News Of The Small-Ships

Pamir Again For Sale

Pamir, one of the few square- Iggers still in service, is again for ale. The four-masted barque is ell remembered in Pacific shipping teles. Seized by the NZ Govern lent as she lay in Wellington when Inland entered! the war, she was perated on the trans-Pacific trade Hough a large part of World War I On one occasion she was circled y a submarine thought to be lemy, but was unmolested.

A few years ago Pamir cleared uckland for the last time, bound ir the Thames on return to her riginal Finnish owners. For a me she lay in an English port as store ship, then she was purchased f Heinz Schliewen, a German lipowner and lover of sailing sssels, who hoped to persuade the ’est German Government to back ie enterprise.

According to a German special irrespondent writing from Ham irg to the Auckland Star, Schlie- Jn borrowed money at 9% to re [Uip and fit, engines in Pamir and issat, then, with 60 volunteer dets, German, British and Italian loard, Pamir made two successful ns to South America under Cap in Paul Greiff.

Now, however, with freight-rates lling, Schliewen cannot carry on. seems unlikely that the German )vernment will find the finance [juired to continue operations, ough Schliewen has a queue of

2,000 boys under 20 awaiting their turn to serve in Pamir, Passat or the more recently acquired Moshulu or Carl Vinnen for food and pocket money only.

Tasman Company Buys

Another

The Tasman Steamship Co. of Auckland, owners of Viti on the trans-Tasman trade, announced early December that they have pur chased a small Italian motor vessel named Ada for use on the trans- Tasman explosives trade. The little ship, of 550 tons measurement (450 dw), will be commanded by Captain P. E. Nash of the Tasman Co.’s shore staff on the delivery voyage.

Mr. S. K. Upton, the company’s senior engineer, will be his Chief Engineer. An Italian crew will be employed.

Ada is expected in Auckland in March.

Vila Star

Vila Star cleared Auckland No vember 26 with some general cargo for Norfolk and there to load 180 tons of airfield steel matting for Sydney. On arrival there Captain A. Duff intended going ashore for treatment to his wrist, which he broke while in the New Hebrides some time ago. His place will temporarily be taken by Captain R. D. Matheson, formerly of Tagua and Rawhiti, who travelled as pas senger in the vessel from Auck land.

Signed on in Auckland as Second Officer was Mr. Joe Spring, lately Mate in Oiseau des lies.

From Sydney Vila Star is making a special voyage to Biak Island, NET, to bring a cargo of war surplus motor parts to Tauranga, NZ. A call will be made at Noumea with general cargo on the north bound trip, and at Lae both ways for bunkers.

A’Oniu Returns

The Tongan Copra Board’s auxil liary vessel A’onui, after being held

in port by bad weather for two days, cleared Auckland for Nukua lofa just before Christmas. Lowe’s shipyard had completed replacement of hardwood keel, copper plating, and sundry other work in record lime.

Captain James G. McCormick joined the vessel before departure and would take over as master

from Captain Carl Johnson on arrival in Tongan waters. Captain McCormick has recently been in the Holm Shipping Co. of Welling ton and served 18 years in the RNZN prior to that, including periods in the Islands.

Captain Johnson will resume as Master of the Tongan Government vessel Hifofua and Harbour Master,

Nukualofa.

A’oniu carried a small cargo drummed oil and sundry Goveii ment stores. The passage was e pected to take about seven days

Tully Falls Coral Sea Th

(See photo page 117) The motor tug Tully Falls, Marine Contractors fleet, Cair has just completed a quick voy£ to Willis Islet and return to Cair Captain A (Bertie) Hall, known in New Guinea and 1 Islands, was in charge.

(Continued Col. 11, Page 115)

ONRUST in which Dirk Tober (ins[?] completed a notable single-handed voy[?] from Holland to Auckland early December[?] Steel yachts like Onrust complete [?] ready for sea, cost about £2,300 Holland.

