Pacific Shipping And Cruising Yachts
pp. 63-113 · Read in the full issue
[?]is Month's News of—
A.Ui Pom Are Replacement
Latest move in the New Zealand wernment’s leisurely plans to re ice veteran Maui Pomare was an nouncement by the Minister of and Territories on July 11 that j preparation of plans and speci ations for a new vessel had been thorised. A service speed of 12-14 ots, a refrigerated cargo capacity 60,000-70,000 cubic feet, and pas ger accommodation for 40 are led for.
Maui Pomare has a cargo >acity of 37,000 cubic feet and ries 30 passengers in accommo lon designed for, at most, 22, at ervice speed of 10 knots, t may be assumed that it will the best part of another year ore any contract is let. Some e ago the Minister said that de ry would be at least three years n date of ordering a new vessel, his would seem to imply that new vessel will be built in a tish ship-yard, as most contin al yards can offer much quicker very than that. i his July statement the lister reiterated that an exhaus world-wide investigation last
year failed to locate an existing vessel as a suitable replacement or any shipping company interested in taking over the New Zealand-Cook Islands service. As a result Maui
Pomare underwent a refit whi-v, believed to have cost £180.000“
Matson Commander On
First Service
To command the new Marivo< h fL m ? l ? en .voyage to Australia via the Islands in October, the Matson Line has chosen veter; r Captain William R. Meyer. On con pletion of the voyage he will re-
Left, the American barquentine, "S. N. Castle", named for a well-known Hawaiian family after building on the US Pacific coast around 1880. She played a romantic part in the filming of the movie "Mutiny on the Bounty" —taking the name role.
But back in 1914 she was the vessel which took German nationals from Tahiti to Honolulu for transhipment to the neutral United States. This photograph was taken on that occasion as the French phosphate company's vessel "Cholita" towed her out of Papeete harbour.
Photo loaned by Capt. F. K. Klebingat.
tire and the command will fall to Captain Malcolm R. Peters, an other senior Master of the company.
Captain Meyer commanded the Ventura at the time of the sinking of the Union Co.’s Tahiti in 1930 when passengers were picked up by the Ventura.
Sea-Going Jeep In Japan
Ben Carlin’s amphibious jeep crawled ashore on the south coast of Japan on July 25, according to Tokio Radio.
Occupants were given as Carlin and a Canadian male companion.
Mrs. Carlin quit in Calcutta months ago—ill, it was said. An Australian accompanied Carlin overland to Bangkok, which was reached at "p 1 Q py»
Island Weather
Broadcasts
As from July 1 Nadi Aeradio ceased broadcasting South Pacific weather forecasts in morse for the use of overseas shipping. The voice broadcast from Nadi on 7530 kc/s at 0915 GMT still continues, how ever.
The morse broadcast is now made from the new Himatangi Radio, near Foxton, New Zealand —forecasts for the Islands are being broadcast at 0915 GMT by ZLZ/ZLX, 5915/11130/14850 kc/s, and at 2115 GMT on the above fre quencies plus 19800 kc/s.
The Map Analysis, in code, is
broadcast at 2315 GMT on the same frequencies as are used at the 2115 GMT broadcast.
Yuill’S—Ship Husbandry
Islands traders who send their ships to Australian ports have a new service at their disposal
through Swire and Yuill Pty. Lto of Bridge Street, Sydney.
The company will look after the? ships for owners and agents, an will arrange for docking, repair and general ship “husbandry”. Th is a new departure for this compan —better known as General Aui
lasian Agents for New Guinea stralia" L|ifie, and China Naviga i Co., etc. t l spokesman for the company 3 in Sydney early August: “We prepared to act as agents for nds traders and look after their os while they are here.” ’he company will be able to ange for necessary services in Iney, Melbourne and Brisbane, also has agents in Hong Kong.
Baddeley Launched
'he first and smaller of two Te nements of Southern Cross VII, ideley, was launched from the d of Ballina Slipway & Engineer- Go. Ballina, N.S.W., on July 11. i christening was performed by
Mrs. Harold Venn-Brown, wife of a prominent Sydney mission worker.
