News of the Small-Ships

It Happened In This Month:

—Ninety years ago on November 25, two years before William Marsters and his wives settled on the atoll, the American barque Julia Cobb, bound Adelaide from ’Frisco, piled up on Palmerston Island and be came a total loss. All hands landed safely, but as early help seemed un likely a boat was despatched to Aitutaki, 200 miles to windward. No succour was available so the life boat put about and ran an extra 750 miles north-west to Apia, arriv ing there on January 27, 1865. The schooner Annie Laurie was then de spatched to rescue the marooned seamen.

Also in November —25 years ago— came the tragic end to the non magnetic research ship Carnegie as she lay refuelling with gasoline in Apia Harbour. A photo of her afire appeared in PIM, February (p. 59).

Commander J. P. Ault, her master, was killed in the explosion and many valuable magnetic survey re cords were lost. Commander Ault’s wife is still alive.

Mary Winkleman:— For

Arthur C. Johnson, of Yankee, who sought information on this vessel (PIM, July, p. 103), Oscar Nordman, of Tahiti, has news. His diary, kept aboard Galilee records lying at anchor in Honolulu alongside Mary

Winkleman in 1907. She was then said to be a thorn in the side of the Customs authorities through her Honolulu-Mainland smuggling activities. Cigars and opium were her specialty and one of her Masters took his life through the worries of the trade. Nordman recalls the vessel in Papeete in 1900 when he was a young boy. Even then she was known as Tragedy Barque. He believes she was about 500 tons gross.

Captain Martin Nagle, of the Tahiti Police, and one-time skipper of the New York Museum of Natural History’s France, handed over that command to a Captain Harris, joint owner with his brother of Mary Winkleman, shortly after the latter vessel had been lost as she sailed from Pago Pago in 1923.

An unsuccessful attempt was made by USS Ontario to pull her off the reef but she became a total loss.

The Women Object:—Us

Weather Bureau Chief is having women trouble. For years it has been normal practice for his fore casters to allocate women’s names to the seasonal hurricanes of the Southern States and North Pacific areas. They are allotted in alpha betical order— “ Annie,” “Betty,” etc., for easy identification from day to day, in shipping forecasts par

ticularly. Lately the Bureau has been flooded with protests from angry females wanting to know why.

The Chief’s reply is: “Because they’re unpredictable.” But he will consider another naming system.

DOWN THE DRAlN:—Another Island project foundered with the sinking of the 50-foot schooner

Awatea north of Newcastle, NSW, on October 9, a few hours after clearing for New Guinea. Joint owners, Alex Cunningham and David Jeebes, who made a safe landing on the beach in their dinghy, said they had invested £6,000 and a lot of work in the vessel. Pearl shell fishing, ornamental shell ex porting and crocodile hide trading were intended. Cunningham was described as a sawmill manager and Jeebes a diesel engineer of Port Moresby. Meanwhile, in Sydney, within cooee of the writ-laden Cygnet crayfisher, at least two other large yachts were reported prepar ing for various trading ventures in New Guinea waters.

HUAHINE JETTY;—As part of a scheme for improving smallship facilities in the outer islands, the French Oceania Public Works De partment recently sent their LCT Te Porionuu with a work party to complete construction of a jetty at Haapu, Huahine. Preparatory work had been undertaken by the local people over the past three years.

The Works team completed the job in 8 days.

Western Samoa’S Flag

SHIP:—BuiIt in Apia for O. F.

Nelson & Co. by their chief ship wright, Mr. A. Krause, the Sulimoni recently entered the Western Samoa coastal trade. The keel was laid in January and the vessel launched

in July. Built of Australian hard wood with Kauri planking, some of it from Fiji, the vessel has her wheel-house set high amidships.

Just under 70 ft long, with a beam of 19 ft, Sulimoni has a gross ton nage of 54.73, a cargo capacity of 80 tons, and passenger accommoda

tion for 15. She is powered with twin 88 hp Kelvin diesels giving her a service speed of 11 knots. She is believed to be the largest vessel ever built in Western Samoa, and probably the largest built in either Eastern or Western Samoa. Captain F. Strickland is in command.

