surplus to®Lever’s’ requirements and

News Of The Small-Ships

Changes In Approaches To

JVA HARBOUR:—An official atement from Suva late in Ocber indicates that in so far as upping is concerned, the recent rthquake and the accompanying bmarine landslide near the iproaches to Suva harbour in no ly permanently affects navigation.

“Suva harbour appears to h av e ffered no change in depth,” says e report from Acting Harbouraster E. L. James, nor is there idence of any shoaling outside, t “soundings of Kandavu Passage, e approaches to Suva from both st and west and the entrance to va harbour as shown on Admiralty arts, can no longer be relied ion ” rrt/—v „ . rT

Joodbye To Kurimarau :

r bv thlr t w^tPrn to Pflcific ISP by the western Pacific High mmission Rumour has it that fnia W rf the deal V fell 3 will be available for inspection prospective buyers.

Kurimarau has had an honourle career in the Pacific. She first peared in BSIP in 1930, ex-Hongng, where she was built to the ier of Levers Pacific Plantans Ltd. to replace the old SS

Kohiloko. Kurimarau was at first used by Lever’s General Manager, Major F Hewitt, for inspection tours of Company plantations and also for concentrating copra from outlying estates and for supplying stores. Captain Bill Rawson was her Master from 1930 until the Jap anese invasion of BSIP J. 1 tbe vessel was bombed while lying at Gavutu but sue cessfully evaded the attack and reached the Russell Islands, where she remained until she successfully evacuated a record passenger list of £2 v and S°t them safely to Australia. , In , A V s t ralla the vessel was chartered by the Australian Ship- Ping Control Board and engaged in war service; she was twice bombed and machine-gunned in New Guinea waters, the second time being ex t^ nsi vely damaged but not before shooting down two enemy planes.

Mr. Jack Gaskell. now in Honiara, ° fflCer dUring her

surplus to®Lever’s’ requirements and

was purchased by the WPHC to carry stores and supplies to the Solomons from Suva and at that stage was the Protectorate’s only overseas shipping link. She also made several trips to Sydney.

After Burns Philp resumed services to the BSIP with Muliama

and Malaita, she came under the control of the BSIP Government Trade Scheme, but Kurimarau is now considered to be too expensive for the BSIP.

With her well-known and popular Master, Captain N. W. Macdonald, the Kuri has become part of the

life of the Solomons; she is re membered fondly by many who have had happy voyages in her; and with curses by those whose stomachs are not equal to the ordeal of long voyages in small ships.

Japs Seek Salvage Rights:

—Japan is reported to be seeking salvage rights covering about 98 Japanese vessels sunk during the last war in its Trust Territory islands area of Truk, Palau and Saipan. The ships are said to total about 434,000 gross tons. According to Japanese reports seven of these vessels could be economically salvaged and returned to use, and at least 100,000 tons of scrap metal salvaged from the remainder.

The Trust Territory Government and the US Navy are said to be strongly opposed to granting Japan salvage rights in the area—even if it would be unprofitable for American interests to carry out the salvage.

Ships And Stamps: —As

stated in September PIM, Miena is depicted on a BSIP postage stamp.

Our attetnion is now drawn to the fact that the Tongan Government vessels Hifofua and A’oniu are de picted on a recent new Tongan 2d stamp.

Those Medical Patrol

BOATS:—In August, 1952, we re ported that the New Zealand

Lepers Trust Board had approved funds for the building of four 55-ft motor vessels for the use of the Missions in the New Hebrides- Solomons engaged in the care of leper patients and for other medical patrol work. Plans have been finalised, and tenders will soon be let for the building. They were

originally expected to cost £NZIS,OO' each.

Stanley An Gw I N: —Thf

British cable ship arrived at Suw from Singapore during October t repair three cables severed by tli undersea landslide that took plao during the earthquake of Septembes It was understood that the vess*

Duld also carry out detailed sound gs of the approaches to Suva, a ,sk for which she is especially uipped.

Nz Cable Ship:—The New

laland cableship, Matai, experi

iced very bad weather at Norfolk land during October but eventu ly completed relaying a shore-end the Norfolk-Southport (Queens nd) cable and the Auckland irfolk shore end. Due to the cky nature of the bottom at jrfolk Island, the shore ends rely last more than a year or two. atai, after laying a short cable in e Auckland area, will go to Bass rait on another task.

