News Of The Small-Ships

It Happened In June:— Forty

rears ago this month the Pacific Jable Board’s graceful 110-ft luxiliary schooner Strathcona was ost on her maiden voyage from Auckland via Suva to Fanning sland, where she was to be tationed to maintain contact with lonolulu. Thanks to the co-opera ion of Mr. Ronald Carter and his Little Ships,” to Mr. W. Craig, pre ent Auckland cable station man ger, and other sources, we have he following details and attached hotographs.

Probably the finest and fastest essel of her type to leave a New lealand shipyard, Strathcona was esigned and built by the late !harles Bailey. She showed won erful sailing performance on trials nd was the admiration of Auckland rhen she cleared that port soon fter noon on Friday, June 4, 1915, nder command of the late Cap ain W. (“Cocky”) Robertson, with Ir. H. C. Gilding as Mate; Mr. E. rladwell, Engineer; Mr. J. Lilburn, loatswain-Carpenter, and a crew of ine others, two of whom were on >an from the cable ship Iris, then hng at Auckland.

Concern was expressed in the .uckland papers on July 8 when tratcona had failed to arrive at uva, and the Iris, provisioned for

a two months’ voyage, sailed in search of her. Then, on July 16, the Cable Board received a message from Suva telling of Strathcona’s fate, radioed from the Iris as she stood off the scene of the wreck on the North Minera Reef, an atoll in-the-making, 360 miles SSE of Suva.

Strathcona was surging along at 11 knots in a fresh south-easter when she crashed on the reef with terrific force just before 8 bells on the evening of June 10, six days out of Auckland. Considerable bottom damage was done and the schooner was driven high on the reef.

Fortunately for her crew, the weather was fine, and the sea was moderate for the next 35 days of their extraordinary existence on the reef. A launch and boat were got away, and as it was probable that the wreck would soon break up if rough weather developed, all haste was made in building a big raft from spars and available material, because at each high tide the entire 3 1 -mile-diameter reef was sub merged.

With the raft completed and moored near the inner lagoon margin of the reef, life was more bearable than in the crowded boats.

After 16 days the Captain, Mate, Cook and two AB’s set out in the

launch for Ono-i-Lau, nearest in habited island, 170 miles to the north. Most of Strathcona’s fresh water was lost through pipes break ing when the wreck occurred, and the men now remaining on the raft suffered considerably until the situation was eased by rain squalls.

The Captain’s launch arrived safely at Ono-i-Lau, but a cutter was not available until some days later, and the Iris arrived at the scene of the wreck shortly before the Fiji vessel. Thus all were saved.

Strathcona, uninsured, had cost £lO,OOO. The wreck was sold “as is, where is” to the late well-known Captain Ross, then owner-skipper of the Islands trader and one-time mission ship Ysabel. He stripped her of all useful gear and presented the remains to a Captain Crawford, but nothing could be done about salvage, and there she ended her short days, though remains were said still to exist up to World War 11.

There are some seamen who will

maintain that any other fate could hardly have been expected for Strathcona. She not only sailed on a Friday, but had 13 persons aboard!

It is believed that Captain Robertson was lost in another vessel on the New Zealand coast some years later.

Behind Schedule:—Aus

tralian radio stations early in May were reporting that concern was felt for the safety of RCS Nareau, several days overdue at Brisbane.

Nareau, one of the Western Pacific High Commissioner’s busy fleet of tiny craft which trudge on official duties from the Solomons as far east as Christmas, was heading for Ballina, NSW, for survey, and was to “enter” at Brisbane. She duly arrived, having been delayed by head weather.

The Mate Also Swore:

Last month we mentioned a mishap at Aitutaki when a drum of aviation gas burst and spoilt an entire con signment of sorely-needed flour and sugar aboard Vasu.

Back at Suva, via Niue, there was trouble of a more personal nature when a crew member assaulted the Mate, who suffered a severe scalp wound as his head struck a deck fitting as he fell. Sent off to hos pital, his place was taken by Mr.