Baddeley, a single-screw vessel powered with a 76 h.p. Gardner diesel, measures 52 ft. x 16.25 ft x 7.25 ft. Registered in Sydney the vessel has a gross tonnage of 42.57 and a registered tonnage of 33.09 tons. She has no passenger accom modation.
It was anticipated that Baddeley would be completed in time to clear Ballina for Honiara on August 15, under command of Captain George E. Langley. At her Solo mons base command of the vessel will probably be taken over by a local skipper. She will be used for Melanesian Mission work in Solo mons-New Hebrides.
Tenders for the second vessel, to be named Southern Cross were ad yertised in Australia and New Zea land. These have now closed and the contract will be allotted in the near future. This vessel will have passenger accommodation and will measure about 87 ft. overall bv about 21 ft. beam. Both vessels will carry a certain amount of sail,
Toil And Trouble For
Charlotte D.
A. B. Donald & Co.’s Charlotte Donald, which returned to the Cooks in March after an extensive rent in Auckland, suffered a frac tured engine bed-plate during a Southern Group voyage in June.
She completed the voyage on one motor. Spare parts went north per
[?]p to bottom: "Novia del Mar", scratch in the Los Angeles-Papeete Race, on [?]al at Papeete July 7. The Auckland yacht [?]pe" at Papeete. The yacht earlier sailed the Auckland-Suva Race. "Manu Moana"
New Zealand—not beautiful, but she gets nd!
Photos by Oscar Nordman.
ui Pomare in 7 to effect tem ra r y repairs, ugh it appeared ly that a com e new bed—or new motor — ht be neces r before long. i vessel is a idard A u s - ,lian- b u i 11 oden 300ler.
I, Far From
Home
r. Willie h u t z, of raw a, who, r a period in Australian st a 1 trade, id from Mel ne late last as Second ;er under Cap- Max Stanton larisse, is now the trans ntic run as nd Officer in
7,600-ton British freighter Mid t. Mr. Schutz plans to sit for Mate’s ticket in London before rning to the Pacific. Midhurst currently on the Dunkerque olk, Va., run. A letter to c/- (ilias & Co., 7/8 Bury Court >e, Bury Court, London, EC3, i him.
Exit The Italians
The sinking of the Vasu north of Tonga in June wrote off the second of the two Italian-built wooden vsssTs to be brought to the South Pacific trade since the war. Both sank under similar circumstances on the high seas and with little warning, and by a strange coinci
dence both sank on June 13. ( Vasu vpc J y ne 14 • Suva date—but the the datT June Yaf 6 longltude with ®"I a , report last month that not correct W6re SiStel " Ships " aE i anS SV f 299 S ns ’ arrive d at Auck |. anc * ipro m Mediterranean In May 1953, as the Ada. In August of
The fine new wharf at Pago Pago, American Samoa, commenced July, 1954, completed May, 1956. Length 459 ft., width 53 ft.
RF concrete piles, and 8 inch RF concrete decking. Depth of water alongside, 32 ft. at low tide. Mr. Elmer Wilson, PWD Director, gets credit for design and carrying the job through.
Photo: Pan American Prints.
that year she was given the Fiji name of Vasu.
The other vessel, originally named San Michele, 407 tons, was re named Nukalau before her delivery, and she arrived at Suva in January, 1954. In June of that same year, bound from Coff’s Harbour, NSW, for Wellington, NZ, with a cargo of sleepers and poles, she suddenly sprang a serious leak in heavy weather and the crew barely got clear before the vessel sank.
It was then stated that these vessels had a weakness in their fastenings and Vasu was tipped to some day take a similar plunge.
However, Vasu underwent critical survey and was passed as sound.
She has voyaged widely through out the Pacific from Auckland to Fanning Island and been through previous heavy weather.
A Suva statement announcing that a formal inquiry will follow the preliminary hearing in Suva in July, said that the sinking was directly attributed to choking of the ship’s pumps, but there was no in dication of the cause of the serious leak.
The vessel foundered rapidly, illustrating again the necessity of a continuous radio watch. Suva Post Office station intercepted the high-frequency R/T distress call which came at a time when watch was being maintained.
In mid-July navigational warn ings were being broadcast in respect
of floating drums, cargo from the Vasu, in the vicinity of 15 degrees 10 minutes South, 177 degrees West.
