[?]Cific Shipping And Cruising Yachts
pp. 63-111 · Read in the full issue
Month's News of—
Happened In October
DBER of 1876 saw the eck of the brig Stranger, iptaln Garth, Auckland for on Blunt Island, off Kadavu. led with stores and a iment of horses for the Engineers at Suva, the vessel I Auckland, September 16, ade an uneventful run until, t warning she crashed onto ef at 3 a.m., October 22, in h south-easterly and rough stranding took place at high and after some heavy ng the brig was soon left and dry, and all hands, ng the captain’s wife and children, landed at daybreak, of the horses had already med ship but others were I on the reef or later died. vessel, which was owned by McEwen & Co., Melbourne, ; a total loss though much cargo and equipment was id. ear earlier Captain Garth lost the vessel Nil andum, well-known in Suva
at the time, in a hurricane at New Caledonia.
Costly Burn
Mere mention of a ship-flre in French Oceania will usually raise a laugh in shipping circles—but there were no laughs connected with the Benecia singeing at the Papeete wharf in July. The vessel was not insured, our correspondent
reports, and repairs will cost in excess of PF2,000,000 (£A14,250).
Joyita Traces Sought
nf or \ho eh ol f of relatives of some ot the 25 persons lost from i a year ag0 ’ the New Zealand Government has notified ail Islands Administrations from French Oceania westward that a reward of £lOO will be paid to any person producing clear evidence of the fate of any of the missing It is thought there might be traces of some of the missing on some isolated beach or island For legal reasons proof of death! or otherwise, is sought. However one imagines that if any clues were
The tank landing ship 9019 of the [?]ench Navy arrived at Noumea August 31. Carrying material from Saigon for the naval base at Noumea amounting to some 700 tons, the vessel after discharging will return to Saigon.
The 9019 carries a total crew of 53.
During the voyage down a breakdown of one of the engines caused the vessel to seek re pairing facilities in Rabaul, NG. —Photo by F. E. Dunn.
in existence, they would have been reported before this with or without the incentive of the princely £lOO.
Message From The Sea
There is an element of excite ment in a bottled message from the sea, but there was sadness too, in one picked up on a beach near Waipu, NZ, in September, by a 13-year-old school-girl.
Gunner Morris Nelson Palmer, off to the war, had tossed it from an unnamed troopship near Norfolk Island on March 25, 1943.
Addressed to his mother, it was found less than seven miles from her home. But Gunner Palmer was killed at Rimini, Italy, in September, 1944, and a brother to whom the message was also addressed, was killed in a motor .accident more recently,
Soon To Sail
In Auckland on business in mid- September, Mr. Hugh Williams re ported that his 243-ton Melva to be registered in Suva, should clear Wellington early October with a cargo of aviation gasoline for Aitutaki.
The recently acquired vessel, now white with green trimmings, has a new bridge above the former wheel-house, which becomes the skipper’s cabin. The chief engineer moves into the former skipper’s cabin, making further accommoda tion available for cabin passengers in the Cooks interisland trade.
Among plans for turning an honest penny; a 16 mm. movie plant for use in the hold, which will serve as a theatre when empty, and a collection of Bible story films which are expected to prove a major drawcard.
Close Shave
The 40-ton MV Nicole, of
Papeete, came close to grief! when she struck a reef * Tikehau lagoon, but slid oven little damage.
Our records show that Nio owned by Edgar Bambridge.
Resuming Command
Captain J. McKenzie returning from vacation
1, resumed command of Hedstrom & Co.’s 260-ton terisland vessel Altair in Der. years ago in the UK he Irish sweep, purchased the Zivriballa and sailed to New He sold her there in 1952 aed the Fiji merchant fleet. are whispers in Auckland iptain Arnot might now be ig a book on his interesting many ships. He was in before going to Fiji.
Government Service?
e authorities in Papeete ately been surveying MV u, one-time US Navy aft, identical to Manu’a sed on Pago Pago, with a ) purchase. The 252-ton was acquired in Honolulu 7 years ago by Societe ative Tuamotu-Gambier. ould presumably replace ' ahena, 532-tons, sold by l 1 Government to M. Andre some years ago. The nent has not owned a )f this size since. »elieve that Tuamotu and Tele (now also for sale), only YMS-type (yard mine ) craft in use as trading n the South Pacific, though rich Navy* have two of these
wooden diagonal-planked 124-ft craft in service— Tiare and. Lotus based on Noumea and Papeete respectively. They are each powered with two 400 h.p. GM 268-A diesels.
