News of the Small-Ships

It Happened In This Month:

■Still to be seen on Palmerston land are articles of furniture from ie French barque La Tour Auvergne, wrecked there October , 1913. Surprisingly, nothing ►pears in the several standard >rks available in libraries about is wreck.

Tahiti correspondent Oscar Nord an recalls that he was serving in e old Sonoma. While bound from molulu to Pago Pago a radio jssage was received that La Tour Auvergne, bound from Papeete to ►umea, was posted missing at )yds. Arriving in Pago Pago in bruary, 1914, they found there J French gunboat Zelee, out irching islands along the route ; the missing vessel, liater, when Sonoma arrived in dney, news was received that all nds from the French bargue had ;n picked up on Palmerston and. The crew were later re flated to France. A few months 5r the Zelee was sunk in Papeete :bour by the German raiding isers Scharnhorst and Gneisenau.

Turricane Warnings:—With

)ther hurricane season in sight, summarise the voice weather adcasts available to small ships. • New Guinea-Solomons area: •t Moresby on 1250/6130 kc/s at 3 0855 1230 2200 GMT Monday to

Friday; 0225, 0855/2155 GMT Satur day; 0855 GMT Sunday and holi days. Also on request from VIG (ships 6280, VIG 6225 kc/s) at 0600 2200 GMT. Brisbane on 4917/ 9660 kc/s at 0815/0845 2000 GMT For New Hebrides/New Caledonia area: From Vila-YJX on 3450 kc s at 2115 GMT and on request (ships also on 3450 kc/s). For waters from New Hebrides eastward to Cook Islands: Nadi on 7530 kc/s at 0915 GMT; Suva broadcast station on 930 3980 kc/s at 0037 0137/0637 0907 GMT (Sunday, 0137 GMT omitted) From Suva PO Smallships’ station at 0230 2130 GMT, currently on 6300 kc/s, but by the time this appears this station will probably be using the new 4074 kc/s channel.

When a hurricane has formed Vila, Nadi and Suva give regular hourly bulletins, on the GMT hour or half-hour,

Savoie Addition: Captain

Emile Savoie, of Noumea, who re cently lost Jacques del Mar on Lord Howe Island, and sold Colorado del Mar to a New Hebrides firm, has purchased, through the agency of Captain W. L. Kennedy, the well known Australian coaster Wombat lately owned by Kauri Timber Co., of Melbourne.

Wombat was built at the Govern ment Dockyard, Melbourne, in 1915.

was converted from steam to diesel and her present twin motors were installed post-war. She has a tonnage of 273 gross, 129 nett

Seven Little Brothers

behe e v n e«? ei fh’ f Vic ? toria > radio amateur believes that in mid-October he |? aa f.d signals from New Yorker William Willis, who is aboard \

balsa raft adrift somewhere be tween Callao and Samoa.

There has been confusion in re gard to call-sign and frequency in use, but PIM was officially advised by the Port Captain at Callao that Willis would make signals on the international distress frequencies of 500/8364 kc/s at 1600 and 2300 GMT.

As a standard lifeboat transmitter is being used, it is unlikely that Willis can use R T—which the Victorian amateur thought he had heard. The call-sign in use was reported as 75TAS, then as 7HTAS.

Assuming that Willis is still afloat he is not likely to reach first land fall, the Tuamotus, or more prob ably the Marquesas, until late Sep tember; and if he carries on to Samoa, as planned, he could not be expected for another six weeks.

If Willis is unable to put up a kite aerial, his radio range will be very limited. Last verified signals were heard when the raft was only three days out of Callao, on June 26.

New Hebrides Communica

TIONS: —The following is now the situation in regard to Smallships communications in the New Hebrides:— British controlled station YJX, at Vila, listens 3450 6900 kc/s and re plies 3450 —or 6900 kc s if requested.

Watches: 0200-0530 1300-1430 2130- 0000 GMT daily.

An efficient watch is also main tained by Etablissements Ballande stations at Vila and Santo, VJJ4 and VJJ3 listening and replying

on 5790 kc/s daily from 0200-0700

2000-0000 Gmt.

The YJX frequencies are also used for inter-island communica tions. Weather from YJX at 2115

Gmt.

Lord Howe —This island will listen on any frequency and reply on 6410 kc s by arrangement through Syd ney Radio.

VEGA AWAY:—After delay, the

steel yacht Vega cleared Papeete fc Honolulu, August 21, to begin a ne' life in the passenger trade, undt the ownership of Mr. Omar Dar of Honolulu. It was returned t US registry before departure.