Floating Dock For Wphc?:

—Western Pacific High Commission is considering the purchase of a floating dock, to be stationed at Tulagi, Solomons, for the servicing of BSIP and G & E smallships.

Mo Ala Damaged;—Bp’S Suva

built and based 126-ton wooden auxiliary ketch Moala suffered some hull damage in September when, in darkness, she grounded on Vatu Lele reef. She came off on the rising tide and though leaking badly made Suva, where repairs were carried out in about 10 days.

Junk Tries Her Wings:

Ronald Johnson’s fishing junk, brought as deck cargo from Hong kong some months ago, now named Bung Ho, caused interest on Syd ney Harbour when she sailed down from Rushcutter’s Bay to Manly, Octoper 9. She was possibly the first craft of her type to sail on this harbour. Johnson will likely head her for the Islands next Autumn.

JAPS DEPART:—Reaching their agreed quota of 950 tons of MOP shell, the Jap pearling fleet which has operated off Arnhem Land and Bathurst Island, sailed for Japan, October 10. There were 25 fishing vessels, a mother-ship and a Jap Fishery Department inspection vessel.

SORENGANA ;—This interesting Baltic ketch, jointly owned by Capt.

Scott-Eliot and Mr. Pearson, which has been trading in the Solomons for some months past, was reported laid up at Honiara and likely to require a new diesel.

Slow—But Not That Slow!

—Sensitive of the reputation of his former ship—like all old sailors — Mr. J. L. Russell springs to the de fence of On Chong’s former Alexa (PIM, Sept., p. 105), declaring that Captain Boulton’s assessment was unduly harsh. “She was no Cutty Sark,” admits Mr. Russell, “but I made a passage Sydney-Butaritari in 35 days, and return to Sydney in 33 days loaded to the coamings with 500 tons of copra.” He en closed a photo taken immediately after that voyage.

Mr. Russell also refutes a Rabaul correspondent’s suggestion that the Catholic Mission’s Waimana was ever square-rigged. “To the best of my knowledge she has always heen a fore-and-aft schooner. , . .

It is possible that ... he has con fused her with the topsail schooner Alma Doepel.” A photo of Waimana taken 1924 was enclosed as evid ence.

Maureen Resumes:—Follow

ing refit in Suva, WPHCs’ Maureen resumed her G & E trampings in October. In error, in July, we con fused this 60-footer with Margaret, which was the one sunk at Nanu mea some years ago.

Wrongly Charted: —Re

cently we reported that Cook Islands survey department had at

last “fixed” the positions of the main landings at Mauke and Atiu.

Late September, Second Officer Daniel J. O’Leary, of the United States freighter Pioneer Star, said in Fremantle that his careful sights

“Sulimoni”. latest addition to W. Samoa fleet and largest vessel in the coasting trade. —Photo: R. F.

Rankin.

taken on two trans-Pacific runs, placed the nearby Manuae group six miles from their charted position.

His sight-workings have gone to US Hydrographic Office.

Pearling Luggers: Aus

tralia has about 100 pearling luggers to-day as compared with 250 in 1939, and they now cost £lO,OOO each tq build. These facts were given in a recent Parliamentary debate in which some members appealed for financial aid to this “complex and risky industry.”

How risky, was indicated at about the same time when it was reported from Darwin that a diver, Fred Motlop, had lost his life when his lines became tangled in the lugger Pram’s propeller while he was be ing slowly towed along at 17 fathoms. Motlop was wound up to 6 fathoms, before the motor could be stopped, then in the excitement the tender on deck was knocked overboard causing the diver to again plummet to the bottom, rupturing his lungs. Throwing off his helmet in panic, he shot to the surface, was hastily fitted with an other helmet and sent down again m hope of saving his life by equalising the pressures slowly but when brought up an hour later the diver was dead. Following the accident, the Haritos Brothers’ fleet returned to port.

Fishing Dutch New Guinea

WATERS;—The latest SPC Quart

erly Bulletin reports that Nether la n d s New Guinea’s Fisheries Branch at present has 5 small vessels engaged in experimental fishing of coastal waters. Operating from Sorong is De Goede Hoop, a 72 ft. x 18i ft x 8 ft riveted-steel North Sea trawler, equipped with latest electronic fish-locator, echo sounder, etc. This vessel, manned by Dutch officers and Papuan crew has been regularly taking i ton per day of various kinds of fish from a shoal area off the north coast.

