News Of The Small-Ships

Patrol Vessel Tiare

The red pompoms of the French Navy were seen in Suva during July when Capitaine de Corvette Ray mond Houdayer, Legion d’Honneur, Croix de Guerre, and a crew of 28, brought the patrol vessel Tiare from Noumea for drydocking.

To seat the 136 ft, 252 g.t vessel on the slip cradle, it was necessary to ballast her stern with seven tons of chain cables and anchors and about the same weight in drums of water, thus raising the forefoot.

Tiare and her sister vessel Lotus, based on Papeete, are former Ameri can yard mine sweepers (YMS). At least two other similar craft, con verted to trade purposes, are operat ing in the South Pacific. One is Manua Tele, of Pago Pago, and the other Taumotu, of Papeete.

On arrival at Suva, Captain Houdayer paid a courtesy visit on the Governor and this was later re turned by his Aide. Other functions were held while in port. Tiare sailed July 19 for Wallis and Futuna, Apia, Pago Pago, Nukualofa on courtesy visits. She was to call again at Suva on August 10 for refuelling en route to base at Noumea.

Maui Pom Are Makes Apia

Trip

NZGS Maui Pomare, normally on the New Zealand-Cook Islands run, made a voyage to W. Samoa for bananas in June-July—her first since late 1949 —due to the absence of the USS Co’s Matua, temporarily relieving on the NZ inter-island service.

Another Fiji Cutter Lost

Bound from Suva for her home port of Moala, in the Lau Group, the 9-ton, 26-foot cutter Tagimaucia was lost near Nasilai reef in the early hours of July 1. One member of the crew, Waisake Yavala, lost his life. Four others and two passengers managed to get ashore.

When they met heavy head weather an attempt was made to turn back to Suva but in bringing the sailing craft round she was overwhelmed by a sea and sank immediately. She was owned by the people of Cakova, Moala, and was the second sailing cutter lost m Fiji waters within 6 weeks— BP’s Yalewa having been lost May 26.

Ranui Sold

The sturdy double-ender ketch Ranui, which has lain idle in Wellington harbour since she was withdrawn from a period of service lor NZ Island Territories Depart ment in the Cook Islands, was re ported sold in July. The vessel had been advertised in Island news papers. Buyer’s name not avail able as yet.

Ranui was built at Stewart Is., and equipped with radar dur ing the war to assist her in locating Campbell Island far to

the south and usually enshrouded in bad weather. When it was dis covered during World War II that German raiders had seemingly used some of New Zealander’s southern islands for careening purposes, Coastwatchers were established there. Ranui became a mobile Coastwatching station, operating at various points in Campbell, Auck land, Antipodes and Snares Groups.

Later she was used to serve Raoul, Kermadecs.

San Michele Now Nukulau

After delays in transferring registry from the Italian to British flags, South Pacific Shipping Co’s recently acquired 500-tonner San Michele should have cleared Fuma gusta, Cyprus, late July.

Formerly owned by the big Slmham Maritime Services Co. of Haifa, this and other similar vessels of the company were registered in Italy to evade diffi culties with Egypt. As the name San Michele is already in use on the British register, the new owners have temporarily renamed her Nukulau (after a small picnic islet near Suva). The name may be changed again later.

This ship, similar to, though larger than Tasman Steam Ship Co’s Ada, was built in 1947 in Sorrento. She has a cargo capacity of 550 tons, is 407 tons gross register, with dimensions 141 ft x

28 ft x 14 ft and is powered by a 300 hp Ansaldo motor.

On the delivery voyage to Fiji she will probably carry a crew of nine.

Master, Mata and Engineer are part-owners. The others are migrants with permits to enter Australia.

Ada Also Changing Name

Tasman Steam’s A.da left Suva lor Tarawa July 19 on a 40-days’ charter to Western Pacific High Commission.

Captain R. G. Keyworth, manager of the company at Auckland, who liad been in command since she left New Zealand on June 12, returned hy air from Suva. The command was taken over for the charter by Captain E. Harness, Harbour Master, Suva, who is at present on leave.

Mr. Ross, chief officer, will eventu ally be master.

Captain Keyworth reported that, as with San Michele, the name Ada is already occupied in the British register. Several new names are under consideration, the most likely being Vonu (turtle) or Vasa.

Ada carried petrol from Auckland to Niue, thence 100 round-trip deck passengers to Pago Pago, Apia and return to Niue. Further passengers were then taken aboard at Nuku alofa for Vavau before heading for Suva, where she was transferred from provisional British registry to Fiji registry. Some of the 8-men crew were returned to NZ by air

and the vessel signed on a local crew of 14.

In addition to a full load of general cargo and oil, Ada carried a 22-foot launch and a 23-foot lighter for Canton. These had been built at Millers boatyard, Suva. The launch, a useful type of work-boat, was powered with a 20-hp Gardner diesel.