A crew, mainly Tahitian, w i signed on for the voyage nortl Considerable refitting will be dor before Vega attempts to r u passengers from Honolulu 1

ipeete, and possibly to Mexico dur g the season.

ABOVE OR BELOW:—Californian Iward Fenton, having completed a

contract piloting helicopters in Pa £ Ua .u for , AP( t’ cached Samarai with the launch Anne early Sen tember bound for the Trobriands, where he plans to do some shell diving.

Funds In Sight;— The Mel

anesian Mission’s fund to replace its over-age Southern Cross VII had reached over £NZ3I,OOO early Sep

tember. An all-out drive to raise the estimated £lOO,OOO required for a new vessel is being made in New Zealand England and America.

Meanwhile Southern Cross VII was lying for sale at Halvorsens boat yard, Sydney, late September.

Treasure Hunts:— Two Salv

age expeditions are fitting out to visit the General Grant, wrecked on Auckland Island, south of New Zea land, in 1866.

In Auckland, Mr. Charles Levard and associates, planned to clear port in the steam trawler Waipu in mid-October. They are backed by an anonymous Auckland woman.

William Havens, and a crew of three, are, meanwhile, planning a similar expedition from the UK, but are having trouble with a writ

Top to bottom: FLORENCE ROBINSON to be sold under writ in Papeete during September. Ronald Johnson’s unnamed fishing junk which may go to the Islands soon. LADY STIRLING. Auckland motor sailer. up for sale in Suva. American yacht MANDALAY leaving Papeete west bound. American yacht MAKAI which arrived at Papeete from the Pacific Coast early September.

ending settlement of towage or ilvage claims.

The General Grant was said to ave sailed into a huge cave which ms 250 yards into the 1,200-ft gh cliff. She was supposed to ive 9 tons of gold aboard. The ssel has long-since broken up and » wreckage is widely scattered, ;11 off-shore in deep water.

Bsip May Yet See Kovala :

In February, 1949, PIM repre itatives saw the launching at Bal lin, Sydney, of a patrol craft for PHC service in the Solomons, e was named Kovala.

Fhree years later, another PIM jresentative watched her cruise R/n-harbour bound for the BSIP. at time she got as far as Ballina, the north NSW coast. She has /er got any further.

Ve now learn that early in 1955 •r k should be completed on edifying and re-engining the ft with machinery more suited the conditions and long steam distances applicable in the Pro torate and G and E Colony.” In years, this vessel has had endless ney poured into her and she i yet to do her first hour’s work.

Nd Wll Try Agaln;—Other

t-building plans are in view for 'HC and several modern 105-ft sels are proposed. wo will be fitted with echo

sounding gear for navigational and survey purposes. All will have some refrigerated cargo space. They mav be built in Hongkong.

In addition, small patrol vessels Bina and Betua are to be re-engined early 1955, with machinery more suited to the long-steaming dist ances in BSIP and G & E services

Kurimarau Sold; Wphc

flagship Kurimarau, laid up for sale at Ballina, NSW, since late 1953 was sold in July to Mr. S. Berg a Norwegian, of Sydney. It is likely to be seen again in the Islands after certain work has been carried out Mr. Berg had shipping interests in Hongkong before the war.

Tasman Steamships Fold

UP:—The New Zealand ex-service man shipping co-operative, the Tas man Steamship Co., announced in mid-September that it would go into liquidation.

No details available as to the fate of Viti, Vasu, and the recently con verted corvette Madonna. Some members of the original group may reorganise and remain in business.

CHANGES IN P-NG:—Native co operatives in the Gulf Country of Papua are equipping their canoes with 25-hp outboard motors. With good prices being offered for man grove bark and other produce, the paddle and pole are being laid aside for a little relaxation.

J Ou O Th Pacific Shipping

hpr firc+ nCe oss of Nukalau on her first round-trip voyage for the company, and the settlement of in! surance claims, the Fiji partners in this organisation, Mr. Jack Turne? and Captain J. McK. Arnot have been bought out by the Auckland members. Mr. Levf Graham Mr

•Cecil Harrison and Captain Jim Ewer. The latter have several vessels under consideration. Mean while Mr. Graham and a partner have purchased, as a speculation, the well-known New Zealand coaster Nikau from the Anchor Shipping & Foundry Co., of Nelson.

It is a similar vessel to Alexander, which Graham lost on Aitutaki reef.

A New Hebrides ship owner is in terested in buying the vessel which may again be seen somewhere in the Islands. Graham will re gister her in Vila, under the British flag.

Jap Training Vessel In

SUVA: —Launched only last June, and having sailed from Japan August 8 on a fishery training cruise, the modern Japanese vessel Baifuji Maru put in to Suva early September to land a couple of in jured seamen for hospitalisation.