Cook Islands residents will be in rested to know that Mr. Charlie tiith, who was master of the Ad inistration vessel Ranui there for time, has been on loan to Matai chief officer, being one of the v officers available in New Zea id with experience in cable fing. He is Assistant Harbour ister at New Plymouth.

Last Voyage Of Southern

lOSS: —It is reported that this in-screw steel motor yacht, med by the Melanesian Mission, ly now be on her last voyage from ickland to the New Hebrides lomons. Archdeacon H. V. C. lynolds of the Mission left Auck id on October 7 for the United ates on a three months’ lecture ar for funds for Southern Cross 11. It is assumed that the Mission 11 use commercial transport in e interval between laying up the esent vessel next year and com ssioning a new one.

Fhe present vessel was built in itain in 1933. She is 298 gross is, 143 nett, and measures 111 it by 28 feet. She was classified 100 A 1 at Lloyds in July, 1951, t considerable money would now ve to be spent at the next sur y to maintain this standard.

Vlr. George Hunt, who crossed e Tasman last Summer in his cht Corsair, joined the ship in tober as second engineer on the □motion of Mr. D. L. Pryce to ief. Mr. W. Hulbert, who had 3n chief for some years, resigned, i deck, Mr. Lewis, who joined as ief officer on the previous visit to ickland, and later resigned and ;urned from the Islands, was re cced by Mr. Reg Woods, who ain came out of retirement to n his old ship. rhe vessel cleared Auckland Oc )er 14 and will be away for some mths.

Successful Air-Search:

molulu newspapers report that extensive search was carried out July for the motor vessel Venus, und from Rota to Tinian in the irianas with a crew of five and passengers, all natives of the irianas. Venus was located 130 les northwest of Guam after

70,000 square miles of ocean had been air-searched. She was towed in by a Coast Guard cutter.

LONG, LONG TOW:-The Dutch tug Humber, which recently towed a HnnVrfpH

wSh the ForeSf /z

Tn tow-boSnd g England The

™vas? bf wav of Torres Strait voyage, by way of Torres Strait and Suez, was expected to take 2 2 months. Foremost 17, it will be re- Galled siiceessMly salvaged a considerable amount of gold bullion from the wreck of the Niagara off the New Zealand coast last Autumn. Although she came across the Tasman under her own steam,

she is considered unsuitable for a long ocean voyage,

New Fiji Lighthouse:—The

new lighthouse on VatSele Island south of Viti Levu - which will per " mit safe navigation of large vessels between Vatulele and Beqa at night time ‘ At present vessels without radar bound from Lautoka to Suva stand outside vatulele by night.

They will now be saved 40 miles on that run with much ceremony, the light was offlcial iy lit by the Bull of Vatulele on September 16. The 60ft. concrete tower stands on the edge of a 70-ft cliff. The light is at present on test. (Over)

Operation Desert;—The

latson-Oceanic vessel Alameda lade a call at Suva in October with 2 Australian camels aboard. They ere consigned to Lewis Goebels, a irge supplier of wild animals to jos, etc. They were under care of reorge Hoff, who had spent four mnths in Northern and Western ustralia hunting them. Ten of the riginal herd died before they were lipped from Brisbane, but the irvivors seemed in good heart.

Matson Co. Makes Money:

-But not in ships. The company jports that the Moana Hotel, and ;hers which the company owns in awaii, are proving money-spinners. hey are now calling tenders for

."known "S'the” Princess' KaiulaiS

o tef Thl? ehave bitn rSsSt

Kgestions thatMatson mav Quit fnnw n p S nfirPiv Matson may qmt upping entirely. ■Nnrw port ttot? cjitva • thp :b N uUmng P of ß ?he F p °o?to S f U Su A va“aT h a e of f 2 non now hpinp- mndered by’ the Secretary of State r the Colonies, envisages the reoval of the present PWD yard id Vacuum Oil Co. installations om the north bank of the Walu ay creek to a location further >rth, and the construction of a >ck, slipways, fruit storage sheds id refrigeration stores on the area cated. An oil berth will be estab- >hed near the Tamavua beacon. smporary repairs to the existing tiarves will cost £90,000.

That Ill-Starred Name:

In January we noted that vessels with the name Tahiti, and its vari ations, have had unhappy endings, Oscar Nordman, of Tahiti, now re calls yet another —Tamarii Tahiti —lost in that graveyard of schooners, the Tuamotus, in 1908, just four years after she was built for S. R.

