News Of The Small-Ships

Noumea-Vila Radio

SCHEDS:. Noumea maintains radio watch for smallships on voice on 6280 kc/s for two half-hour pediods daily, commencing 0500 and 2100 GMT, replies being made on €3OO kc/s. Vila now maintains con tinuous watch on 6900 kc/s from 2100-0000 GMT and from 0330-0660 GMT, local shipping replying on the same frequency. This channel is used also for general New Hebrides inter-island communications.

Include The Number:—With

so many Japanese fishing vessels now operating in the South Pacific, attention is drawn to the fact that the name frequently includes a number. For example, the vessel Azuma Maru, which landed a sick seaman at Rabaul in February, could be any of the eight similar craft with same name (but followed by a number), shown in Lloyds Register. In reporting violations of territorial waters this number would, of course, be vital —as vessels of the same name belong to vari ous owners. At least two of the Japanese vessels operating out of Pago Pago Takuyo Maru and Shinko Maru —belong to a similar series. It appears from an exam ination of names, that Japanese fishing fleets are frequently made up of vessels of identical type, in the vicinity of 150 GT, belonging to various owners and chartered to a single operator, or fishing on a tonnage basis for the owner of a freezer-ship. The arrangement of numerous nominal owners may be a means of complying with laws re stricting large combines in Japan.

Another For Tasman

STEAMSHIP: —Tasman Steamship Stevedoring and Agency Co., owners of Viti and Vasu, have added an other to their fleet — Madonna, a former corvette, now en route from England to enter the trans-Tasman frozen-cargo trade. She was built by Harland and Wolff Ltd., Belfast, in 1940, but nothing is known of her war history. She lately has been running bulk supplies of herrings in oil from Yarmouth to the Mediterranean. She was under the Danish flag for a time.

Dimensions are 193 ft x 33 ft x 16 ft and tonnage 755, 293 nett. She is equipped with refrigeration machinery and is powered by two reciprocating engines.

Admiralty Notices; —Buoys

in Peu Bay, Vanikoro, have been removed and the positions of those remaining are unreliable. At Nairai Island, Fiji, leading lights have been established bearing 042 de grees. Lower light has an elevation of 85’, unper 120’.

DRIFT ENDS; —Fiji readers will be interested to know that the 18ton, 48’ Glasgow yawl Petula, in which former Nadi meteorological

observer Claude Dickson was met. observer, has completed its drift across the Atlantic from Dakar to Barbados in 82 days. Distance drifted was 2,500 miles.

Main purpose of the drift, which had the support of scientific bodies, was apparently a biological study of the water to a depth of six feet.

Weather observations were also made from a raft platform which was at tached to the yacht. Few details are so far available. The three man party was headed by marine biologist F. Evans, aged 27, of Glasgow.

Spate Of Hurricanes:—The

November-April hurricane season which sometimes passes by with scarcely a mention of a blow, has been very much the reverse this season. To late February, at least six hurricanes have appeared on Pacific weather charts. First formed north of New Caledonia and moved down the central Tasman Sea eventually filling as it crossed the South Island of New Zealand. Next came the January near-miss in Fiji, that one running away south-east between Auckland and the Kerma decs. Number three formed near Palmerston Island in the Cooks, but dissipated without approaching land.

Next developed north-east of Willis Island in the Coral Sea, heading south-east past Lord Howe and filled south of New Zealand. Next,

again born near Willis Islet, swept into Queensland causing heavy flooding and damage. Last and nost spectacular formed on February 13 west of Rotuma, ran away west ward, crossed the Banks Group— and would seemingly have done iamage there—swung south-west just north of the New Hebrides, iurned south when 100 miles east )f Maryborough, finally veering o the Australian coast-line just lorth of Brisbane. Great flood and vind damage was done in southern Queensland and northern New South Wales. This cyclone, which •aked the whole coast of eastern Australia, was last heard of off iouthern Tasmania and heading for he Antarctic.

A feature worth noting was that neteorological office predictions as o direction of movement of this yclone from day to day, while it /as in the Islands area and later, /ere frequently not realised —by as auch as 45 degrees. An expected urve to the south and south-east id not occur. New Hebrides and lew Caledonia, though they must lave had heavy weather, were ex raordinarily fortunate Tn that the ourse of the hurricane was a little lorth of that predicted.

It crossed the Australian coast wice—north of Brisbane and north f Newcastle —and at one time was entred somewhere near Armidale, fSW. Predictions were that it 'ould head towards Bathurst —but istead, it went out to sea again.