Of 472 gross, 297 nett tons, this vessel has a speed of over 20 knots with her single 6-cylinder diesel.

Most of the 70 men aboard are University students undergoing a special fishery course. When piloted in by Assistant Harbour Master Captain James, the helmsman understood all steering orders per fectly, but when berthed and ashore none of the crew appeared to under stand a word of English. She was held in Suva pending payment of £25 in harbour dues —there appeared to be no money available on the vessel.

The ship is refrigerated and had a quantity of fish aboard. She is equipped with radar, echo sounder, direction finder, etc., and fluorescent lighting throughout. She was the first Jap ship to visit Suva since the war.

LIFESAVER: —What may be a development of value to seamen was

reported from Buckinghamshii England, in September. A rad amateur had succeeded in makii contact over a distance of 25 mil with a set powered entirely by tl rays of the sun. , , „ , as is us P e7in th e P phot graphic exposure-meter, and son

the new tiny insitor radio Ives which are yolutio n i s i n g » hearing-aid lustry.

Why Not

Sef U L

Ings? : A

n prominent in pping affairs New Guinea, ;ening to the bangs that go round Rabaul 7 day of the ?k as the Army

nolition teams do their job, asks 7 the bangs could not be put to ctical use—such as blasting a igh in a steep-shelving reef to plify the construction of a grav dock. ne reason may be that this am bition is too dangerous, in its condition, to move far from its it of location by the searchers, the idea seems sound. It is By merely blasting a fairly' p channel shoreward from the vard face of a steep-shelving , of which there are plenty dy to Rabaul, cutting either side he channel into steps, and then ng a steel caisson at the ance, and electric pumps to »ty the dock when the door is ed behind the ship, a verv Die and apparently not very ly dock could be produced, lot of explosives would be re ed—and a lot are available for ung, judging by the daily ?s. le correspondent notes that it “a wild Irishman’s initiative” wilding a coffer-dam recently, to ribute something practical to 1s easing a situation which aul officialdom never gets ler than talking about. Rabaul. gh possibly the busiest shipping in the Territory, is probably most backward in the way of ir facilities (A slipway for 300ers is now under construction).

SH FOR SALE:—Last month 'eported that Captain “Dusty” ;r and his tramp-fishing vessel a had abandoned operations at on Island in favour of Samoa, ain Miller is trying to estab i market in Apia for the surplus in. etc., associated with the Pago Japanese-supplied tuna ery. It is understood, how that operational and ice costs

Droving a handicap.

Samoa Addition:—In Re

mqnths the Western Samoa Iships fleet, depleted over the year by the loss of two craft >een reinforced by the commis ig of the smart MV Malcolm, locally for I. H. Carruthers by Mr. Bernard Thomsen, who ilso the designer.

Contact Canton:—For

s and other voice-equipped craft bound Canton Island and

wishing to make prior radio con tact, the following is the situation- WPHC craft in the area contact the

!°£f* British-admimstered statiorr,

wmch listens and replies on 6280 kc/s at 0400 2000 2100 GMT—the frequency also being used for point to-point contact with Tarawa at

Jf 10 .se times. Additionally, the

united States Civil Aeronautics Ad ministration station at the airport maintains full 24-hour watch on ? 716 kc/s, replying on the same 1 requency By prior arrangement, either station will listen on any other specified frequency if the above are not available to the vessel. The CAA station also main tains continuous watch on the 500 kc/s distress frequency—and prob ably also on 8364 kc/s.

NOTOU MEMORY:—Captain L Jego, commanding Societe des lie’s.

Daifuji Maru—see opposite page.

losalie, on her refit-voyage to Auck and of late, told of the sinking of he well-known New Caledonia rader Notou by the German raider rrion, on August 16, 1940, only 20 liles from Noumea. He was in 3mmand of Notou at the time.

Having been assured that no liders were in the vicinity, Captain Jgo did not suspect a German jssel when the Orion signalled him i stop. By the time the raider had sclosed her identity it was too late take evasive action. Notou was tarded, all stores and personnel ken off, and a bomb placed in the igine room, sending Notou and her rgo of coal to the bottom. Cap in Jego and his crew remained in ‘ion while she, in company at ties with others, sank various ssels, including the Rangitane. ter the prisoners were transferred the supply vessel Ermland, which aetrated the Allied blockade and tched a French port, where the n were interned for five months, m released, though forbidden to to sea for “the duration.” Cap ri Jego, who has lived in New ledonia since 1929, returned there er the war and is now living ore. a connection with the activities merman raiders during the war- J War History Branch of the Department of Internal Affairs lished in 1949 a booklet com d largely from the captured i of the raiders, and containing

maps and photos of great interest The booklet “German Raiders in the Pacific, is available through booksellers at 2/6 NZ, plus postage.