Maxwell & Co. The late Captain Joe Winchester, one of the best known skippers of the early 1900’s, was in command and the loss of the vessel cost him his job and most of his property. Oscar gives no de tails of the circumstances of the loss of the splendid 150-ton schooner which was built in San Francisco,

Coming-Slowly:

3011111 Paciflc Shipping Co. of Suva has had more than its share of trouble in transferring registry of its vessel Nukulau (formerly San Michele ) from Italian to “ registry But the 500tonner was reported in Indian and steadily heading Fijiwards.

NZ SURVEY VESSEL;—Although urgently required for ocean survey work and the correction of navi gational charts of New Zealand’s Island Territories and home waters, a survey vessel at present being built by a Scottish shipyard for the New Zealand Government may not be completed. Originally estimated to cost £450,000, the figure has now

risen to over £1,000,000. If the order is cancelled, however, it is estimated that compensation might run to £400,000.

The vessel was to replace HMNZS Lachlan, currently on loan from the RAN. Lachlan has already done some urgent work in Fiji and W.

Samoa waters.

The NZ Merchant Service Guild has lodged a strong protest with

the Government at the suggestion that the new vessel may be abandoned, declaring that a survey of the New Zealand coast is urgently needed to reduce navigational risks.

The cost of the vessel and survey would be small compared with the losses that might result otherwise.

Koitaki’S New Work Boat:

Koitaki plantation at Sogeri, Papua, now has its own work-boat, the Koitaki Numu.

It is a 40-ft vessel, equipped with radio and all conveniences, accord ing to Mr. Colin Sefton, manager of the Koitaki Estate.

Koitaki Numu will be used to re cruit native labour along the Papuan coast.

News of Cruising Yachts

• Seven Seas Cruising Association re ports in its interesting bulletin of letters from members that STORTEBECKER 111 (Dr. Franklin-Evans), which left Auck land August, 1952, and called at several French Oceania ports and Hawaii en route to Vancouver, is again planning to head south for New Zealand or Australia next April. Frank Jensen, the doctor’s cruising companion for several years, will apparently remain in Canada when the 33-foot German-built yawl again puts to sea. © The same source reports the 36foot ketch LITTLE BEAR, of San Diego, as due to clear Balboa for New Zealand

last Seutember; she should appear in French Oceania soon. Owners are “Buzz” and June Champion. • NEW SILVER GULL (Harry and Oceana Scott of Sydney) continues to cruise the waters in the vicinity of Van couver. Mrs. Scott recently underwent an operation but is again well. No word of

the 44-foot ketch heading south again yel • SKYLINE, last of the Aucklan yachts to head Islandwards this year, los one of her crew in Papeete. There Le: Goodsail, one of her navigators, change: over to the American 14-ton yaw SILHOUETTE II which was homeward bound after participating in the Honolulu Tahiti race.

•KYLINE should be out by now for nolulu and Vancouver via the rquesas. ► ANNA ELIZABETH, which was in liti and Cook Islands waters early last r, is reported to be still in the rquesas. The 85-footer was recently masted there, and owner Lamberty, Holland, was reported as having joined ic other yacht bound for Tahiti, ails are lacking. It will be recalled t Lamberty lost a former yacht, a verted lifeboat, in the Marquesas eral years ago in the course of a cruise m Holland. » Seven Seas Cruising Association: ic fide cruising yachtsmen engaged in ernational cruising are recommended joint this association. It is not a club the ordinary sense. There is no club ise. It is a means whereby cruising htsmen, by pooling their information, greatly assist one another. There is ;hart pool to and from which charts y be loaned. The monthly bulletin tains “inside” information on the ual situation, as experienced by ividual members, at various ports und the world. he warnings and advice must prove of ae to those who follow on the same rse. A prospective member must be pared to write in with information on voyage, and pay a small fee covering : of bulletin and its postage by air 1. Details from R. J. Carstarphen, 'A, Box 163 Coronado, Cal. A large

number of yachtsmen at present cruising the Pacific belong to SSCA and find its bulletins of great interest. • VENTURER, 18-tons, 50-ft. American schooner, arrived at Papeete from the Galapagos September 30, three years and a few days out of her home port of Boston. Bob Burke and John Grant, joint owners, are on a round-the-world cruise. They plan to remain for a while at Tahiti. • LEDA (Wilson brothers of Tauranga, NZ), arrived at Hilo, Hawaii, October 12, after a 20-day passage from Nukuhiva, Marquesas, during which she was be calmed for nine days. She was expected in Honolulu later in October. • TERN II (Lieut. B. C. Pester, RNZN), bound for Auckland from England,

reached Las Palmas, Canary Islands, September 30. • Several cruising yachts that were in Suva during September arrived in Auck land during October. They were