"Dutchy” Low, well-known Suva seaman attached to the shore staff of Williams & Gosling Ltd.

Vasu, still for sale, cleared with

another oil cargo for Nukualofa and Vavau.

DON’T LOOK NOW:—When the skipper of the Burns Philp 128-ton auxiliary ketch Macuata came upon m trouble last January, he became S Q e t n vf° S f ed i n J rendering assistance that he landed his own vessel up

a talfne e ° ther ' This was the nnomg of a recent Fiji Marin«

arirvu^ptar lllB

mg ott Poum, Northern New Cale donia. where she was loading s cargo of nickel ore recently, nar-

owly escaped disaster when she rounded at a point where the chart aimed 4J fathoms of water. The sssel was drawing 21i ft. The ship as able to get off apparently un amaged and sailed for Japan.

Later, a French naval vessel found lat there was only 3 fathoms of ater at the spot.

Reef-Thumping Continued:

-As fast as new vessels are lunched at Papeete other units of ie French Oceania fleet end their ays on the atoll reefs of the 'uamotu. Two more have recently )ined the stream.

First to go was Manu Rairoa, 46m auxiliary cutter owned by [essrs. Terii Foster and Rene anquer. Built at Rairoa in 1951, le struck the north end of Tikehau toll at 1 am on January 27.

All hands reached shore and were ack at Papeete in good time to elcome home the men of Lorraine, hich was parked firmly on Arutua toll on the evening of March 19. •his twin screw vessel of 35 tons ormally maintains Government ammunications in the Marquesas.

Skippered for many years by rell-known Captain Doom, the ommand was recently taken over y Captain Arthur Gooding. Again 11 hands and passengers were saved nd brought back to Papeete aboard tie Government schooner Tamara.

There was a prospect of salvage : the weather held good, but whether it was successfully carried ut is not yet known.

AWAHOU MEMORY:—There was reminder of the mysterious loss nth all hands of the Awahou in leptember, 1952, in notice a a Fiji newspaper. The Public trustee, settling claims for com >ensation for loss of life in the tisaster, sought next-of-kin of sea nan Pat Garnett, boatswain Tui

Above; Pacific Cable Board's schooner “Strathcona” as she lay on North Minerva Reef in June, 1915. Survivors lived for 35 days on the raft shown on the left.

Pictured at left is the “Strathcona” on trials in Auckland Harbour.

Wilson, and greaser Marryan Bill (or HilL. Aicahou, of Suva registry, went missing between Sydney and Lord Howe.

FOR SEPIK: — Henrietta, 60 ft former steam tug, remodelled and with 40-hp diesel, cleared Sydney mid-May on delivery to Enterprise of New Guinea Oil Co. for use on the Sepik. Captain Krogset was in command.

Frnvr Parades:—The Fiji

Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve unit, re-established some time ago, held its first parade in May. The senior officer, Lieutenant-Commander G. R Woods, VRD, has been granted six months’ leave and his second in command, Lieutenant- Commander S. B. Brown, formerly of Gilbert and Ellice vessels, has been promoted temporarily to the command. Lieutenant-Commander P. Burns is temporary Executive Officer. There are two petty officers and 12 seamen, most with previous naval experience. The unit will do sea training aboard HMNZS Hawea for two weeks in August. It may be some time before an SDML is at tached to the unit.

THOSE LST’s;— Last September we reported that the LST’s Lae and Labuan, owned by British Ministry

of Supply, operated by the RAN, and idle in Sydney for a long time, were for sale. Later is was reported that one was being purchased by Kenline Ltd., of New Zealand, for operation as a vehicular and passenger ferry across Cook Strait.