Melanesian’S Crew Departs
Sixteen members of the Solomon Islands crew who are to sail the new Government vessel Melanesian from Hongkong, left Honiara by Qantas charter plane early September.
The party, under Captain Thorsen, flew via Darwin, Biak, and Manila to Hongkong.
Melanesian was launched by Mrs.
R. J. Minnitt, wife of the Chief Secretary, last July.
Further technical details of the ship are to hand by courtesy of the Marine Superintendent yimensions of the steel vessel are 118 ft. o.a. x 105 ft. b.p. x 26 ft. moulded breadth x 9 h ft. depth of hold x 8 ft. loaded draught. She had a deadweight capacity of 130 tons, a single hold with a 19 ft x 3 ft. 10 in. hatch. The main motors are twin handed Gardner BL3’s each of 144 bhp at 900 rpm, with 3 : 1 reduction gear. The motors have fresh-water cooling and air starting. The auxiliaries are a pair of Gardner 4LW’s, each driving a 20 kw 220 v. dc. generator. These are arranged for hand or electric starting. (Over)
The former U[?] Navy net-layer "Sea "Maria Ines", shows her distinctive [?]e South Pacific.
The yacht "Meridian" of Annapolis, now at Papeete.
Photos: Oscar Nordman.
vessel has a raked stem and r stern. She is equipped with rconi radio installation for high and medium-frequency
operation. The ship’s builders, as mentioned in July, were Hong-Kong & Whampoa Dock Co. Ltd., Hongkong.
On The Spud Run
Last June a small 876-ton wooden vessel, American owned but flying the quartered red-white-and-blue flag of Panama, arrived in New Zealand with a cargo of American potatoes. A former US Navy net layer, she then bore the name Maria Ines.
In September the same vessel, with another valuable cargo of US potatoes to relieve the current NZ potato famine, and with 8,000 cases of tomatoes from Rarotonga, dropped in to Wellington flaunting the name Sea Pearl.
Formerly owned by Far Eastern Steam Ship Co., the vessel had changed hands between trips and is now owned in New York by Victor International Corp., still flying the Panamanian “flag of convenience,”
The refrigerated craft was seeking an outward cargo, and late September seemed likely to be seen in the Islands again.
Southbound, Sea Pearl, which vas earlier running frozen meat cargos from Hawaii to the US, called at Papeete for bunkers.
Rarotonga authorities learned she was south-bound, contacted the owners, and arranged the much appreciated tomato shipment. The vessel was loaded in under 5 hours at the Avarua roadstead.
The freight rate was said to be 3 - per case (40 cases to the ton).
The rate on the potatoes was
group of Tahitians who passed through Sydney in August, on their way to Venice to pick hip for the phosphate company of Makatea. With them, second from right, standing, is Henri Helme, skipper of well-known small islands vessel, "Maria del Mar". ey were all visitors at a Polynesian Association function when this photograph was taken, ntertained other members with songs and dances.
Photo: Bayside Studio.
evidently high enough to warrant a vessel of this size making the long voyage.
Sea Pearl, built by Everett Pacific Co. in 1944, has twin diesel-electric drive to a single shaft. The motors are Busch-Sulzer. Captain R. L.
Deskin is in command, and Mr.
Les Ellis, well-known in Tonga, who joined the vessel last voyage, is Second Mate.
Equapac Interlude
South from Honolulu as one of the vessels engaged in Operation Equapac ocean-current survey, as detailed last month, US Fish & Wildlife’s industrious research vessel Hugh M. Smith made a scheduled call at Papeete, September 11-15.
Further Order
Next year should see an event of considerable maritime interest, Probably for the first time ever, the merchant flag of the Kingdom of Tonga will be seen in the Northern Hemisphere, and more than a few well-seasoned merchant navy officers, pacing their bridges, will be excused if they have to repair to the chart room to consult What Ship Is That? for probably very few seamen could describe this flag which will fly from the stern of probably two new Tongan ships.
The flag is three-quarters red, with a red cross superimposed on the white upper quarter adjoining
the staff. When the Queen is aboard the ship also flies the Tongan Royal Standard Reading clockwise from the upper quarters adjoining the staff, this flag is quartered as follows: Yellow, on which are three white stars, red, on which is a golden crown; yellow plain; blue with a white bird. Superimposed at centre is a 6-pointed white star with a
red cross superimposed them The descriptions are worth nothti as very frequently Queen Said does travel in one or other of 1 vessels.
Only Government vessels are present the two small wood ketches Hifofua and A’oniu.