From Manokwari the experi mental tuna fisher Hollandia is operating. She is described as a combined long-liner and live bait troller, 82 ft x 18 ft x 81 ft, with refrigerated fish-hold and a fuel capacity for 14-day cruises. Two small launches are trolling, trawling and beach-seining along the south coast, and a third, operating out of Manokwari, in the north, is sur veying tuna-bait resources.

Mr. D. C. Zwollo is in overall charge of operations.

For Rabaul Fleet:—After

six months in building, the 57 ft motor vessel Gazelle took the water at Crowley’s Bulimba yard, Bris bane, late September and was ex pected to sail for Rabaul, her in tended base, late October. Modernly equipped, the 35-tons vessel will carry 70 tons of copra for her owner, Mr. Bernard Chan.

He Built Wind-Ships:—Once

connected with the famous yard of Mathew Turner, Benecia, California, from whence many a fine wind ship headed into the Pacific, Mr.

Charles Brown Petersen, long re sident in Tahiti, reports that he is still keenly interest in the craft that sail and steam in these waters.

Charlie Brown—as he is generally known—has launched from his Tahiti boat-yard many little craft trading in French Oceania,

Tahiti Launchings: —Cap

tain Louis Carlson, Papeete’s Assist ant Harbour Master, kindly supplies details of craft commissioned there

this year. Largest is Vaitaporo, 83 GT, 53 nett, powered with an 85-hp Atlas, and built by Adrien Le Prado for Societe Polynesienne de Naviga tion. Schooner rigged, this vessel is for the inter-island passenger and cargo trade.

For the Papeete-Moorea passenger and freight service Tamarii Eimeo, of 22 GT, was launched by Ellacott Brothers for M. John Teariki. This motor vessel is powered by a 60-hp Lister.

Fareute, a 7 GT fishing vessel, has been launched by T. Aumeran for M. Robert Aumeran. This craft has a 27-hp Lister. Another 4tonner powered by a 50-hp Red Wing motor has been delivered to M.

Francis Smidt by M. Theophile Fuller, and a third fishing craft, Aorai, has been rebuilt.

Aorai, of 28 GT, was formerly Tamarii Auura. The conversion was undertaken by M. Jean Le Caill, a leading boat-builder, as an addition to M. Robert Aumeran’s fishing fleet.

A new company named Societe de Peche Polynesienne was registered in September with a capital of 150,000 francs, to engage in sport and com mercial fishing. The 11-ton vessel Vaiote, built in Auckland in 1931, and recently registered in the name of M. Emile Martin, has been pur chased. Operations base will be the Pirae country hotel of Mr.

Somerset Brooke. Manager of the enterprise is M. Jules Grossmann, of Faaa. It is assumed that operations

will be directed mainly towards the tourist trade.

Another N. C. Disaster:

Making the same voyage from Mare Island to Noumea as the ill-fated Monique which disappeared last year, another smaller vessel was lost late September —Generale le Clerc, a craft of about 40 ft and 10

tons. Jointly owned by the High- Chief of Mare, M. Naisseline, and M. Buaha, and skippered by Cap tain Underwood, this petrol-motored craft was about an hour out from Mare when a heavy roll caused an open drum of gasoline on deck to spill down onto the engine. De spite an explosion and fire, the 17 passengers and 6 crew got clear,

though the one tiny boat could not carry all. After a long struggle to land, it was found that four of the swimmers were missing.

The naval sloop Tiare and an air craft on photographic work made a search next day but found no trace of men or vessel.

SAVOIE NEWS:—In Sydney, mid-October, Captain Henri Courtois reported that his charge, Maria del Mar, narrowly escaped the July fate of Jacques del Mar, the wreck of which has now broken into three pieces on Lord Howe. While dis charging cargo in bad weather in October, Maria was caught by a terrific squall which all but set her on the reef alongside Jacques. Cap tain Courtois thereupon abandoned operations and proceeded to Syd ney.

Captain Savoie has not yet de cided on a name-change for Wom bat, still in Melbourne and expected to enter Savoie service in No vember. M. Kollen, of Noumea, will be chief engineer, with Captain Savoie in command, when she com missions.

