send her on trip to Penrhyn. She is reported have arrived after a 16 day passa] Since then the vessel has continu to trade round the Group under s alone. In July she sailed to Ai and was in sight of the island f two days but head winds final forced her to abandon the voya and run back to Rarotonga.

Addition To Brown Flee

Added to Mr. D. C. Brown’s fie at Rarotonga recently, was the sm£ little 26-ft. cutter built by R< Powell at Avarua in 1948. It understood that she will be used the Manihiki lagoon as a pearlh cutter.

The yawl Marie, also owned 1 Dick Brown, has been operating the lagoon since 1950. Marie, lil Mr. Brown’s more recent acquisitic Siren, was purchased as she lay c the Avarua reef at Rarotonga. Sire now repaired, is due to take tl water again. Marie was original built to fish in Rarotongan wate but the venture was not a success.

Mission Launch For

New Hebrides

Replacing a vessel lost in the la New Hebrides hurricane, the 28-f

launch Goodwill was launched in Sydney on July 12 for the Methodist Mission. It is named after the Rev.

Don. Goodwill, a pioneer missionary of NH 80 years ago, and it has been shipped to Vila. It will be skippered by the Rev. “Cam” Williamson, with i native crew and will be based at

rasiriki, (Santo).

Foz Do Douro—Two

Departures

I The ex-windjammer, Foz do Douro> which is now loading scrap in BSI, Sailed from Auckland, NZ, early on

July 19.

[ About two hours later she was seen returning to port. She had apparently sailed without her Customs clearance—a mistake due to language difficulties.

She left again for Tulagi within i few hours.

Mr. “Bill” MacGregor, well-known resident of New Guinea, and mana ger of the Baiyer River Experi nental Cattle Station, near Mount Elagen.. in the Highlands, in recent pears, arrived in Australia by the luly Bulolo, on long leave.

Mr. George Yates, formerly as sistant solicitor to the Blackburn Corporation in the UK and for the past two years legal assistant to ;he West Midlands Division of the National Coal Board, has been ap pointed Registrar of the Supreme Court in Fiji.

Mr. C. Ross Walker, manager of Fruit Distributors, Ltd., the New Zealand organisation handling all imported fruits, was on an in spection tour of the Islands in July, surveying at first-hand the fruit crop prospects. He travelled by air as far as Altutaki, then made a round of the Lower Cook Islands in the Maui Pomare.

Mr. and Mrs. Howard Halliday returned to Wau, NG, from leave in Australia, on the June Bulolo.

Mrs. Halliday is the Secretary of the Local Town Advisory Council. Mrs.

Perkins. Mrs. Halliday’s mother, accompanied them for several months' holiday in Wau.

Skipper H. W. Williams, of the ketch Inspire, was busily making preparations early in July to sail from Sydney for Rarotonga, Cook Islands. The 80 ft, 45 tons t/s ves sel will carry three European crew and two Cook Islanders.

The Rev. Father W. Schoor, of the Society of the Divine Word RC Mission, at Banara-Bogia, out from Madang, New Guinea, is spending his first furlough in 15 years in his homeland, the Saar, Germany.

In sentencing two cargo workers to 14 days’ imprisonment, in Rarotonga, in July, the magistrate expressed serious concern at the amount of cargo pillaging at that p or t

Mrs. lan Macdonald of Port Moresby, with her two young sons, has taken a house at Surfers Paradise, Queensland, for several months. She will be joined by Mr.

Macdonald in September.