Vasu Replaced
BP’s lost no time in replacing the Vasu. Shipping Manager Simp son flew to New Zealand and it was announced in mid-July that the company had purchased the
elderly 248-ton iron twin-sen motor vessel Nikau from the Nort ern Shipping Co. of Auckland.
Originally a steamer and a pj< senger carrier on the Cook Stn run, Nikau was launched Glasgow in 1909. She has capacity of about 240 tons general cargo and is powered Polar Atlas diesels. She will
igaged in the Fiji inter-island ade mainly, freeing the recently squired Zephyr II for BP’s Shell il Co. agency commitments in e Fiji-Tonga-Samoa area. Nikau understood to be smaller than ;sired, but she was the most itable of the very few second aid vessels immediately available the South West Pacific area. ;her vessels considered included ibinda, 659 tons gross, but she is too large to be handled by ji’s available slipway facilities.
Nikau was purchased from ichor Shipping & Foundry Co. of slson, original owners, in 1954 by wi Shipping Co. of Auckland, and jistered in Vila, NH. This com ny included some senior share- Iders in South Pacific Shipping ». of Suva, former owners of ikalau, and it was thought that kau would enter the Islands imp trade. However she re lined on the New Zealand coast.
Sikau cleared Auckland for Suva July 21 under command of Cap n W. F. Darling, late of Vasu, ptain A. Prosser of Auckland as ite, and the rest of the crew flown im Suva.
On’T Know Where, Don’T
Know When
Burns Philp’s new Montoro 11, 00 tons, which was ordered from Norwegian yard about a year ago, ly reach Sydney at the end of this ir Dn the other hand, it may be st year. slor does BP’s shipping manager Sydney know what service she 1 enter, either.
The first Montoro, built 1910, was 11 known on New Guinea-Sydney
service between wars and for a short time after War. II.)
A’Oniu Rejuvenated
Tonga Copra Board’s Suva-built 125-ton ketch A’oniu cleared Auck land for Nukualofa on July 21 after a false start July 20, and after an expensive annual refit.
Under Captain T. Fifita the ves sel had arrived April 25. It was found desirable to replace the keel son, and this involved six weeks wait for a 72 ft. hardwood log from Australia. In addition to a general overhaul the ketch was fitted with a complete new suit of sails. Re ported for sale a couple of years ago, it is assumed that the ketch will be kept in service until the
arrival of the new A’oniu now building in Holland and due for delivery late 1957. That vessel will terns 6 a CU^IC cargo capacity of 700
Tutuba, It Is
Mr. Roy Gubbay’s threatened name change of his February nur'chase, Vila Star, has been put into effect.
VS now becomes Tutuba, named for a small island off Santo.
Tutuba was expected in Sydney from NH early August.
Still On Lau Reef
Fast on a reef at Ongea Driti Southern Lau, since October 13 last] the Japanese fishing vessel Miye
(Continued on Page 101)
pper: Captain Taviti Fifita, Mate P. Taua [?], and radio operator-purser V. Ha'angana [?]onga Copra Board's "A'oniu", which corn ed refit in Auckland. [?]wer; Burns Philp (SS) Co.'s latest [?]isition, "Nikau", prior to departure from kland. The funnel was later given the BP [?]uer-board marking. The late owner's ur-scheme with dark green hull was almost [?]tical to the BP Fiji colour-scheme.
Photos: J. P. Shortall.
ru, though stripped of all equip nt, still sits there awaiting suc sful salvage. ’he Japanese owners applied for I obtained permission from the
tish Colonial Lee to carry salvage, and Japanese lery training ;el Jinyi Maru to arrive re last March, i attempt to oat was un ;essful, but nission was ited for a her attempt, r. To July no her attempt eared to have i made.
'Er Ships
Aggressing
lowing lengthy ys, including )er shortages, I progress is being made i the first of three 55-ft liary ketches :h are being iced by the lers Trust *d of New
Zealand for service in the Solomons- New Hebrides area. The vessels are to be operated by three Mission organisations. The first ketch her hull now planked and deck partlv
planked, should be ready by Oc 0 r 1956, though a name has not t*. een decided upon.