Colorado del Mar has not been sold but is running for Compagnie Francaise Nouvelle Hebrides on a monthly charter basis, their own Albert Bonneaud now ageing and in poor condition since her July stranding on Malekula. She may be replaced.

In Service In Noumea

WATERS:— Lorraine, ex Maid of Pinto, latest addition to the Noumea fleet, is now in service for M. Rene Reuter, Captain Henri Helme being in command of the English-built ex-trawler.

Salvage In Solomons:—Fol

lowing advertisements for salvage of derelict war vessels on Solomons beaches earlier this year, a Rabaul organisation known as Michael Morgan Engineers, operating the LCT Keravia, recently removed non ferrous propellers from eight of the derelicts, five near Buin and three near Honiara. Mr. Harry Brutnal, ex-RAN diver, and skipper of Coral Star when she recently turned turtle near Manus, is in charge of opera tions. It is understood that the only scrap worth handling at pre sent is non-ferrous and that little is likely to be done regarding the hulls of these vessels.

Harbour Cleared;—Us Navy

demolition teams recently completed work on clearing wrecks from Rota Harbour, Marianas.

RECRUITING: —T h e freighter Czechuen, under charter to British Phosphate Commissioners, made the rounds of 15 islands in the Gilbert and Ellice in October, repatriating and recruiting labour for the phos phate workings on Ocean and Nauru.

Annual Dog Watch:—Fuiiy

up to its usual standard of interest, the Ship Lovers’ Society of Victoria has just published its 11th Annual

Dog Watch. Though there are no articles this year dealing with what could be classed as Island ships of other days, there is a contribution to the earlier history of the fine sailing ship Salamis which later,

under the Nor wegian flag, ended her days on Malden, the former guano island away north of the Cooks.

Copies of the Annual are avail able from Aus tralian booksellers (not from PIM) or from the Society, Box 1169 k,

GPO, Melbourne, at 4/6, plus post age.

Ng Fishing Survey:—The

P-NG Administration’s Fisheries Division was endeavouring in Oc tober to charter in Queensland a

Left, “Alexa” and right, “Waimana”, mentioned in notes.

fishing vessel of not less than 50 ft to carry out a survey of Gulf of Papua waters between December and March.

REFITTING:—The Netherlands naval corvette Ternate from the Dutch New Guinea station was re fitting at Garden Island, Sydney, in October. While in port, Leading Writer Cais Koppenol married a Dutch girl whom he had met some time ago when he came south from New Guinea in Van Kinsbergen.

Japs Return To Pago Pago:

—Six more Japanese fishing Sam pans from Tokyo have been con tracted for by the Van Camp Sea food Company, and will arrive dur ing November under a six months’ contract to supply tuna for the fish cannery at Pago Pago. A new man ager for the Pago plant is also due in November—Mr. Donald Doran, of Astoria, Oregon, who relieves Mr.

C. Hedrick. The latter has been ill and will return to the US when he is sufficiently recovered.

The incoming Sampans range from 60 to 80 feet in length and are fully equipped for long-line fishing. They are; Taiyo Maru, Takutaka Maru, 2-Fuyo, 1-Seisho, 1-Shoho and 1-Sansei Maru. Two Japanese representatives from Tokyo will also call at Pago in conjunction with the fishing enterprise. They are Etsue Kobayashi and Kan zaimo Matsu Sayashi, both from Mitsubishi Shoji Kaisha Company.

Hurricane Huddle:—Though

leading meteorologists have re peatedly said that atom bomb tests could not be the cause of violent storms or unseasonable weather throughout the world in recent years, the US Government has now directed nuclear and meteorological scientists to make a thorough in vestigation. They will also make further research into the possibility of breaking up and dissipating hurricanes such as those which re cently did great damage in Japan, the West Indies and the United States.

Byrd Heading South:—Ad

miral Richard Byrd will head a United States Antarctic expedition again next Autumn.

Unidentified Craft In N.