Now building in Holland is; modern new A’oniu for the Co] Board, and Prince Tungi annoum
mckland in September that a ft. tug-cum-general purpose ;1 has also been ordered in and. The two present ketches built in Auckland and Suva actively, and no Ton g a n jmment vessel —or vessel flying Tongan flag, so far as we 7- —has ever been seen beyond Pacific.
Rofit Not Important
.e 134-ft. steel two-masted iary passenger schooner Te Liberian flag, but American id, has now completed over a of regular passenger voyages een Honolulu and Papeete, via ports if required, autifully equipped for the ort of passengers, but actually vdng little patronage—possibly to fares which range from to $1,275 each way—the 242 spoon-bowed counter-sterned has maintained a regular iule. ne have expressed surprise the vessel can show sufficient b to keep operating but it is 1 1 stated in Papeete that she )mething of a hobby for a ng shareholder who uses her as ians of maintaining his income n a certain taxation bracket, rega being merely a sideline not a business, latever the truth, Te Vega does de a regular connection along fleeted sea-route, and will call
at the Marquesas or the Line Islands when required. She il easily the most graceful and attractive vessel operating in South Pacific commerce to-day and many will hope that operations will prosper and extend.
In August Te Vega made a snecial run from Panppfp Marquesas and return with Mr and Mrs. Cornelius Crane, former sole owners. Present owners are Darr Lines of Honolulu, of which Captain Omer Darr. master of Te Ve 9“> is “ *“<«•
Which Were His Ships?
Mr. Ralph Chapman, of 30 Beekman Place, New York, former resident of Tahiti and a reader of
pttvt * lon T on his
Captain James
sp f nt °>ost of his life married a ™ J? 6 Pacific ’
Fanaue of Hbfaa T^h?iP eU f a a ?Ar^o?i t i2 a ’^ Tah u ltl ' at ° ne riv Riill S S th ® bai ;quentme opic Bird of San Francisco, and his Settled in Californi a with information 7 C ilt pman see^ s on other vessels M™ Chamnan 7 hVm^if ra Sr dfa f the 7
TahitFa^Thild^our^wl?
when a “b“ American visitor; he has been in the latter’s employ ever since
(Continued on p age ioi)
ER: Lorrin Smith (right) and companion ant, homeward bound for Honolulu from id in "Tahiti”.
ER: The Honolulu motor-vessel "Fiesta”, equipped in Papeete with a deck-house [?], to house equipment and personnel of ch movie organisation making shorts in Oceania.
Photos: Oscar Nordman.
At Technical Hitch!
ise a BBC term, there was a
slight technical hitch, amusing to all but those concerned, when the
Cook Islands ketch Taveuni made a recreation cruise to Paoeete with passengers in July.
Taveani’s owner is apt to be slightly indifferent to red tape and doing things according to the book, and there was a time when you could load tomatoes in the Cooks and take as many to Tahiti as you wished. But not to-day.
There was consternation in Papeete when Taveuni arrived with a load far in excess of that for which permits had been issued, but eventually, with the aid of local people, the matter was Sorted out —though the local market was flooded.
Then came time to depart—and as fuel oil was cheaper in Papeete than Rarotonga, Mr. Brown ordered
deley", the new Melanesian Mission's 52 ft. islands ship, at Ballina, NSW. (PIM Aug.
She left Ballina under command of Captain G. E. Langby, for delivery voyage September ed safely Honiara, BSIP, September 9.
200 drums —and apparently ct the biggest international bait and business disturbance inT The cargo was loaded whic was suddenly realised that n import licence had been obte Radios buzzed, and time wentj and the cargo—or much oft was again discharged. Then an OK and loading was resui Then further panic. The m though presented in Auckland) not to hand. So out wenti cargo—or much of it—again! now the passengers, momen expecting to depart, had T spent their remaining franco were destitute.
Finally the problem was s out, the cargo was loaded,,, Taveuni was despatched witt haste by her agents a week bo schedule.
Tahiti offiicaldom is said 1 hoping not to sight Taveuni in the forseeable future. Bui tourists from Rarotonga, i franc-problems forgotten, mainly to have voted the w well worth while.
Operation Tan Glov
Operation Tan Glove is code name affixed to a circling flight which begai, September 23 by a sp«< equipped KC97 Stratofreighti the US Air Force.
With special equipment a'j the aircraft will zig-zag rouir world pin-pointing the pr latitude of the magnetic equs The flight will have ns interest, but is mainly assoc with the intended launching \ earth satellites of Opec Vanguard, an Internas Geophysical Year project. Soc the equipment in the satellite be magnetically controlled. Bu “Tan Glove?”