Wrecked And Afire— The

Papeete auxiliary cutter Hauvea terai, 26 GT, registered under P fhe ownership of M. Aldred Richmond became a total loss on Rangiroa reef Tuamotus in August, and on Sep tember 5 the inter-island passenger and cargo vessel Hiro was narrowly saved from destruction bv fire at Papeete by the smart action of Papeete fire brigade, military and police volunteers. Hiro, formerly named Memory, was built in the US to Tahiti in the mid -1930 s under the ownership of the late Lewis Hirshon. Of 183 GT 120 nett, Hiro’s registered owners’ are Societe Francaise de Navigation This twin-screw vessel regularly ran US servicemen from Bora Bora to Papeete on vacation during World War 11.

NO-NAME JUNK—Ronald John son s unnamed fishing junk now lies free of Customs restrictions at moorings in Rushcutters Bay Syd ney Johnson is undecided yet as to future plans.

This craft, roughly though solidly built, measures 32 ft x 12 ft x 12 l nc £?. s draft and has ten water-tight bulkheads dividing the hull into a series of wooden tanks which may be flooded at will and in which fish may be kept alive. One or more of

wltfer°supplies eII I s « for fesh is confined tn accomr nodation thirTo nned to ° ne narrow athwart |e£ o C v°e? P w « r 4r a a M Jf ter a sSp U ?l an " ho 1? closes in the fu e nv h lo r ' * i° ng whtn draft Si io C tt aS Alon| JSS?

Merced with a series of diamond ’ toW. U s n a«x

located on a gallery built out over the quarters and stern of the vessel.

This also holds the fishing gear.

Projecting timbers on either side fore and aft take care of bamboo poles for poling the craft in the shallows, and probably are also used as bollards or cleats for some of the standing and running gear.

Almost the entire deck consists of hatch panels, each several feet square, giving access to any par ticular compartment or portion thereof.

This craft, unorthodox in appear ance, could be useful for shoal-water work in the Islands, for fishing or copra transport. She would have to be badly damaged, or flooded by seas on deck, before she would sink.

Built in Hongkong in six weeks she is typical of an estimated 20,000 similar craft in Hongkong-Kowloon waters, aboard which whole families live and spend their entire lives. She cost about £1,500 Australian, com plete, ready for sea. Johnson may fit a large outboard motor in a well aft of the accommodation compart ment.

TONGA FLEET:—A modern type of steel vessel of around 500 gross tons is now under construction in Holland for the Tonga Copra Board. This will replace the Suva built ketch A’oniu which will then become a personnel-shifting vessel to replace the over-age Hifofua. The latter vessel will likely go to Auck land to load materials for the new

Nukualofa government hotel con struction job.

Sixty Years Ago; Tahiti

correspondent Oscar Nordman sends along a letter he has received from Count Goedicke van Asten, now of Auckland, formerly of Tonga.

The Count mentions that in 1890,

when he was 30, he signed as supe: cargo in Crawford & Co.’s Sa Francisco-r egistered 3-mast< schooner Golden Fleece, then tra< ing to the Marshall and Gilbe Islands.

He recalls that the company al owned the Tropic Bird and Galil and was interested to note th

tordman had served in the latter The Count believed that Galilee ms hit by German fire on the ort of Papeete during World War - but Nordman says the American essel then m port, was the William lac Donald, a four-master, which le Germans spared when they saw le Stars and Stripes.

Manua On The Job;—Eastern

amoa Government’s YMS Manu’a ele recently undertook a tough tow of a barge loaded ith $125,000 worth of road and instruction equipment and atenals from Pago Pago to the anua Islands, the 70 miles taking hours to Faleasao Bay, Ta’u.

Manu’a Tele, which maintains mmumcation between Apia and b Tokelaus for the Western Samoa )vernment, will proceed to Suva annual refit after completion of September Tokelau charter. While . S uva - Engineer James ord, of Fiji, will take a NZ holi in^uiry at Suva 0 the June stranding of Morris dstrom & Co.’s Adi Keva on jerua Reef found the cause to fatigue on the part of the Master 1 -P 1- , rs t mate having been pitalized five days earlier and replaced. cause was failure to w for a known compass error.