This vessel will go to the Mel?-, esian (Anglican) Mission The second vessel, whose keel will prob ably be laid in August, will be de tJ?e Meth °dist Mission; Mission. V 6 t 0 the Catholic rJ he A builders are Chas. Bailey Ltd., Auckland. The contract orig inally called for the delivery of the second vessel four months after the first, and the third vessel four months after the second. The con tract price of each was £NZI9,BOO, fully equipped with an 80-90 h.p, diesel, radio phone, refrigerator, etc,
A “Must” For The Bookshelf
An extraordinarily interesting book Ancient Voyagers of the Pacific, has just been published in Wellington, NZ, by the Polynesian Society. In it author Andrew Sharp, MA, BA, debunks the ancient Polynesian as a master of the art of celestial navigation in page after page of well documented
The "Joyita" was auctioned in Suva (on a basis of "as is") on July 12. Mr. David Simpson, Sr., plantation owner of Vanua Levu, was successful with a bid of £F2,425. He will have to pay Fiji customs duty of £F1,260 in addition. Our photograph shows Mr. Laurie Simpson (who bid on behalf of his father Dave Simpson) in a dis cussion with Mr. A. G. McCown (standing) after the auction. Interested in the discussion is Mr. Maurice Scott, owner's representative, and Mr Dave Reimy (glasses) auctioneer. Mr. McCown was the only other bidder.
Photo by Fiji Public Relations Office.
material the author that most early migrations were acci dental.
There will be many to spring to the defence of the perhaps mythical Polynesian navigator—but before they do so they should read this book, which will certainly cause some controversy as well as pro vide some very interesting reading in the watch below. (Price from NZ booksellers is £1 plus postage.)
In The Wake Of The
Beagle —Phase Two
The Royal Society of London has invited the Royal Societies of Aus tralia, New Zealand, and South Africa to join forces in organising a scientific cruise to follow in the wake of Darwin’s cruise in HMS Beagle, a century ago. Apparently, the cruise is to tie in with the International Geophysical Year re searches.
The London announcement, how ever, raises the query as to what happened to the 86 ft. auxiliary ketch Argosy which, according to news despatches at the time, cleared New York on May 29, 1952, on an identical mission.
So far as we know this vessel never reached the Pacific. Argosy was to call at some places which HMS Beagle did not touch. She was to touch at Galapagos, Easter,
Pitcairn, the Cooks, New Zealand, and be in Australian waters by December, 1952.
A Captain E. Davies was in com mand of Argosy, with Captain G. B.
Osborne of Scotland in charge of the scientific work. Perhaps our
Balboa correspondent can si; some light on this cruise, whr evidently was terminated by finy cial or natural disaster.
HMS Beagle and the famr Charles Darwin, incidentally, sail from Devonport, England, on I
iber 27, 1831, and returned home November 2, 1836. t was announced recently in NZ t HMNZS Tui, refitted some e ago as an oceanographic re rch vessel —she was a mine eper—will carry out a series of ific cruises in connection with f research. The vessel, with a n of NZ Oceanographic Institute kers, has already made two iminary cruises—one to the madecs and one in July to the ,thams.
Other Fr. Oceania Fire
tie 227-ton Papeete motor vessel ecia suffered extensive damage uperstructure and accommoda when a fire of unknown origin e out on the afternoon of July s the vessel lay at her berth. vessel was in the news in , 1950, when she was wrecked l Tuamotu reef. Salvaged, she converted from graceful oner to a very top-heavy saring, straight motor vessel, resumed service in the follow year. Then in August, 1953, was towed into port by another I craft after having broken i at sea. large percentage of marine dis s in French Oceania is asso d with fires in port or at sea. •e, presumably, is some ex ation why these accidents are nore prevalent there than else ■e in the Pacific.
Narrow Squeak For
Taveuni
e Cook Islands vessel Taveuni iwly escaped being involved in Venecia fire. veuni had arrived from Raro i with a party of round-trip lie excursionists, and a cargo 4 cases of tomatoes. All hands ashore when fire broke out on cia, moored close alongside. ;ver, bystanders cast off uni’s lines and pulled her clear, Captain Simpson and some of irew arrived soon after with r Dick Brown to move the ship safer berth.