In May, Kenline, which never took over the vessel, was declared bankrupt and their freighter Ken

Upper: Societe Polynesienne de Navi tion (Ah Yune) vessel “Vaininiore” re ntly launched from the yard of Adrien [?] Prado, Papeete. She is a sister ship

to “Vaitaporo”, launched last year.

Lower: The American (formerly French) yacht "Kerrigan”, which Bob Grant bought at Papeete some time ago, and Is now sailing to the New Hebrides.

Waihi was held under writ in Syd ney while loading cargo for New Zealand. The writ was issued on behalf of a Hongkong bank. Un fortunately for New Zealand creditors, the vessel had been re leased from another restraining order to permit her to make the present voyage. They are re ported now to have no means of recovering their losses.

Florence Robinson; —T H E

95-ton Florence Robinson „ put up for sale under writ at Papeete last year, was sold some time ago, according to advice received in May.

Built of teak, at Katys, Ceylon, in 1928, this attractive schooner was taken to Tahiti by well-known American yachtsman William A.

Robinson and was later sold there.

She is powered with a 120-hp Union and a 75-hp Atlas diesel and has a hold capacity of 152 cubic metres.

She has now been repurchased by the late owners and other interests for one million francs (£A7,000).

The hull was said to be in excellent condition. The sale was by court order to settle debts.

Skipper Wanted:— Tonga

Copra Board’s 80-ton auxiliary ketch A’oniu was seeking a master with a FT ticket in May. Captain James G. McCormick, who joined the vessel at Auckland in late 1952, paid off after bringing her south for re fit, and when the ketch returned to the Group late April she was

commanded by the mate, David Fifita.

Lord Howe Flyer :-The

HDML Flying Cloud, which made a number of runs to Sydney last year ferrying her owner’s cargo to the island, has not been back this year The vessel broke a crankshaft and is still undergoing repairs at the

iriner basin, Lord Howe. Meanwhill her former skipper, Ces Harrison Al *ckland, earlier associated witL tne late lamented Alexander anu Nukalau, has departed for Noumea aboard a wandering New Zealan* yacht, the Waimana.

Graceful Visitor;—Not Foe

many a day has Papeete had sucH

trpnt ns the sieht oresented bj ip 3 040-t€ii Chilean Navy 4-

?sSr Venn"?

itrance harb ° Ur itrance on April Under command of Capitan de regata Victor Wilson Amenabar, ie 3-years-old steel auxiliary essel was out on a training cruise hich was later to include Apia, ruam, and Yokohama. The big jhooner spent 5 days at Papeete hile her company was treated to round of entertainments in eeping with Tahitian tradition. i v, a a Esmeralda was launched from a panish yard as the Don Juan de ustria in 1952, intended as a unit : the Spanish Navy. However, she as transferred to Chile and reamed in May, 1953. She is iwered with a 1.400 hp diesel hich drives her at 12 knots withit sail. Her normal complement 271 men with accommodation fnr an’ naval cadets. It is robable that she will in future iake regular Pacific training •uises.

For New Hebrides. Mi .

Oscar Newman, well known New

Ta\manian Plan Synsher bOU^orm o »

She w m be used as a general work boat.

Polynesie & Polynesien:

Polynesien (ex Mygreta, ex Yung Ping) will make her last voyage for Compagnie Messageries Man times on the Vila-Noumea-Sydney service in June. The running will then be taken over by the hand some new 5,500 ton Polynesie. The new ship has accommodation for

36 passengers—l 2 first class—and

wil j carry about 2,000 tons of cargo, ghe will ha ve a serv i ce speed of 14 knots Built by Dubigeon of Na ntes, she measures 319 ft over alj b y 45 ft 8 ins. beam, by 16 ft 7 in loaded draft. She is a single screw diesel ship, with an engine power of 3,600 hp and a cruising range of 5,000 miles. She has three cargo hatches. She was expected to leave France for Noumea in command of Captain lorquai.

Polynesien has been sold to

Compagnie Messageries Maritimes’ handsome new 5,500 ton packet-boat “Polynesie [?]ich will shortly enter the Sydney-Noumea-Vila service.