HEBRIDES:—Between the end of August and mid-October strange vessels have been sighted in the New Hebrides. They are assumed to be Japanese fishing vessels. Late August, Mare natives reported that a strange vessel had been loitering off the west coast of that island for several days. A Japanese fishing vessel put in to Santo with a sick man aboard at about that time. On September 21, a vessel was sighted off Canala, east coast of New Cale donia, using a searchlight on the sea. On October 16 the master of Colorado del Mar, bound from Erromango to Noumea, was fol lowed by a small vessel for about

two hours, when she was 70 miles from Erromanga. Though not over taking the Colorado del Mar, a searchlight was directed on her, then the unknown craft turned away. At 3 a.m. next morning, when 119 miles from Erromanga, another larger vessel of about 300 tons approached, her lights extinguished.

When close, the stranger put on her lights and passed on an opposite course. At 6 a.m. a third strange vessel was seen coming out of a bay on Lifou Island. It altered course 45 degrees and the master of Colorado del Mar considered that this was the vessel that had called at Santo in August.

There is, of course, nothing illegal in the behaviour of these vessels

so long as they comply with inter national navigation laws and keep outside the 3-mile limit in those waters. A Japanese tuna fishing fleet operated very profitably last year in the Solomons-New Hebrides- GEIC area. Searchlights and flood lights are used in connection with their fishing operations. With trochus at its present high price some Jap skippers may also be try ing their luck for shell in illegal areas, when they think they can get away with it.

PERSONAL: —Captain Ray Taylor, lately of Steamships Trading Co.’s Muniara, who was recently married to Miss Lucy English, of Samarai, returned to New Guinea late Oc

tober with his wife after fur lough in Sydney.

Mr. Max Hor ton, active and long-time member of WFHC ship ping staff, re cently resigned his position in the Solomons and has now joined Fiji

Salvaged propellers from Solomons war derelicts. Mr. Harry Brutnall, centre, has been in charge of operations. Left is Brian Hollis, and right, John Lawson, of “Keravia”. (See page 107). —Photo: C. H. Meen.

Public Works Department, who operate and maintain all Fiji Gov ernment vessels.

Rarotonga Harbour:—If

recommendations made to the New Zealand Government by a senior member of the Works Department who visited that island with Min ister Webb in August are put into effect. Rarotonga may yet have a smallship harbour. Soundings are to be taken to decide whether Avarua or Avatiu would be most easily de veloped. A coral wall, or a pile breastwork alongside which inter island 300-tonners could lie, seems the best that is likely to eventu ate. Certain legal matters are in volved, Union Steamship Co. claim ing prior rights in Avarua harbour and A. B. Donald & Co. at Avatiu.

The Union Co.’s right to have small craft ejected from the very re stricted harbour when their lighters are working an overseas vessel out side, has long been a source of friction. That company owns the only jetty at Avarua; Donalds, the one at Avatiu. A wall alongside which vessels could tie up should eliminate the present obstruction of Avarua caused by mooring lines extending to both sides.

Tasman Steamships: The

future of Tasman Steamship Co.’s vessels Madonna, Viti and Vasu was still unsettled in mid-October. From Rarotonga it had been reported that

the refrigerated, one-time Fiji Gov ernment yacht, Viti, was to make three runs to the Cooks for to matoes and pineapples in October- November, and Papeete reported that she was expected there with 24 round-trip passengers (presum ably from Rarotonga), 380 tons of cargo late October. Latest advice

was that though Vasu was busy somewhere in central Polynesia, the other vessels were idle in Auckland pending discussions on the com pany’s finances.

Doing The Rounds: —T H E

LMS supply ship John Williams VI was making her annual round of

the Cooks, Niue, Samoa, in October.

The 420-tonner is normally stationed in Gilbert and Ellice waters.

DEPORTED:—Tony Morrell, of

Suva, a survivor of the Nukulau foundering in the Tasman re cently, “somehow got into New Zealand” according to a legal spokesman for the New Zealand

Customs Department. They were

taking action to have him deported as an illegal immigrant in October.

Brisbane Visitor: Apc’S

Papuan Explorer, under command

of Captain Sinclair, and with her crew of mainly Daru men, caused interest in Brisbane in October. The 1,000-tonner was South to load a full cargo of distillate for Port

Moresby.

News of Cruising Yachts

• TOHU BOHU, mentioned in February, has commenced her circumnavigation.