The purpose of the trip was to evacuate the last of the Dept, of Works personnel who have been on Willis for some months rebuilding the weather station and living quarters—also to take Christmas mail and stores to the permanent staff.

The Tully Falls made an average speed of over eight knots for the round trip, despite heavy seas and head winds for most of the way.

Two different cyclonic centres were operating near the area during the voyage and landing had to be effected an the north-western ex

tremity of the Islet owing to on shore winds and dangerous surf in the normal anchorage.

This is the second time the Tully Falls has been called upon to do this trip owing to the amount of work now piling up for the Cape because of new-lighthouse construction on the Queensland, coast.

Willis Islet is approximately 250 miles east of Cairns in the Coral Sea and is one of the main weather watching centres in this area.

Francis Lost On Ng Reef

On the afternoon of December 16, the small NG coastal vessel Francis,. struck a reef off Reva, a native village near Madang, New Guinea, and sank. All hands are reported

Mr. W. B. Crawford (left), local [?]pping manager for WRC at Fiji, came Auckland on leave December. Captain mes G. McCormick joined A’oniu as [?]ster.

Ready for sea but delayed two days in [?]ckland by a tropical storm, the crew A’oniu spent Christmas at sea instead back at Nukualofa, their home port.

Salutes for the Royal cannon: A’oniu’s [?]stow cases of blank ammunition low. It will be used for courtesy [?]ute purposes at Nukualofa.

La Reta, a Fairlime launch used for [?]icial purposes in the Cook Islands [?]eral years ago, now takes fishing [?]ties regularly out from Auckland. Here

she lies at the Auckland waterfront, beside another converted Fairmile, Iris Moana, with the liner Rangitane in the background.

d be safe, but it is feared the vessel fill be a total loss.

The Francis until recently, has een engaged picking up shell at tie remote Ninigo Islands, also at arious islands in the Vitiaz Straits. [ few months ago it was leased ) a Madang syndicate, and has een kept busy collecting copra at arious plantations near Madang, he ship will be a loss to the lanters who depended on her to lear their copra.

News of Cruising Yachts

Dirk Tober, of Onrust, has given f news of two yachts not previ isly reported in these notes —both bierican owned.

One is Calypso, which he met in Eipeete and. it is believed, intends i remain there until April before •essing on westward. The other the 55-foot Danish-built Colin rcher-type ketch Al Sirat, whose mers were formerly employed by le Panama Canal Authority. This issel is now at Pago Pago and is jparently likely to remain there r an indefinite period as her mers have found employment in nerican Samoa.

Pleaides, the 40-foot “home-brew” >tch from Taranaki, NZ, which sared Whangaroa, October 24, rived at Lord Howe, December 6, id after a few days there pro eded on to Sydney, arriving safely ere December 21.

The five NZ boys who share in

this dream-ship may be seen in f,he Islands this year.

The 33-foot sloop Lahara, owned and sailed by Mr. Des. Ash ton, of Port Moresby, was expected in Auck land late December according to brief ad vice received there.

Lahara, built in Hobart,

received her christening last summer in the Sydney-Hobart and the Trans-Tasman races, leaving Auck land for Port Moresby early this year.

It was hoped in Auckland that Lahara might arrive in time to take part in one or other of the Christmas coastwise cruising races.

Calms and contrary winds were the lot of Wakaya, 24 days elapsing on the Tun from Nukualofa to Russel, NZ. Short of food—except bananas and a few uninteresting “staples”—Mr. Teddy Hayes stood to the westward in the hope of in tercepting the USS Co.’s Tofua on her run from Auckland to Suva— and he was not disappointed. When Tofua was sighted on the evening of December 22 blue flares were burnt on Wakaya. Tofua stopped, the yacht came alongside, and sup plies of fresh bread and meat were transferred.

The operation provided a minor diversion for the passengers. (What the captain thought is not re corded) . (Next Pa?e)

Tully Falls—See page 114.