An Agriculturist Becomes

Ra At Mangaia

ANEW Resident Agent has been appointed to Mangaia, one of the Cook Islands. The appointee is Mr. W. L. Tylor, who has had seven years experience with the De partment of Agriculture, NZ, as ex tension officer working amongst Maori farmers.

The appointment, therefore, is in line with the recommendation of the Stace-Belshaw report, published some months ago, that recommended that RA’s in the Cooks should have practical training in agriculture.

to Papeete, Tahiti, started on June 14, with seven yachts competing. (First yacht into Papeete on July 8, was Novia del Mar; but Jada, second in, won race on corrected time).

Ghost Lights Turn Out To

Be Jap Fishermen

The ghost of Penrhyn was laid by the Charlotte Donald during her early June voyage in the Cooks.

In May, Rakahanga people re ported mysterious lights out at sea from their island and this was at tributed by some to the legendary “ghost lights” which have been as sociated with Penrhyn Island.

The mysterious lights turned out to be a Jap fishing vessel which Charlotte Donald sighted close to Rakahanga. Previously the Tavenui also sighted Jap ships thereabouts.

Apparently this area of the Pacific is now receiving the attentions of these übiquitous fishermen.

More Islands Available For

Fiji Tourists

Some young men of Lautoka, Fiji, have gone into the tourist launch business. Their craft is a 32-ft cabin cruiser called Knuckletoo— name denoting their community effort.

Their cruising takes the tourist to the Malolo Group, off Nadi Bay,, where fishing, swimming and scenery are all reported to be first-class.

The launch, with experienced crew, is available on a daily charter basis—rates are £lO and up, depend ing on number of passengers.

Phoenix Sails Westwards

A friendly cheerio, written from Thursday Island on June 27, by Earle L. Reynolds, of the American yacht Phoenix, has been received; “The Phoenix sails to-day for Timor, leaving behind the Pacific: after 20 months and 18,000 miles of cruising. So far, our trip has been successful, with no major mis adventures but with memories of friends made, places visited and, impressions gained.

“Before turning our faces west wards, I wanted to drop this note of thanks to the staff of your maga zine for a fine coverage of our yacht while in the Pacific, but more im portantly, for providing a medium through which the widely varying events of this vast area can be focussed, “If all goes well for us, well be back in your territory early in 1958,. via Panama Canal.”

You’re welcome, Phoenix.

Dr. Reynolds, whom PIM met in Sydney in March with his cruising' family after they had crossed the Pacific, is now taking Phoenix home to Hiroshima, via East Indies, South Africa, Panama and Hono lulu. He says that they hope to be

ii Durban (c/o American Consul, or letters) by mid-October.

It Happened In July

With interest centred on hristmas Island as a possible Itom-bomb testing ground, it is in vesting to recall the nautical ccasion of what is believed to have een the birth of the first Euro ean child on this atoll.

At 9.30 p.m., on July 8, 1908, the .ustralian 4,221-ton vessel Aeon r as wrecked on the atoll. It was a ery dark night and the Master had eckoned he was 20 miles clear of ie island. Fortunately, there were to casualties when this vessel Dined the many other wrecks of 7reck Bay. All hands landed safely ext morning, including a Mrs. atrick, wife of a US Naval chaplain, rtio was a passenger. As early escue seemed unlikely, the Master, late, and Chief Engineer manned he ship’s launch and sailed for ‘anning Island in mid-September.

On September 22, the vessel lanuka called at Fanning, picked p Aeon’s officers, and diverted to Ick up the Christmas castaways. )n the night prior to Manuka’s rrival at Christmas, Mrs. Patrick ave birth to a daughter at the amp on the beach. It would be iteresting to know where that child, ow a middle-aged woman, is to-day.

At New Zealand Rates

When South Pacific Shipping Co., f Suva, last year purchased the 55-ton freighter Babinda to replace heir lost Nukualau, they were all eady to fly a Fijian crew to Syd tey to take delivery when the local inions stepped in. The ship had to e manned by an Australian crew.

In New Zealand this crew was laid off and flown home. Then he New Zealand unions decided hey would not work the ship if a rew was signed on at Fiji rates— o a New Zealand crew then took ver.

Recently, after the vessel had •een idle for a while, a Fiji crew rrived on the scene and the vessel ailed for Australia—with the crew it Fiji rates. However, the move lad not been overlooked by the lew Zealand unions apparently, for yatersiders would not discharge the essel on her arrival at Wanganui, JZ, when she returned from Aus ralia.

At a conference in Wellington it vas announced on July 3 that, as he vessel, though registered in >uva, was operating entirely in the ;rans-Tasman trade, and had lever been near the Islands, New Zealand rates and working condi iions must prevail aboard if the hip is to be worked in New Zea and ports.

It now appears that the Fiji crew vill have the benefit of New Zea and conditions, at least while the vessel trades trans-Tasman. The

company has no other vessels and no staffed office in Suva.

Not Guilty!

Shipping correspondent Shortall, blamed for a published error in PlM’s shipping notes which caused the grinding of a radio transmitting crystal for the Santa Teretiall to an incorrect frequency, had a

ready answer on returning to’ Auck land from the outposts in July.