Foyita Prepares For
New Life
sparing for her new life on the ■Vanua Levu run, Mr. David son’s Joyita has been under ' refit at Whippy’s Boatyard, ■ since she was purchased at an recently.
Angeles-Papeete Race
re details have come in about
iOs Angeles-Papeete yacht race
finished in Papeete in early J race commenced at 2000 , June 6 Greenwich date, and
antenders crossed the finishing
at the times here given. In ets are the handicaps in days, minutes, and seconds. ; del Mar (scratch) July 7,
i GMT; Viveka (00.06.00.05)
came off with very little damage. and thence to the slip at Tulagi.
Next morning it proceeded to Honiara under its own power It is now back in service.
The "Baruku", 67 ft. long, 15 ft. 10 in. beam, 7 ft. 6 in. mean draft, Government owned, which was on charter to the BSIP Port Authority when it went on a reef just Hast Visale on the north coast of Guadal canal, BSIP, at about 8 a.m. June 30. It was well on and early efforts failed to move it.
However on July 3, at 9 a.m. high tide, using empty oil drums lashed to the sides and several larger boats pulling, it
13, 032156 GMT; Celebes 0.30.04) July 9, 155648 GMT; t (01.14.57.13) July 8, 084954 ?; Jada (02.02.12.08) July 7. 14 GMT. Novia del Mar, Jada, t, Celebes, Viveka was con mtly the order of finishing, the actual placings were, as Jada, Quest, Novia del Mar, )es, Viveka. The latter yacht becalmed near the equator for days. general the weather was fair, winds light. The race ended rfect weather conditions, with irews tired. They met with mdous hospitality by the i authorities. ; Tahiti Yacht Club did an ent job of organisation. ’ fine prizes were awarded, ling a polished pearl shell his name inscribed on it ed to every man in the race, rs and boats received other i American yacht Fiesta, well ped with radio and lying in te for some time past, acted ficial communications vessel le Tahiti Yacht Club, main g radio contact with the 5 for the last 1,000 miles.
S Of Cruising Yachts
m Wen, a big American 65 net schooner-yacht owned ed C. Kistner, arrived at te from Honolulu on the same ls the race arrivals, July 7, iighteen persons aboard. Last
report on this yacht was in August, 1953, when the then joint owners, Kistner and William K. Pratt, were the subject of a legal action by members of a paying crew who were demanding their fares back to the mainland from Honolulu. Dwyn Wen departed Los Angeles in July, 1953 and has been in Hawaiian waters since. She cleared Honolulu this May 13, calling at most of the Marquesas islands, Takaroa thence Papeete. Plans are to visit Moorea, Huahune, Raiatea, and Borabora. The big yacht has a full crew, including radio operator There are a number of women aboard.
Little Bear, Buz and June Champion’s 37 ft. Honolulu ketch which has been in New Zealand waters since last November 7, left Auckland June 10 coastwise, and was poised in Whangarei to clear for Brisbane, possibly via Noumea in mid-July.
Corsair, Australian-built steel 43 ft. cutter, seems to be something of a mystery craft at the moment.
This yacht originally left Sydney on January 25, 1953, and arrived in Auckland on February 18 that year. She lay in Auckland until late January this year, then owner George Hunt and a companion put out for a reported coastwise cruise, though it was also reported that the yacht was heading for the Islands. This sturdy craft under went a considerable refit before
sailing. Mr. Hunt, formerly an armourer in the RAF, has lived in Fiji and Tahiti in post-war years
££t a A «
si under new ownership on a world ciuise, first stop Brisbane. Aboard were owner s. Worthington. hS Sl e Vf MISS f udy Merritt, Mr. Clark Lbbett, and two others travelling t 0 Brisbane. If all goes well that yacht should enter the Pacific via Panama westbound in a counle of years time.
Manu Moana, 38 ft. Kaitaia, NZ sloop, mentioned as arriving in Papeete from Auckland last month, made Island cruises in 1952 and
1954. As then, owner W. S. Holder is accompanied by Mr. Bob Naruhn, formerly of the Gilberts and Fiji, and by his own son. Mr. Holder Jnr. flew back to Auckland from Papeete.
Keriyea, mentioned in January as likely to be purchased in England and brought to the Pacific this winter by Messrs. Athol Rusden and Ronald Baker, of Auckland, will not be coming. The sale fell through and the partners, though they still have plans for a yacht cum-trading craft, will not go to England to seek a vessel until next year.