Captain W. R. Percy.-After

15 years’ service with Burns Philp & Co., Captain W. R. Percy recently resigned from the position of Master of Yanawai in the Fiji inter-island trade, to become Marine Superintendem in Suva for the Union steam Ship Co. Captain Percy went to Fiji in 1921 as a pilot for the Colonial Sugar Refining Co He was i n command of BP’s Malaks and Matafele before joining Yanawai some years ago.

Welcome To Pearson:—A

b aby was born aboard Tofua shortly before she arrived at Aucki and recently. The arrival was somewhat unexpected. Later, the mother announced the name of the SO P heir Pearson—after Captam Pearson, master of the vessel. .HMNZS HAWEA IN G & E: Hirst ?how the flag m the Gilbert and Ellice Elands for several years was New Zealand frigade HMNZS Hawea, which was to spend, about a month fore continuing on to Korean waters.

Inquiry Called For:—A Fiji

]Vl3rinG Bo3rd m3dG 3 prGlimin3ry inquiry recently into a collision at 1 am, December 15, in open water, 8 miles south of Suva between the 59-ton Government auxiliary ketch Adi Maopa and the 17-ton auxiliary cutter Chum, belonging to Mr. A.

Lepper, of Savu Savu. The Board found that Chum was running with

out a mast-head light and that Adi Maopa, instead of holding course and speed, altered course to starboard, thus contributing to th? mishap. The Board noted that Chum was carrying 26 passengers in excess of her license for 29 and decided for a formal inquiry

Mttt ,

The Stewards Said No:—All

rea dy to commence a new service

from the Pacific Coast to Honolulu, in competition with Matson’s Lurline, the Hawaiian Pacific Line passenger vessel Aleutian was held up by a dispute between rival stewards’ unions early December, and by late January it appeared as though the 300-passenger vessel might .never enter the service.

Fifteen-day round-trip schedules had been published and bookings accepted up to the end of August.

The hold-up has caused enormous financial loss to the owners in Hawaii and San Francisco.

Wrc Fleet Additions:

W. R. Carpenter & Co., through their subsidiaries, have purchased two oil-fired steam vessels from Singapore for use in the Fiji and New Guinea inter-island trade re spectively. Both are steel vessels of 394 GT, 112 nett, measuring 144 ft x 27 ft x 8 ft with triple-expansion single-screw drive and a fuel consumption of 6 tons per day at 9 knots. They were built at Beverley, England, in 1945, and were recently owned by the Hong Kong Steamship Co. (1932) Ltd. The company owned three of the same type —Hong Ann, Hong Soon and Hong Tat. Hong Ann (ex Empire Maybury) and one other sailed together to Rabaul,

Hong Ann then proceeding on to Suva where she has been now renamed Ai Sokula —the name formerly owned by Oliver Mac —with the approval of the Fijian Chiefs. She

entered the Fijian service early February. Carrying rather more cargo than Oliver Mac, and with, superior accommodation for deck passengers including a large com-

mon room, it is expected that she will prove a useful vessel. Captain Macdonald, formerly of Kurimarau, was expected to take command.

Details are lacking as to which

vessel went to Rabaul. Her Malayan and Chinese crew, due for repatria tion, caused a stir at Madang by at first refusing accommodation offered them aboard a vessel sailing from there. They finally accepted.

The former Ai Sokula has been named for Carpenter’s marine super intendent, Oliver Macßoberts.

Underwater Photography

—At present at Fiji taking under water colour-photographs for the American National Geographic So ciety is Louis Marden, complete with two aqualungs and a 2,400 Ib-per-square-inch portable com pressor. He has lately been work ing, with the aid of hired boats, at Vatulele and Korolevu. (Over)

Hong Ann, renamed Ai Sokula, arrived in Suva from Singapore. Captain Andrew (centre) and Chief Engineer Overell (left), were greeted by Captain A. M. Harvey, Pacific Shipowners’ Suva Marine Super intendent.

Hokitika, which with Holmburn, was acquired by Captain Emile Savoie of Noumea in February.

J. Rockefeller’s 40ft schooner Mandalay of Greenwich, Conn., at present in French Oceania waters.

Kona, 39ft Honolulu ketch, belonging to Paul Blackford and Robert Houtz, at Papeete.

Wphc Movements.—The 60-

footer Myrtle, with Captain H Wilder in command, and a crew of 11, arrived at Samarai from the Solomons late January for dry-docking at Sorrow’s slipway, Sariba.

Captain Farrell recently handed over the command of Nareau in the Gilberts to Captain Lindstropi and has left for New Zealand on furlough, Kiakia made a voyage to Fanning and Christmas Islands from Tarawa in January.