The frequencies published were a s given in the official—and much appreciated—letter from the Chief Wireless Officer, Tara w a. The letter, dated October 31 last, said, “A change in frequencies will take place early in the new year pos sibly before the end of January,

.956.” Tarawa, it was stated, would hen transmit on 4413.8 kc/s and isten for ships on 4104.4 kc/s. evidently there was a hitch—pos ibly in the arrival of equipment— nd the bone is certainly not being jointed at Tarawa.

Pacific Islands frequency changes .re so frequent and numerous that i recent years it has been extremely lifficult to keep track of the situa ion. Only through the co-opera ion of such men as the Chief Wire ?ss Officer, Tarawa, has it been pos ible for PIM to keep the Islands iaut i c a 1 fraternity reasonably ip-to-date on the situation. There ore, before having crystals ground i is always advisable to confirm the requencies with the stations con erned.

Joyita Auctioned

The ill-fated American 70-ton re rigerated vessel Joyita, lying at the •'iji Public Works Department’s hipyard in Suva since she was towed a late last year with all hands lissing, was to be put up for public uction there on July 12.

Government valuation of the essel was fixed at £F3,150, and the lurchaser would have to pay 40 er cent, duty on that valuation, lus the price accepted by the Lonolulu owner, Miss Katherine uomala.

Rarotonga—Wharf Dues

Contemplated

It is probable that the Union team Ship Co.’s lease of the .varua wharf at Rarotonga may ot be renewed when the present 3-year lease expires at the end of 357. The company has had the ;ase since at least 1920—possibly arlier, and since 1925 has paid 100 per year. They have been re lonsible for running repairs.

Through the years, the Union b. has built its own sheds on the harf approaches. In recent months lere has been friction with a local lip-owner whose vessels lie along de.

There is now a move in the Island ouncil to form a Harbour Board, illect fees on all cargo crossing the harf, and use the funds for much eed harbour improvement work, he wharf would then come under re direct control of the Harbour oard.

Perishable cargo operations would, aturally, still be given priority, but i other respects all wharf users ould be on an equal footing, with o special privileges to any one ser.

Wanted: A Union

Back on the Cook Islands run fter her 15-months’, £lBO,OOO “last ick” refit, the New Zealand Gov mment vessel Maui Pomare shows ;w visible change s—and they re mainly in the crew’s quarters.

About the only change in the passenger accommodation is an im provement to the ventilation system.

Pointing out that the male passeng ers still have to wait their turn for the single shower-room, a Raro tonga resident aptly remarked that the reason nothing was done to improve the lot of passengers is, of course, because they haven’t a Union—which the seamen certainly have.

The vessel has lost half a knot or a knot in speed through the refit. Suspected reason is a change in placement of permanent ballast, putting the vessel more down by the head.

Chartered Again

To help out on the Cook Islands fruit trade, Tasman Steamship Co.’s 700-ton refrigerated vessel Viti was diverted from the trans-Tasman trade in June.

With a fruit-carrying capacity of about 300 tons, Viti was reportedly chartered at £5,000. She carried a small quantity of cargo north, loaded only at Rarotonga, and was back in Auckland and discharged within about 20 days.

The vessel made a number of similar voyages last year while Maui Pomare was laid up.

Captain Langley Delivers

For Steamies

The 56-ft copra scow built in Sydney for Steamships Trading

Company by Bjarne Halvorsen Ltd. (and now officially christened Koki) , was due to leave Sydney direct for Port Moresby about July 18.

Captain G. E. Langley, not long back from taking the new Santa Teretia to Suva, will be in command for the delivery voyage to Moresby,

Tow-Boat For Bsip

End-of-flnancial-year blues and Sir Arthur Fadden’s trade restric tions havp marip this a dull npriod tlons nave maae mis a auil pelloa

in Australian ship brokerage and building circles.

Apart from the Koki (see above) the only activity for the Islands trade currently proceeding in Syd ney is the building of a 40-ft tow boat by C. A. M. Fisher and Sons, of La Perouse, for the BSIP Gov ernment.

This contract has been arranged by the firm of Captain W. L.

Kennedy.

It is expected that the job will take about 5 months to complete and the craft will be taken to Honiara by one of the Bank line ships to go into lighterage service.

The Wandering W Aim An A

In September, 1954, two young men, James Fitzgerald and Ray mond Williams, left New Zealand in a 26-ft ketch, the Waimana.

Since that time they have visited Sydney, Brisbane, Lord Howe Island, Noumea, the New Hebrides, the Banks Islands and Santa Cruz.

They arrived in Honiara, BSIP, about the middle of June.

Although the ketch has an auxiliary motor, they have travelled under sail. At present they are working in Honiara, but plan to leave in a few weeks, returning to New Zealand via New Georgia and the Queensland Barrier Reef.

A Melanesian For Bsip

A new British Solomon Islands

ship which goes under the official title of a Government Scheduled Services Vessel, a long-needed re quirement in the Protectorate, was launched in Hongkong in July and is expected to be completed some time in September.

It will arrive in Honiara late this year.

The vessel will be named the Melanesian and will operate on a regular service throughout the Pro tectorate.