Hong Kong, probably for breaking up. She was built at Shanghai in 1930, a twin-screw motor vessel with a length of 219-ft bp by 33i ft beam, by 10i ft draft.

In Wake Of Philante:— Mr.

Nikita Astafieff, who received a great deal of publicity last year when he arrived at Wellington aboard the yacht Naitamha as the result of his lone stay at Palmyra Island, passed through Sydney bound for Rome aboard the liner Orion in May. Mr. Astafieff had landed at Palmyra from the con verted Fairmile Philante II which he helped cruise out from England.

Owned by two New Zealanders, Messrs. Rusden and Baker, of Auckland, Philante II later caused interest as she headed west from Tahiti to Noumea, where she was finally sold—and recently wrecked.

Mr. Astafieff said that Messrs.

Rusden and Baker may join forces with him in another boating venture next year. He will seek a vessel of the pleasure-cum trading type when he arrives back in European waters. He returned to Honolulu from Palmyra aboard the schooner Commonwealth. This craft was the mother-ship for the Kahler-Dahl tuna-fishing organisa tion of Seattle, who tried their luck in the area but were not very successful.

Mr. Astafieff said that he was in regular radio telephone contact

with Honolulu during his lone stay at the atoll, 49 of whose 52 islets are owned by Leslie Fullard-Leo, Hollywood actor with the stage name of Leslie Vincent. Since his departure, Mr. Otto Hornung, of Honolulu, who had been forced by illness to leave Palmyra, has again returned as caretaker for the Fullard-Leo interests.

Vega Tries Again: —N O W

named Te Vega and completely reconditioned, the 134 ft steel two masted schooner made a mag nificent sight as she recently sailed on trails preparatory to starting a regular luxury yacht cruise service to Tahiti, via other islands, from Honolulu.

A Los Angeles newspaper ad vertisement schedules four round trips a year, with the first beginning from Newport Beach Harbour on June 10.

The run to Papeete via ports was to take 32 days, the departure date obviously being designed to allow an arrival in time for the annual Bastille Day Celebrations.

The schooner will be based at Honolulu. Owners are registered as Darr Lines. The topsail schooner, with gaff rig on fore and mam, has luxury accommodation for 12 passengers, and will carry the very large crew of 17.

It is not known what flag the schooner is sailing under, though the Liberian flag was mentioned as

a possibility earlier.

It will be recalled that the schooner was dismasted shortly after sailing from Papeete fori Honolulu in December, 1951, on the inaugural vpyage of a planned regular service. She was then! owned by a company registered inr Papeete and headed by American!

ornelius Crane. Mr. Crane sold ega (which had apparently then een renamed Te Rame ) to Mr. mar Darr about August 1954, and le was taken to the United States nder jury rig for re-rigging, ending settlement of insurance aims the schooner had lain idle t Papeete for 21 years. Her arrival t Papeete in July will create great iterest and all will wish the mture well.

WHAT COOKS?:—AIso seen in Los Angeles newspaper advertise tent recently was an announce ent by a travel agency that an ganisation known as the Harvey ne would begin operating a luxury issenger yacht service to Papeete, la Honolulu and Acapulco Hexico). Four trips a year are heduled, with the first sailing om the West Coast on August 1. 0 details of the vessel are given.

TO CARRY BRlCKS!:—Captain maru, well known Papeete skipper, ho last year took a holiday by avigating the big American yacht amona round French Oceania for vner William A. Pomeroy, left apeete by May TEAL flight bound ir San Francisco. There he will ike command of Ramona again ir the Los Angeles-Honolulu ranspacific Race.

KEEL DOWN:—While French ceania skippers pile local vessels 1 reefs, the builders are kept busy splacing them. Latest keel to be id at Papeete is that of a schooner

to be named Cap des Palmes, being built by Mr. Teata Pautu for Mr.