Captain S. B. Brown, on leave in Mew Zealand, unable to keep away from little ships, sailed in the yacht Hhost on the Trans-Tasman (Auckiand-Hobart) race in February. ?n W rpL?i f nn he yaCht ’ Stan Brown ' ‘ S 10 leiauon.

NEW DARU WHARF:—Coincidng with the collapse of a section )f the 30-yard approach to the old Daru wharf, it was reported in Feb- •uary that work will go ahead imnediately on a new wharf at this vestern Gulf of Papua port

For Sale In Solomons.-

Additional to Captain Richmond’s kTzewa, reported last month, we 0a^ n F a ir y mea d Sugar A), s 80-ft vessel Rowena, built in Newcastle in 1947, and two standardype trawlers are also for sale in he Solomons. Prices were said to )e £20,000 on Rowena and £lO,OOO sach on the others.

Tightening Up?: From

loniara it has been reported un-

officially that there is likely soon to be a tightening up of regulations governing the issue of trading licences to Chinese-owned craft in the group.

Ontario Looks In;—Hmcs

Ontario, cruiser, bound to the Hobart centenary celebrations, made a call at Suva late January. ™ MARTPncA mw addpad. tvTo ™ f MAY v APP E , r !r posa, .old to Home Lines Inc. last J? a n r ,. r a "J ™ a l a v? oai aS

£ L C I Ui Fi

’VnHuoo

umWe-ninp l ™niprt[nn Svlp

is expected to entTthe Piraeus- New Yo rk passe nger run, but her first voyage may be a world cruise, CT tdatadtmt7 rvo MVT uo. a

Submarine Or Myth. . A

determined search was to be made hy a diver during February to clear up a persistent story that an American submarine lies on the

SSSSg. harbSur JSSSSL? beUeve

it a myth, and local spear-fisher men have failed to produce any con crete evidence, the legend is well established, complete with details.

The sub is said to have been an American training craft, moored in a certain spot with five anchors, an d scuttled when the Yanks pulled out. Seems strange that the story could not be immediately confirmed or denied by the US Navy who

should know how their training craft were disposed of

Southern Cross Viii? :

Southern Cross No. 8 seemed closer, judging by an announcement made by the Bishop-eleect of Melanesia, the Rev. A. T. Hill, early February.

Of New Zealand s share of £35,000 towards financing a new Anglican mission ship for the Western Pacific, Mr. Hill said that £20,000 had already been accumulated, includ ing about £l,OOO from native church adnerents in the New Hebrides.

Total cost of the ship, as we re ported in December, 1952, was ex pected to be about £lOO,OOO. Whether a new ship will be built> or whether another sultable vessel wlll be pm "

chased and converted —as was done by the London Missionary Society In the case of their present John Williams Vl —has not yet been an nounced.

From Grays To Trochus:—

New Hebrides Trading & Shipping Co., owner of the tramp-freighter Vila Star, has acquired the re frigeration Fairmile C-Gull for trochus fishing in the New Hebrides.

It will be recalled that C-Gull left Sydney last year with the share holders and their families aboard, bound on a cray-fishing venture in the Gulf of Papua. The vessel did not get north of Townsville, where she was offered for sale some months ago.

Pearlin For Fishin’:—The

Tongan Government took delivery in February of a well-known Auck land Seine-fishing vessel named Pearlin, for use as a fishery re search and experimental craft.

Skippered by Captain Carl Johnson, Harbour Master at Nukualofa, and with Henry Ah Sam, Government junior mechanical engineer, as en gineer, and two Tongan crew mem bers, the 48 ft single-screw craft, powered by a Gardiner 80 hp diesel, cleared Auckland February 17. At Tonga she will be under the com mand of Mr. McKenzie, fisheries ex pert from Indonesia, who has been there since 1952, instructing Tongans In various fishing methods.

A'oniu For Survey:—Captain

James McCormick was to bring the Tongan Copra Board’s 80-ton ketch A'oniu to Auckland for annual re fit late February or early March.

DISTRESS CHANNEL:—Although 2182 kc/s has been accepted, in principle, by most countries as an official voice distress channel

equivalent to the 500 kc/s morse channel —slow progress is being made in acual implementation of the w o r 1 d-wide distress-watch system on the frequency.

Three Hawaiian Coastguard stations and three New Zealand stations are maintaining an efficient watch. Sydney is listed as main-

ining a continuous speaker watch it it is reported to be inefficient id several stations in the Islands sted as maintaining part-time leaker watch on the frequency, :e not actually maintaining the iblished watch period.