This partly welded and partly riveted steel catamaran is 31 ft x 13 ft. ketch-rigged with 660 sq ft of canvas. There are bunks in each of the twin hulls and another ’thwartships in a shallow "cabin” between the hulls. Designed and skippered by Frenchman Claude Genet, this craft has three other men also aboard. A call was made at Gosport, England, in July, before heading down across Biscay. • RENEGADE, 35 ft Auckland schooner, sailed from there October 6, with owner builder Wilfred Brinsbury, his brother Allan, Peter Cohen, Bill Howse, and Ray Morrish aboard, bound for Noumea, thence Cairns. • VARUA, American William A. Robin son’s Papeete-based schooner, which left that port mid-April for Hawaii, arrived back September 17 from Hilo. Robinson, who wrote “Deep Water and Shoal” after cruising the world in SVAAP, has per manently settled in Tahiti. Last year he had a run to South America and Panama

In Varua.

• TAHITI RACE: Next race to Tahiti will probably be directly from California

and not from Honolulu, according to Mr.

Eugene Overton who is planning the 1956 event. He expects a good field four owners have already indicated their inten tion to enter and others have signified their interest. Mr. Overton, who has made four past voyages to Tahiti in his yachts DWYNN WENN and TIARE, hopes to sail the course himself. • PAGAN will be remembered in the Islands as having cruised from the US to Australia two years ago. Friends of lone-hander Bill Weld will be shocked to learn that he was found dead, shot through the head, aboard the 25 ft cutter at Hobart on October 20. A .45 revolver lay near the body. Police are investigating. Weld had settled at Hobart and was employed as a shipwright. • Further support of Ernst Lamberty’s praise of French Oceania officialdom (PIM Aug.) comes from James McConnaughey

of Dayton, Ohio, owner of the big motor sailer MAREVA (ex SEARCH) now based in Tahiti, where her owner has a property.

Mr. McConnaughey affirms that from his experience he has found the authorities there—port, customs, and government— extremely sympathetic to yachtsmen. We are inclined to agree with Mr. Mc- Connaughey that too many yachtsmen— and other visitors—look on Tahiti as a place where they can get away with any thing, and that their troubles with official dom can be traced to their own misbehaviour.

Movements:

Latest movements (fuller details in PIM of bracketed date): • ANNA ELIZABETH, Dutch, d. Raro tonga Oct. 11 for Noumea via Niue, Tonga. (April, ’54). • LADYBIRD, NZ, a. Rarotonga Sept.

Miss Rebecca Frebault of the Mar quesas and Mr. Ernst Lamberty, owner of “Anna Elizabeth”, who were married at St. Paul’s Catholic Church, Titikaveka, Rarotonga, on September 21, The yacht continued its westward course on October 11.

5 from Papeete. To return Auckland via Tonga. Fiji. (Aug., ’54). • LES 4 VENTS, French, d. Noumea Oct. 9, b. Port Moresby and France via Reunion, Madagascar, Capetown, West Indies, New York, Canada. • LANDFALL, US, a. Pago Pago Oct. 4 from Papeete via Aitutaki, Palmerston.

To d. late Oct. b. Apia, Suva. (Oct., ’54).

Further details: Built Vancouver, Wash., 1934; correct dimensions 45.7 x 13.9 x 8.3 ft. • LADY STIRLING, NZ, unsold in Fiji, d. Suva Oct. 7, a. Whangarei Oct. 20, b.

Auckland. • LADYBIRD, NZ, d. Suva for Auck land late Oct. • KONA, US, a. Suva from Wallis late Oct. to d. Auckland early Nov. via Kadavu. • MARINER, US, a. Suva late Oct. from Wallis. • HO HO 11, Norwegian, at Auckland since February, sold to buyer in far south jf NZ. Bryhn family will remain Auck land.

! During the absence on leave in ;he United States of Mr. R. M. L.

Uladney, Resident Agent of Aitutaki island, Mr. Don Reid, former Official Secretary, Cook Islands Adminis ;ration, and now of Island Terri ;or i e s Department, Wellington, vill take over that Aitutaki posi ;ion, Mr. Reid was one of the Slew Zealand representatives at the October South Pacific Commission neeting in Noumea.