James Salmon. Measuring 80 ft waterline by 18 ft, with a draft of 8 ft and powered by twin Perkins diesels, this vessel will be used in the Tuamotu copra and shell trade.

The name is after the vessel Cap des Palmes (believed to be an armed merchant cruiser) in which Mr. Salmon served for five years of World War 11. Mr. Salmon is a member of one of Tahiti’s oldest seafaring families. His gransfather, Narii Salmon, was lost in the

schooner Eimeo in the 1906 hurricane.

NOT YET:—Some time ago we reported that there were rumours afoot that the liner Homeric, formerly Mariposa, now in the transatlantic service, might make a winter Pacific cruise. Mr. Mario F. Vespa, New York, spokesman for Home Lines, Inc., now writes to say that present plans do not include such a voyage.

HELPING HAND:—The Union Steam Ships Co.’s trans-Pacific

freighter Waikawa radioed Nukua lofa on May 15, that she had been signalled by six men and a woman at a small islet 40 miles from Nukualofa. They had been ship wrecked 13 days earlier when their small inter-island cutter went ashore. No details were then available, but a vessel was despatched from Nukualofa to rescue the castaways.

Services Rendered:—

Captain W. Whitefield, one of the Union Steam Ship Co.’s best-known masters, lately in command of Tofua, was reported to be retiring late in May after 47 years’ service.

In World War I he served in the NZ hospital ship Maheno, and in World War II he commanded Aorangi during her naval service, first as a depot ship in the Solent, and later as mother ship to a flotilla of 12 submarines in the Pacific, and in other service.

Captain Whitefield and Aorangi were present at the Jap surrender of Hong Kong. He was also master of Monowai at the D-Day Normandy landings, the only Australian-NZ vessel present. Captain Whitefield is very well known in Polyesian ports. He retires to take up sheep farming in South Australia.

Off The Orange Run-—The

USSCo’s 30-years-old Waipahi at various times active in the Islands fruits trade to NZ, has been sold to Typaldos Brothers, of Greece,

after a long 101 l in Wellington’s Rotten Row. The vessel was dry docked in May and was preparing to sail for a new life in the Mediterranean trade, where a number of other Union Co. veterans have finished their days. Two others, Kiwitea and Kartigi, retired coastal colliers, have been sold to

Grosvenor Shipping Co., London and will soon depart.

Marokau Junction!;—When

2nd Officer M. Campbell of thi freighter Pioneer Gulf and ai officer of Britisher Enterprise tossed current-checking bottle overboard in September, 1951, ann February, 1953, respectively, littll

d they realise that both would ; found by the same man, on ie same beach, on the same day ■March 18, 1954.

The ships had been out on that •oad stretch of water between the uamotu and Panama. The bottles ime ashore on the south-west >rder of the outer reef of Marokau ;011. The first one had drifted )Out 1,540 miles; the second about 300 miles, from a point ESE pf ie first vessel. Actual ship jsitions were 10 deg. 37 S, 116 ;g. 52 W, and 12 deg. 30 S, 108 deg.

I W.

The report-form in the second jttle had suffered water damage, he finder was Fairoa Rurua, and

our informant was Mr. N. F.

Janitzke, an American visitor to the atoll, who was instrumental in having the reports sent to the hydrographic authorities quite recently. Existing current charts suggests a somewhat more suothern course for bottles dropped in the area concerned so the information should be of particular interest to South America-Polynesia raftsmen.

Spss's

the story of the activities Of German sea raiders in the Pacific and elsewhere during World War II has just been published—“ The Secret Raiders”, by David Woodward It is an unembellished,

factual account of the movements and activities of each of the nine raiders. Read in conjunction with the New Zealand War History pamphlet on the same subject, it gives an extraordinarily interesting picture of what went on. All seafaring men will read it with interest.