There were also two passengers

aboard.

On completion of present charter voyage to Gilbert, Ellice and Phoenix Islands, Ada will return to Auckland for a further load of petrol for Tonga-Samoa.

Rannah

Mr. D. C. Brown’s latest fleet addition, the 304 g.t. wooden, twin screw, freezer vessel Rannah cleared

Wellington June 21 on her first voyage in the New Zealand-Cook Is. service. She was commanded by Captain George Mouncer, who was one-time Mate of Melva, a vessel known in the Islands. With him in Hannah were Messrs. Cooper and Burdett as Chief and Second officers. Mr. McQuarrie, formerly of Island Territories Ranui, was engineer.

Rannah at present remains on NZ registry, carrying a complement of 11. She has no cabin passenger accommodation.

First voyage was to Rarotonga, then Manihiki, where MOP was loaded and a party of 105 deck passengers for Aitutaki. Back at Rarotonga the vessel loaded 4,870 cases of tomatoes and other cargo for Auckland. Some trouble was experienced with freezer machinery on her first run south.

It is anticipated that Rannah will make about five voyages to Auckland during the tomato season, then will .remain on t the island trade within the Cooks until next season’s fruit is offering.

Apprentices In John

Williams Vi

Chief Officer F. Bottom, of the smart LMS vessel John Williams VI had some interesting news for Island boys who aspire to become trained navigators and ship’s deck officers, when the ship arrived in Suva in July.

Mr. Bottom said that three Island apprentices will be trained in the ship henceforth. One Gilbertese and one Ellice boy joined recently and a Cook Islands boy will be joining the ship soon. John Williams VI will thus be the only vessel operating entirely within the Pacific Islands which trains officer apprentices.

John Williams VI was scheduled to visit Samoa then Papua on clear ing Suva late July.

Purau On Fire

Another Papeete vessel, the little auxiliary vessel Purau, narrowly escaped complete destruction on July 24. The vessel was lying at the Customs wharf at 1.30 a.m. when flames 30 feet high were seen pouring from her. The Army’s fire brigade made a good save, though the 5-ton craft was extensively

damaged.

Manu’A Tele

The Pago Pago YMS trading vessel Manu’a Tele will dry dock in Suva during August. Manu’a Tele, owned by the chiefs of the Manua Group and the E. Samoa Government, by a charter arrangement with the W. Samoa Government, now pro vides the only regular sea com munication between Apia and the Tokelau Is. The vessel carries no armament but otherwise is identical with the French naval patrol craft Tiare which docked in Suva in July. She maintains a regular passenger service between Pago

Captain R. G. Keyworth, manager of Tasman Steamship Co., brought Ada to Suva.

Capitaine de Corvette Raymond Houdayer,

in command of Tiare. Mr. Peter Throck morton, of Reliable Engine Repair Service, returned to Honolulu (see July

Pim).

Pago and Apia and makes other occasional charter voyages.

Moqueuse Departs

Moqueuse, French naval gunboat, completed her service in the Pacific and cleared Papeete for Toulon, July 23, firing a 21-gun farewell salute as she slid down harbour for the reef passage homeward bound.

Moqueuse became well known in New Caledonia and French Oceania waterst and the ships’ company leaves many friends in the Pacific.

Oil Barges For Fiji

Under construction at present in Millers’ boatshed, Suva, is a 75-foot oil barge for Shell Oil Co. for use between the company’s Suva terminal and Lautoka. Of all welded construction, 75 ft x 20 ft x 6 ft, the barge will weigh about 30 tons and will carry 84 tons of oil in four tanks. There will be additional buoyancy tanks.

It is the largest steel barge to be built in Fiji, from Millers’ own designs with modifications by Shell Co. A special feature will be the shallow draught permitting naviga tion of the Wainibokasi river.

Another barge, self-propelled and powered by twin 118 hp Hercules petrol motors giving a speed of about 8 knots has recently been built in Australia for Vacuum Oil Co. It will be employed on the Vuda Point-Nadi service, replacing the VO-7, an LCT which has been operating from Suva to Nadi for a number of years.

Vacuum’s new barge measures 68 ft x 25 ft x 10 ft and weighs 102 tons empty. Oil will be carried in four 5,000-gallon tanks and dis charged by a Gardner diesel pump capable of handling 400 gallons per minute.

Kia Kia In Suva

Tallest ship of the WPHC fleet, the auxiliary ketch Kia Kia arrived in Suva from Tarawa July 4, hav ing left the Gilbert’s capital June 20. Calls had been made at Tabiteuea and Funafuti.

Captain W. Schutz was in com mand with Philip Wilder engineer.