I? take into adequate account et which could have been an 3returnedh6 Master ’ s certificate

Dr Solomons;—Mr. F. Jones

■oh Solomons, has pur through Sydney shipbroker Kennedy, a 50-ft work-boat ered with a 66-hp Kelvin diesel, -h, on completion of certain ations at Tuncurry, NSW, will hipped north as deck cargo

■Bomb Victim: -Am Chi

ayama, 40-year-old radio ator of the tuna vessel Fukurvo o f th e vessels accidentally immated by radio-active ash in March H-bomb tests at Bikini oi 1 a hospital on Sep « V becoming the Is first victim of an H-bomb Japanese Government is de -11 pillion dollars com mon for loss and damage to boats and cargoes. The fe?^o G n 0 n V r niT lf nt has raised million dollars.

traordinary bums-

New Zealand University nts, writing from Lae NG 1 fmm n ad helped to deliver fiom Cairns, are eager to i some other delivery jobs Ilia “f p2 S headin S towards Inal rnn PS <- S u yS: “ We ’ re not sual run of bums!” “Messrs. them nm and Murph y- Lae,”

/s of Cruising Yachts

I S O a °n/ aChtS kn ° Wn to be cruising , an . dS H aPPe f r below thus: Na me: l t Z’ l , d * d ®P art : b. bound; a, arrived: n the pf£r Ut . thCSe yachts wll ‘ be n the PIM issue shown in paren

thesis. Full details will be fflven « *

iairoSSrtS Mijb'utSrv*

isr - - ■- b. , S.r.mo™ N ?&. N ?s4 d - Ribaul Aue - 2 * • ANNA ELIZABETH. Dutch, d Altutakl Rarot °—

and George Leland thl ? R oblnson having replaced GeorgJ K ‘ rI ter app a r ently John O'Donnell * L Als ° ab »ard ; Sept, via French Oceania ports (July?°>s4)!

Frenchman Marcel Bardiaux whose single-handed passage from France to the Pacific via the Horn is one of the most notable smallship efforts of recent years.

Bardiaux and his ”Les 4 Vents” have recently been in Noumea. —Photo by F. Dunn.

peete via Rarotonga, Pago Pago, thence Wallis (June, ’54). • MAKAI, IJS, a. Papeete Sept. 8 from n Francisco via Monterey, Taiohae, karoa (Aug., ’54). • SERVA LA BARI, Chile, d. Papeete pt. 2, b. Valparaiso via Moorea, Bora ra, Pitcairn, Easter (July, ’54). » BEATRIX, Dutch, unorthodox whale cked craft, now lies at moorings, and iking very rusty, in Rushcutters Bay, dney. » LADYBIRD, NZ, a. Rarotonga Sept. 5 im Papeete, b. Tonga, Fiji, Auckland.

• LANDFALL 11, 50-footer from Oak land, Cal., cleared Papeete early Septem ber for Auckland via ports. Personnel aboard include owner W. F. Holcomb and Mrs. Holcomb, Dr. Dean Smith, and Mr Raymond Jonsson, when the yacht arrived at Papeete from Balboa via island ports LANDFALL 11, previously named MAVOURNEEN, is out on a 3-year circum navigation. This staysail schooner has been a past unsuccessful entrant in two Trans-Pacific Races. • MANDALAY, a. Vila Sept. 14 via Pago Pago, Apia, from Papeete and on offer for $5,000, planned to beat back to Papeete if unsold. • KERERU’s crew, boatless since selling their little ship in Santo in August, have purchased the 26-ft. Auckland sloop WAIMANA and were preparing in mid- September to clear for Fiji where they plan to island-dodge in the vicinity of good harbours through the coming hurri cane season. Ray Williams, Jim Fitz gerald and Norman Ziska are the team. • STORTEBECKER 111, first reported as heading back for New Zealand via the Islands from Canada and then as heading north instead for a cruise In Alaskan waters, has now been sold by English owner Dr. Franklen-Evans. • MOONRAKER was being readied by Peter and Ann Pye at Victoria, BC, in September for the return voyage to England. This yacht called at Tahiti last year. • In early September the 49 ft. yacht JENCO left Oslo Fiord, Norway, for Aus tralia, where owner Jens William Jensen plans to settle. With him were his 25year-old wife, their two young children, and two other young emigrants. They expect to take about 12 months on the trip.

.A Un . lte . d States military intellig fSp 6 ™ miS K on ’ 9 allin S on their oppo lQnUi^ersT Aus tralia and New Zealand in July, also made a brief call at Nadi, Fiji. The mission headed by Major General A G Trudeau, Director of Intelligence' US Army, was entertained by reo- Forces atlVeS ° f the Fiji Milita ry

Somehow we’ve mislaid the name of is attractive young Samoan with the [?]r-away look in her eyes—but if you’re gadding Pago Pago way she’ll be right [?]ere guarding your frequency from [?]UQ-20.