Staffing is the main difficulty. In opical areas the tendency is also » cut back the volume due to ashes of static, and the general

unlikelihood of hearing any vessel ™ “ e quency in any case. A recent Notice to Mariners” announces. however, that twice each J}°li r V- COmmencing on the hour and half-hour of GMT, a three-minute silence period has been established.

Vessels equipped with 2182 kc/s should therefore note that these are the times that distress calls are most likely to be heard. For vessels equipped only with the more common Island frequency of 6280 kc/s, there is still no official distress watch at all, and chances of being heard outside the various Island coaststation watch periods are probably even less than on 2182 kc/s. Throughout the night, heavy interference from overseas stations now exists

on this frequency—with Teheran and a Yugoslavia broadcast station sharing time on the channel,

Gaualofa Total Loss'

Further to our January report on this small W. Samoa coaster, the vessel was being raised when bad weather demanded that an attempt be made to shift the waterlogged craft to a more sheltered spot. The launch None, after six hours of tow ing, was forced to cut the derelict adrift, whereupon she sank in deep water. A marine court in Apia in January found the master, Mr. W.

Hickg, free of all blame in the original stranding that occurred through unusual circumstances of weather and sets. (Over)

Upper: Windjammer, Peggy Poor’s 57 ft ew Orleans schooner, Island-bound.

Lower; Captain Jean Gau’s Colin Archer [?]tch Atom. The 30-footer will soon ar [?]e in French Oceania bound round the [?]rld from New York.

Gaualofa was of 43 tons nett and was built in Apia. She was in sured. The owners, O. F. Nelson & Co., have announced that another vessel similar to Gualofa is already being built in Apia by the same builder, Mr. A. Krause. She will be 60’ overall with a beam of 18’. She will have a rounded stern instead of the square stern of Gaualofa.

News of Cruising Yachts

• We now have a Balboa correspondent who will keep us advised of yachts com ing through Panama canal and bound for the Islands. In January he reported the following: WINDJAMMER, an unusual shallow draft centre-board schooner with dimen sions 57 ft x 15 ft 6 x 4 ft 9in., owned and skippered by an attractive New Or leans blonde, Peggy Poor, with navigator Jim Cox and two West Indian seamen, was due to clear Balboa late January for Galapagos, Easter. Pitcairn, Tuamotus, Societies, Cooks, Tonga, Samoa, Fiji and New Zealand. Miss Poor says she is in no hurry. The voyage began from New Orleans, December, 1953, and the circum navigation may take 5 or 10 years to mmplete. WINDJAMMER, built in 1924, ias a creditable racing record—three Srsts in the St. Petersburg to Havana Race, and once the amazing average of L 4 knots over a 500 mile race from Cape May to Halifax.

ATOM of New York, skippered by Cap ain Jean Gau, cleared Balboa December !3. with projected ports of call given as Galapagos, Mangareva, Marquesas, Make-

, Tahiti, Samoa, Fiji, New Hebrides, then via Torres Strait and Cape Town Captain Gau and ATOM made an Atlantic crossing to Europe in 1047, returning to New York in 1049. Back in 1037, after

crossing the Atlantic in the 40 ft schooner ONDA, lost her in a storm on the coast of Spain. ATOM measures 30 ft x 10 ft x 4 ft and the present cruise will probably take three years. (OVER)

Skipper Hugh W[?]lliams (with hat) engineer Les Livingstone, and Rarotongan crew brought the Brixham trawler Inspire (left) to Auckland from the Cooks for refit.

TERN 11. is next on the list. Lieutenant B. C. Pester, RNZN, and companion Peter Fox sailing this old-timer from England to Auckland, departed Balboa for Galapagos December 20. TERN 11. was one of a series of TERNS owned first by the late Claude Worth, noted yachting writer.

Lieutenant Pester, homeward bound after a course in England, plans to make the routine calls—Marquesas, Tahiti, Raro tonga, Auckland. • LEDA, 54 ft cutter from Tauranga, NZ, still lies for sale at San Francisco, but her skipper and part-owner, Mr. C.