Taurangi, White Squall, And

WANDERER 111. The latter made calls first north of Auckland. GHOST was also sighted by the Union Company’s TOFUA becalmed some 300 miles from Auckland and was expected in Auckland later. These were, with the exception of Eric Hiscock’s WANDERER 111, all Auckland boats which have wintered in the Islands. BOUNTY, still out, headed westward for Noumea and Australia from Suva. • FLAMINGO (W. McCarthy and three companions Messrs. Heerdegen, Pledger and Petrie), left Tauranga for Auckland,

photograph of Wanderer 111 taken [?]ile she was in Pago Pago, American [?]noa. She has now reached Auck d, NZ.

Photo by Pan American Prints.

NZ, on the first stage of a world cruise early October. The Tasman crossing was planned for November. The 32-foot Bermudan sloop was built by Warren McCarthy in Auckland and completed at Tauranga. The yacht has a 4 hp auxiliary. The route planned is via rorres Strait and Cape of Good Hope. • The 43-ft. yacht BEYOND, reached Sydney, on October 2, 15 months out from Falmouth, England. Owner is Mr. r. C. Worth, a UK businessman who is :ombining pleasure with business on his tvorld cruise.

He is accompanied by his wife as crew, fhey have already visited France, Spain. *ortugal, Canary Islands, West Indies, ’anama, Tahiti, Fiji, New Zealand.

Mr. V. orth said he learned his navi gation from the books of his father, Mr.

Claude Worth, a famous yachtsman. Mr. and Mrs. Worth, unlike most round-the world yachtsmen, stepped from BEYOND in Sydney, looking fully-equipped to do a day’s business among that city’s top flight business executives. • A New Zealander, Lindsay Harman, 25, set out from Brisbane on Saturday, October 26, in the 18-foot racing skiff SEVEN SEAS, for Auckland via Noumea and Norfolk Island. He is accompanied by his fiancee. Unhapily, he came to grief after only 45 miles, on the Sala mander Banks (off Moreton Island, near Brisbane). He hopes now to sell the yacht and return to Auckland. • Trans-Tasman Race: Late in October eight yachts were entered for the trans- Tasman biennial classic which will be raced from Auckland to Sydney in January. It is expected that there will be some later changes, however. Entries for New Zealand vessels closed October 31 —and for Australian vessels November 30.

On October 28, the entries were as

Follows: Hope. Blue Water, Ghost.

Skyline. Black Rose, And Taihoa

from New Zealand, and TE RAPUNGA

Ir. G. H. Hunt joined the Melanesian [?]sion ship Southern Cross as second [?]ineer. [?]outhem Cross at Auckland, he 50-foot schooner Ventura of ton, USA, arriving at Papeete in the [?]rse of a world tour.

and SNOW GOOSE from Australia.

Fhere seemed to be some doubt whether GHOST, just back from her Island sruise. would cross the line on the great I*! —but some other Australian enries may [till arrive. Details next month. • TEMPTRESS, Warrant Officer Gordon tells, RNZAF, and crew of two arrived Luckland October 24 from Suva. She Fas sailed to Fiji last year by her owner Fhen he was posted to duty at the tNZAF base, Lauthala Bay. • GHOST, Ken Brown and crew of bree, completed her Island Cruise by rriving back at her home port, Auckland, a October 23. Journeying abroard, as far s Honolulu she had made a notable oyage without mishap. • TROPIC SEAS, sailed by American >hn Caldwell, his Australian wife Mary, ad three sons aged six, three and 12 lonths, arrived in Newcastle, NSW, on ovember 1.

The family left California in May, 1952. be youngest boy, Roger, was born in ihiti where they remained six months, rs. Caldwell’s parents live in Sydney; e says that if she returns to America will not be in a small boat. Mr. ildwell said the cruise has been paid r with the proceeds of “Dangerous ►yage” which he wrote after his evious attempt to sail across the Pacific »m America to Sydney. • HO HO 11, Norwegian-built 54-foot lin Archer-type ketch owned by Birger yn, which left Sydney some months ago r Norfolk Island, moved on from there r Noumea, thence probably the New

Hebrides, where her owner is offering the sturdy craft for charter or for sale.

Aboard the yacht, which Byrne sailed from Norway a couple of years ago, is his wife and small son. • BLUE WATER, one of the group of Auckland yachts that Island-cruised in recent months, arrived back at her port from Tonga late October.