Coongoola, Mr. Norman Thomas’s 75 ft. motor-sailer, of Wellington, was to clear that port early July for Sydney and the Barrier Reef, Vila, and Noumea. Under the ownership of Mr. G. H. Griffiths, of Toowoomba, this handsome vessel made a world cruise in 1953-54. She was purchased by Mr.
Thomas early 1954, underwent improvements, and made a lengthy coastal cruise last summer. Next winter it is planned to cruise to Tahiti and Honolulu.
Moonraker, with Peter and Anne Pye, arrived back in England early this year. This yacht called .at Papeete and Honolulu en route from Panama to Canada in 1Q63.
New Silver Gull, 44 ft. Sydney ketch, which cruised the Islands several years ago, was reported at Kingston, Jamaica, recently.
Stortehecker 111, sold by Dr.
Franklyn-Evans in Canada in 1954 after cruising from Auckland via French Oceania, now has a successor, name as yet unknown.
The yacht measures 391 ft. x 29 ft. x 184 ft x 6 ft., with a sail area of 780 ft. She will probably enter the Pacific via Panama next year.
Lamerhak 11, one of the (possibly only) Israeli cruisi yachts to visit the Pacific, arn Papeete July 3, via Mediterranr Atlantic, etc. Has been on since November, 1953. Owi Joseph Havkins (crew, if any, mentioned). Lamerhak 11, aj ft. yawl, crossed from Atlantic Pacific overland, via Mexico C! (O
'ua, Mr. W. A. Robinson’s jte-based schooner, last re d north-bound from that port [onolulu —and apparently since tied —was expected in Apia in bound Borneo this time, well-known photographer, Elisofon, was waiting there in Varua. Others aboard the )ter were said to include American scientist who has associated with the French lia anti-filariasis mosquito aign; an Easter Islander, and >th°r Islander. Mr. Robinson • Water & Shoal) has also been y associated with the above toned French Oceania project, cially and otherwise, in recent . but never-the-less has found to make a 1952 voyage to i America and Panama, and more recent voyages to iulu. It is assumed that the it voyage has some scientific round.
Bisschop Tells Why
ie time ago we reported that in Eric de Bisschop, of French lia, who will soon launch a do raft named Tahiti Nui as mtribution to the current ,n of drifting across the
Pacific, tells why and wherefore in a two-volume book about to be published—presumably in French though doubtless an English edition will follow.
Meanwhile, launching date for the Tahiti-Peru-Tahiti round trip is set at October, and a number of companions have been selected The party includes a radio operator meteorologist formerly stationed at Rapa Island and well known to world radio amateurs—Mr. Roland d’Assignies—so the voyage promises to be interesting from the communicational point of view.
In The Furniture Business
Captain Hugh Williams, late owner of the Cook Islands trader Inspire, has often caused amuse
thl nt rifp^ l ! : cklanci when he left for me Islands carrying a cargo of
second-hand furniture. slwing
machines, vacuum cleaners, etc This cargo, disposed of very promptiy at Rarotonga, has helped to pay expenses.
Tonga Copra Board’s A’oniu now seems to have entered the trade.
Crew members took aboard piles of sirmiar furniture for relatives and friends in Tonga prior to the vessel s departure from Auckland in July.
New “Incas” On Rapa
When the Norwegian vessel Chris Bjellard (See June PIM) returned to Papeete on June 24 after visiting Rapa and Raivavae (she left soon after for Norway) Thor Heyerdahl
[?]re flag in Papeete—Mr. Joseph Havkins, [?]el, and his small yacht "Lamerhak II" [?]ory page 106).
rted discoveries of caves, relics ar to those left by the Incas he American mainland, e Heyerdahl theory is that the Ic was populated from South rica. Rapa has never been us for its archaeology—but for ’act that women on the island imber men by about 10 to one.