News of Cruising Yachts

• Auckland - Suva Yacht Race:

The Royal Akarana Yacht Club, sponsor of the existing Tasman Yacht Race, is organising a Sydney-Suva biennial yacht race to alternate with the Tasman event.

There appears to be keen interest in such an event amongst Auckland yachts men and the first race is planned for May,

At Top: The Chilean Navy training [?]essel “Esmeralda” at Papeete in April.

Middle: Aucklanders Bob Harvey and Vally Walton (owner) who navigated the 2 ft. “Susan” across the Tasman in April [?]ay to claim the record of smallest ever [?]o do so. They will be seen in the Islands ater.

Below: “Hiro”. well known Papeete [?]essel, back in service after extensive re [?]airs to fire damage.

16 Entrants will require a minimum terline length of 34 ft. Handicapping 11 be in accordance with Royal Ocean cing Club rules. Twelve Auckland cht-owners have already signified their erest.

I SUSAN, 33 ft. Auckland cutter ,nned by Wally Walton and Bob Harvey, iched Sydney in mid-May. thus setting a new record for shortest waterline gth to make the passage. After a lie in Sydney SUSAN will head for rrier Reef waters, and. perhaps next iter, eastwards for the Islands. Walton ik SUSAN from Auckland to Norfolk i back a year or two ago. i TE ATA. manned by Lloyd Taylor i Peter Southey, cleared Auckland ril 30, bound for Suva and other Island rts. The 35-footer called at Whangarei i was due in Fiji waters late May.

I WAIMANA, 36-footer which left ckland last September, and has been ng at Lord Howe Island since crew 7 mber Norman Ziska was killed there in a untaineering accident in mid-January, on the move again. Mr. Cec. Harrison, Auckland, joined the yacht and she led May 34 for Noumea, arriving there days later. WAIMANA is heading for w Guinea waters. Incidentally, news m Lord Howe indicates that any yachts ,n handy with a paint brush can very idily earn a little money ashore there. » ARTHUR ROGERS, lying at Auck id, was recently advertising for another »up of expfense-sharing adventurers to lise the Islands this winter.

Pom and Diana Hepworth took the ixham trawler out from Auckland last ir, it will be recalled, with an all-girl w on a most successful cruise in the •stern Pacific. The yacht has been ed with a hatch since then, so she i handle any stray cargoes that offer.

• WHITE SQUALL, one of the little fleet of Auckland yachts which cruised Polynesia in the winter-spring of 1953, was expected to head for the United States soon. The Norgroves are reported to have been granted an entry permit as per manent residents there. • GHOST, another of the 1953 fleet, is also preparing to cruise through Poly nesia and on to Canada, probably this winter. In 1953 Ken Brown and com panions went as far afield as Honolulu before heading back home. • KYLIE, steel 39 ft. home-built Sydney ketch which sailed in January, arrived home from Auckland in May. Owner skipper Harry Fink had planned to cruise to Tahiti, but his two-man crew set their eyes on jobs at Auckland. Another crew could not be found to suit, so KYLIE came home, and the crew were returning to Auckland again from Sydney. Owner Fink says he will sail with a new crew next winter. • MARCO POLO, Auckland yacht head ing round the world west-bound, arrived Thursday Island May 10. With owner Tony Armit are Brian Lowe and Mick Earl. Winter, 1956, may see them back in Polynesia, via Panama. • WANDERER 111, in which Eric and Susan Hiscock of England cruised through the Pacific in 1953-54, was expected at Falmouth early July. The 30 ft. sloop cleared Cape Town for St. Helena late April. The cruise began in July, 1953, and its story has been told by writer Hiscock in yachting magazines. • STORMALONG, a 36 ft. yacht manned by Mr. and Mrs. Leslie Moore, was to clear an English port late May for the Pacific via the Straits of Magellan. The couple had just been married and the cruise is a honeymoon voyage. • ANNA ELIZABETH, Dutch yacht, still

lies at Acre, New Hebrides, while owner Ernst Lamberty cruises those islands as skipper of the plantation vessel ZOE.