G. Wilson, returned by air to Auckland early February. He reported that the yacht had been warmly welcomed in the States and has since done a little racing. • Remember “Stainless Steel” Murnan and his yacht SEVEN SEAS II.? Well, Bill and his wife, having just completed a 4-months dry-land cruise all over the States in their specially equipped auto, are preparing films and scripts for a lec ture tour in the Midwest and East, in cluding Canada, soon. Subject: Cruise of SEVEN SEAS 11. A book on the cruise will soon appear, too. Not completely con verted to a dryland existence, they re cently slipped aboard the brig YANKEE to swap Pacific reminiscences with Cap tain Irving Johnson and his wife before they sailed, November 1, on their present world cruise. The Murnans send regards to all their many Island friends. • Dr. I. J. Franklen-Evans of STORTEBECKER 111. wants some volun teers to crew his 33 ft yawl on her return cruise to New Zealand this year. He hopes to clear Victoria, 8.C., in mid-April for

San Francisco, Fanning, Christmas, Pen rhyn, Apia, Tonga and Fiji. Meanwhile he has made a quick trip by orthodox means to Europe. A letter care of Box 163, Coronado, California, would reach him. • Lee and Ann Gregg, of NOVIA, which cleared Tahiti in December, are cruising and fishing in the Hawaiian Is lands.

• CALYPSO, which cleared Papeete the same day as NOVIA, reached Hilo January I, two days after NOVIA. Calms and squalls had plagued CALYPSO. • MARINER, on the contrary, made a wonderful passage from the Galapagos to Pitcairn, the boat steering herself with the aid of twin staysails for 31 of the 36 days passage, with glorious weather all the way. Arriving in time for Christmas,

Jim Robinson and George Karl were warmly welcomed by the Pitcairners. Next advice from Papeete—via ports—probably. • The California sloop PRIMAVERA (Springtime) was the scene of an unusual wedding ceremony late December when owner Paul Hurst was married to Miss Powlison Morrison, of Honolulu, as the facht cruised off Diamond Head. The mar riage was performed on deck by the Rev.

Samuel Keala standing near the flower sntwined tiller. PRIMAVERA, believed about 40 ft overall, will sail for Tahiti and other island ports via the Marquesas within the next month or so. The yacht sompeted last year in the Trans-Pacific race. • Friends of Captain Alexander fFatchlin, who came through the Islands h 1953-53 en route to New Zealand from Europe, will be pleased to know that the stranding reported some months ago on he New Zealand coast did no serious lamage to his 83 ft schooner FITHEACH JAN. Captain Watchlin, his niece, Miss jaura Webb, and Claudio Candido, one of he Italian seamen who came out with the r acht, have resumed cruising in coastal raters. There are reports that FITHEACH JAN may sail back to Europe in 1954-55. • ARTHUR ROGERS, Tom and Diana lepworth’s Brixham trawler, Is also oastwise cruising in northern New Zea and waters at present, with a number of nests aboard. Two 15-day cruises out of Auckland are planned. Manase of Tonga s still with the ship. • PAMPERO has been sold to Chinese raders in the Solomons and Ronald bhnson, who sailed the yacht up from ydney to Honiara last November-Decem er, has returned to Australia for a third acht. When Johnson sailed from Sydney a PURPLE SEA last July he intended to ruise north through the Western Pacific ilands to the Philippines and beyond, n the Russell Islands he was offered a ood price for the yacht, so sold her, and romptly returned to Sydney to start gain. Whether yacht number three will ead for the Solomons remains to be sen —but we are assured that a further speriment with a female crew is unlikely. • BEYOND, T. C. Worth’s 43 ft alum lium motor-sailer, continuing her west ound circumnavigation, arrived in Cairns, ueensland, January 39, having called at risbane en route from Sydney. Skipper Perth and his wife are reported to have on nearly £3OO on a radio show in Syd ey. Left Thursday Is. for Christmas 5o (Indian Ocean) and Aden February 18 a last lap on round-the-world voyage, »ck to England. • KERERU, little Auckland craft, still t Norfolk Island in mid-February, was tanning to head north for Noumea as >on as a good weather chart appeared. hurricane moving round the northern ew Hebrides and down to the south estward past New Caledonia was one »od excuse for remaining in port. One •ew member flew back to Auckland—and ork. • FLAMINGO, 31-foot Auckland sloop, hich entered the Sydney-Hobart Race in ecember, was heading north for the reat Barrier via Sydney. Two members

Left the ship at Hobart, leaving owner W.

McCarthy and W. Pledger to push on alone on what they plan to be a world cruise. • BEATRIX of Holland, revolutionary humpbacked steel 36 ft ketch, was re ported in and out of Nukualofa late January. She arrived Newcastle, NSW, March I—Skipper J. S. Leyden said they had “gone through hell" in a 4-day cyclone off the Australian coast. Leyden, his wife and two crew members said they might settle in Australia.

If Mr. Ray Williams, whose voice as chief announcer at ZJV, Suva, is well known within Fiji and over seas, has completed his term of duty in Fiji and returned to Sydney with his wife (nee Miss Wendy

Read, of Suva.)