Er-Human Effort
Refloats Pacific Star
. Reece Discombe has succeeded floating the Pacific Star, and he rumour goes), has earned jlf something over £5,000. ■ific Star, ex-landing craft, d by Mr. Stein, disposals lant of NG, resumed normal ig activities after she lost her n the Coral Sea in February ;h PIM) but became stranded louth of South River, Erro a, New Hebrides, on April 8. seemed that she might stay when Mr. Discombe under to refloat her “within 60 days” ;lse. succeeded, just within the limit —after, according to our uper-human efforts.
Happened One August
this month of 1842 there was hing of a mid-Pacific binge off Conway Reef, roughly 420 east of Noumea and 300 miles •west of Suva. The previous
January, the 153-ton vessel Rapid had been wrecked there, bound China from Sydney via Auckland A Sydney syndicate later bought this wreck and sailed in a vessel whose name we’re unable to trace, to attempt salvage of ship or cargo’
There was also a rumour that the master of Rapid had buried $5,000 in gold on a sand-bank on the reef Clearing Sydney, June 17, the vessel sailed first for Rotuma to in vestigate reports that some of Rapid’s crew had landed there, but none appear to have been found.
After some searching, the shoal and wreck were finally located.
The report of the voyage says that it is possible that Rapid could have been refloated, and it is cer tain that most of her cargo could have been salvaged—except for one thing: The shoal was littered with casks of liquor from the wreck—and no sooner was a boat-load of men sent off to the wreck than they broached the liquor, and no work could be done.
For 23 days the salvage vessel sailed off and on—it was impossible to anchor —then the project was abandoned and the vessel returned to Bay of Islands, NZ. But it was not altogether without result. On the second day at, the wreck the master located $2,918 dollars in gold on the sand-bank; and the crew certainly had a wonderful time. (Over)
Koki Gets Away
The copra scow Koki, built; Bjarne Halvorsen, of Sydney, Steamships Trading Co., E Moresby, left Sydney for Papuas July 27, with Captain G. E. Lanji in command for the delivery (Safe arrival at PM reported Aug?
Halvorsen’s is at present lax down a 60-ft scow at the B( Bay yards. This prototype is sirm in design to the well-known 5g scows—only difference is the * more in length.
Savoie Buys 800-Tonneh
Captain Emile Savoie, well km in the Sydney-New Caledoi trade (his Maria del Mar was. some minor trouble off the N coast last month) has disposeo his Sorana del Mar through shipbroking firm of Ca p t Kennedy. Sorana will go to K Schmidt Bros., who are engage* the sand and gravel trade in Mor: Bay.
Savoie will replace Sorana Mar with an 800-ton, steel-hu vessel called Comara, now Fremantle, WA. Comara was 1 in 1936 and until a couple of y i ago was in the NSW coastal tn She is equipped to carry a If amount of refrigerated cargo.
If Savoie follows his usual prao Comara will have a name chu and join the del Mar family.
Deutgan Back In Sydne
The ex-barge Deutgan, owne«; Mr. Marcel Marinacce, of Ss< New Hebrides, which left Sy* after an expensive 9 months only in February and groundeE Port Resolution Tanna, only a i weeks later, is back in Sydney,, is up for sale. £25,000 is the pi
No Work For Tungari
A prolonged drought in Gilbert Is. has seriously affr G & EIC copra production. Am perienced G & EIC ship’s mr estimated recently that copra duction is down by more thsj half.
G & EIC Wholesale Som ships are finding it difficult to. cargoes in the Gilbert Is., andJ reported that the Tungaru wir put up for sale shortly, unless; is chartered by some other pany.
Melanesian Launched
Hongkong
The new steel-hulled BSIP eminent vessel Melanesian launched in Hongkong, on Juh by Mrs. R. J. Minnitt, wife o:c Chief Secretary, WPHC.
Melanesian should be comn shortly and be in service befon end of this year.
She has a displacement ofc tons, 8,550 cubic ft of cargo a will carry 10 cabin and 75 passengers and is powered Gardner engines.
loan
ses
duate
NZ High Corn ier in Western
, Mr. G. R.
, presents a ate to one of the nurses at the graduation cere of Samoan nurses at the Apia ment hospital re- Iwards Studio
Modern Store
For Apia
This very modern store has been erected In Apia, Western Samoa, for Mr. Hermann Retz laff. Mr. Retzlaff re cently returned from Germany. His wife is the former Miss Billy Nelson, of Apia.
Photo by Pan American prints.