In addition, there were 11 seamen, mostly Ellice Islanders, and 7 passengers. Captain Schutz re ported that a six-weeks-old baby had died on the voyage and had been buried at sea between the Gilbert and Ellice groups.

Earlier plans to send Kia Kia to Honiara were altered. An extensive refit will be carried out in Suva, including removal of and repairs to the tall hollow masts.

Kia Kia was built in 1938 by the Hongkong & Whampoa Shipyard of Hongkong, as a medical patrol vessel for the WPHC. Since the war she has been used mainly in trans porting Government officials about the G & E Groups. She measures 75 ft x 18 ft x 6 ft 6 in., is teak planked, has about 10 tons of cargo space, and excellent accommodation for so small a vessel, A feature is the carved Chinese figure-head.

Tasman Seeking Another

Refuting a rflmour current in Auckland in June, Tasman Steam ship Co., who recently purchased Ada, reported in July that far from selling their trans-Tasman trader Viti, they are, in fact, seeking an additional vessel for that service.

Viti recently towed a pile-driving barge from Auckland to Sydney in nine days of good weather.

Hifofua Resumes

Tongan Government’s 90-f oo t ketch Hifofua, in Auckland since April 11, completed an extensive refit mid-July and returned to Nukualofa to resume her ordinary duties of transporting officials with in the Group.

The refit included a complete new suit of sails, which called for over 500 yards of Royal Naval canvas.

This job was handled by Mr.

Maurice Carr, of Sails & Covers Ltd. and was the largest of its kind to be carried out in Auckland for some time. The firm has the largest sail loft in Australasia.

Yatu Lau

Commissioned earlier this year, the Yatu Lau exhibits some of the best workmanship to come from a Fiji shipyard. Built by Millers Ltd., the specifications called for a craft rather beamy for her length—she measures 54.7 ft x 20 ft x 7.5 ft, so the appearance is rather squat, but of comfortable design. She is under-powered by a 57 hp Gardner

diesel, which gives her a smoothwater speed of about 7 knots without the aid of her ketch-rigged

sails -

Of 39.38 tons register, she is now operating for the Fijian Affairs Department on the Suva-Lau Islands service. She carries 50 tons of copra and has a 17-day fuel-tank cruising range.

Kurimarau To Be Replaced

The WPHC flagship Kurimarau, 2 88 g.t., built in Hongkong in 1930, will be replaced within a couple of years, according to present plans, The vessel is said to be not entirely suitable for the requirements of the British Solomon Is. Protectorate Government and is approaching the end of her economic life.

Scot

Scot, Mr. J. B. Turner’s ex-New Zealand scow, has caused some in terest in Suva. First, the little trader somehow got her name accidentally changed to Scott. Name changing is not a thing that may be done lightly—so the name is again Scot as registered. Then, early July, at a dangerous anchor age on the south-west Kadavu coast, she fouled her propeller on the reef, bending all blades.

A launch was despatched from Suva with a new propeller but failed to arrive—so the RNZAF was called in to make a search. The launch had been sheltering and eventu ally delivered her cargo, Scot re turning safely to Suva.

The vessel may be going to the New Hebrides soon.

Honolulu-Tahiti Yacht

Race

PAPEETE, August 1.

The yacht race from Honolulu to Papeete started on July 31. There are only three starters — Primavera (a 38-ft sloop, owned by Mr. Paul Hurst, of Santa Barbara) ; Chiriqui (which will have on board Mr. R. B.

Terkel, who is assisting Dr. Percy Wilson, of Honolulu, in charge of the race), and Temptress.

Monique Missing

The 250-tons freighter Monique was, in early August, reported over due on a voyage between the

Loyalty Islands and Noumea. A search for the vessel by sea and air was continuing.

There were over 100 persons on board —at least 20 of them Euro peans.

Peer Gynt On A Reef

The 30-ft ketch Peer Gynt, which left Sydney in October with Sylvia

Roach and Norman Rome, on a world cruise, went aground on a reef of the Witu Islands, off the north coast of New Guinea, on August 10. The ketch, after many vicissitudes along the coasts of New South Wales, New Hebrides and the Solomons, reached Rabaul in July, and thence departed for Madang.

Trans-Pacific Race

The Trans-Pacific Race on the ’,225 miles course from Los Angeles X) Honolulu was won on handicap 5y the 39-foot ketch Staghound.

Hiirty-two yachts took part and fastest time was made by the 161oot schooner Goodwill.

Commander (E) J. H. Deane, MINA, RN Retd., newly appointed Marine Super intendent for WPHC.

Captain W. Schutz and Engineer Philip Wilder brought Kia Kia south to Suva for refit.

Captain Edwin Sandys of Tovata listens to a recorded interview which Cif Roy, of Edmonton Travel Service, Canada, has just made with him for use on Canadian radio.