He recently had the job of transporting two French businessmen on a charter trip from Santo to south Malekula. • MANDALAY, cast up on south Santo, New Hebrides, as recently reported, is now up on the hard awaiting very ex tensive and expensive repairs. This yacht was sold by American Rockefeller, who cruised her through the Islands last year, to M. Claude Giraud, of Aore Island, who in turn exchanged her for the trading schooner BIKO, which her present owner, Mr. Peter Morris, owned. • ATOM, manned by lone-hander Jean Gau (male) of New York, which arrived at Papeete June 10, 1954, sailed again March 31 for Pago Pago and points west ward, in continuation of his circum

navigatory voyage. • LA PALOMA, another Auckland yacht, was due to sail from there late May for Canada and eventually England. With skipper-owner W. Wilson, is J. Forsyth, both Americans, and one other New Zealander. Wilson purchased the yacht at Auckland and planned to call first at Rarotonga, thence Tahiti and Hono lulu. Both Americans are experienced yachtsmen, Mr. Forsyth having raced in the Australian yacht NIMBUS in the Sydney-Hobart Race in 1952, and in FARIE in the Melbourne- Hobart Race In 1951. The yacht is equipped with radio transmitter. Some oceanographic research is planned during the voyage. • JENCO of Norway, which left Oslo last September and Balboa on February 16, arrived at Papeete May 12. This 49 ft. ketch, bound for Napier, NZ, was built In 1953. Owner Jens Jenssen says he hopes to sell her on arrival, having built her as a means of delivering his family to New Zealand. • TRANSPACIFIC RACE: According to advice received by our Tahiti corres pondent. the July Los Angeles-Honolulu race entries now number 37. No doubt some will fall out before start, but it promises to be a big field, and a number are expected to come on to Papeete later.

Nothing has been heard of the Los Angeles-Papeete Race, which was to follow the trans-Pacific event. If the event is to weak PIaCC th 6 publicity is extraordinarily • GEMINI of Portland, Oregon, with radio-amateur Jack Wheeler and his wife Leah, is back at the home port after spending some months in the Hawaiian Islands. This yacht caused much interest with overseas radio “Hams” during her 1953 sojourn in French Oceania waters. • MOONRAKER, English 29 ft. cutter with Peter and Anne Pye, was to clear

Cristobal late March, homeward bound from the Pacific again. • WINDJAMMER’S owner, Peggy Poor, back from her shipwreck at Easter Island, expected to reach Los Angeles in mid- March aboard a freighter. She appeared to be implementing certain legal proceed ings m regard to the looting of the stranded vessel at Easter Island. • QUEEN CHARLOTTE, 46 ft. staysail schooner of Auckland, formerly owned by

the late Mr. W. A. Wilkinson, veten xew Zealand yachtsman, left Aucklai coastwise on March 16, said to be headii for the Islands. The yacht was offer, tor sale on Mr. Wilkinson’s death ai vear aCqUired by her Present owners la • WAKAYA. another Auckland yaa wh,ch is well known in Tonga waters ai elsewhere in Polynesia from past cruis* may sail again this winter, for sale wher

r a buyer offers. Mr. Ted Hayes is **GHOST, a 28-footer now building at angarei, is reported to be another sly starter for an Islands cruise and haps further afield. This is not to be iused with Mr. Ken Brown’s GHOST ntioned elsewhere. , MARINER. American yacht which ived at Auckland last December, still i there at the Harbour Board Slipway ty. Owners Robinson and Karl are re ■ted working on jobs inland with ne ns yet as to future movements.

I LANDFALL 11, Dr. and Mrs. Hol nb’s handsome 50-footer from the US, t Sydney reportedly for Barrier Reef ters some time ago, in continuation of • cruise. The yacht arrived at Sydney m Auckland on February 20.