Vuniwai Stranding
Finding that he had shown of judgment in laying too ; course, the Fiji Marine suspended the ticket of the n of Vunimai in September, vessel stranded on Kaba Poc 4 a.m., August 22, bound from to Makogai.
Two PWD tugs and thx Shell- 40 hauled her off on k 31.
Vuniwai is a trim little Medical Department vessel, , rigged, launched 1951, and ac well-scarred about the belly* earlier reef-crawling ventures.?
An enquiry into the standi the auxiliary ketch Kuinivual\ June was held at the sames The Board found that the strs 1 near Wakaya Island was d) error of judgment on the part: master, Emosi Tubuasuka. HI censured and cautioned.
News Of Cruising Yac
• Tzu Hang, 45-ft Honolulu I
lew Zealand coast for some st, cleared Auckland for September 25. erhak 11, Israeli flag, with Havkins lone-handing, ar uva mid-September from doorea, Pago Pago. Next oumea, Sydney. e of Auckland, returning Island cruise, grounded off lai harbour, north of Auck- September 9. Weather was
good and the yacht was hauled off by a launch after all gear had been landed on the beach. Damage was suffered to keel and rudder but the yacht reached home. • Solace of England cleared Auck land for Rarotonga, Palmerston Island, and return on August 15 Solace will cruise the NZ coast during the coming summer, before continuing westbound for England With Commander Clark was Stanley Mathurin, and a Palmerston Is lander returning home. • Tahiti of Honolulu, with owner Lorrin Smith and companion Ted Grant, sailed from Auckland for Papeete and Honolulu on September 1, after a long spell in port. The yacht was completely refitted. • Scolopax, 38i ft ketch, cleared
Falmouth England, for the Pacific search of an isolated island” late September. Aboard are Brian Rupert° SamUnd Elverson and baby • Dwen Wyn of the US left f x, mid rA ugust on the return run to Honolulu. • Viveka, one of the Los Angeles- Papeete Race entrants, cleared Papeete again, August 26, for Los Angeles. • Quest, another race entrant, was to sail from Papeete under an engaged crew in September. Owner Dr. Howard Murphy and his wife flew to Honolulu, • Manu Moana of Auckland, con tinuing her Island cruise, departed Papeete for Bora Bora and Pago Pago late August. (Over)
o of the Los Angeles-Papeete Race Celebes”, upper, and "Quest”, at Photos: Oscar Nordman).
"Malohi" (incorrectly spelled September PIM, p. 110) owned by lly, Sydney, returned home after s cruise to Noumea, Suva, etc., 2.
lihoa of Auckland arrived at ;e via the Cooks September is were to leave there October cruise French Oceania waters. eridian, 44 ft cutter of An 3, Md., with Mr. and Mrs. d Stafford aboard, arrived ;e August 31 from Takarod. acht will remain at Papeete ne time. iakai, with Connie Hitchcock ompanions, left Honolulu in : for Kauai thence San sco. The yacht made Hono l days out of Papeete. )Zo of Sydney, last reported in e, was reported in Honolulu fust. wenix, US flag, continuing xumnavigation, was reported from Jakarta for Cocos in hite Hart, 44 ft Canadian arrived Rarotonga August 21 parted September 5 for Pago American Samoa, on a ly cruise from British Colum- New Zealand. Built in the Indies to Alden design, she in used by the owner-skipper, ly J. Reeves, as a salmon vessel in west Canadian A stout, roomy vessel, well id for the cruise now being aken by Captain Reeves, his nd three-year-old son. isme: Frank Nolan may, says ra, get “official recognition” s part as a “Ham” radio >r in saving Danny Weil, man-Ham, off Papua on Sep
tember 17. Nolan is a member o f PMG staff, Port Moresby; what form the “recognition” would take is not stated. Fearing cost of sal vage, Weil battled for days with a storm between BSIP and Moresby before calling for aid. When he did, Hams all over the world offered financial assistance. A Department of Civil Aviation launch battled with the sea for 10 hours to rescue Weil who was 30 miles off Port Moresby’
But so far we have heard of no claim for salvage. Mobile Ham Weil has called at numerous off-the-trail places in the Pacific and set up in business—to the delight of other Hams whose hobby is collecting cards from other stations contacted. , Faruo Mr wllliam A Robin son ' s y acht ’ reached Honiara, BSIP, “ I f lentiflc expedition, on be P^ emDer
Swapping And Buying
Mr. Freddy Kay returned to Sydney from the Solomons in the September Tulagi, having disposed recently of the Loma to Mr. Ernie Palmer of BSIP who will use her for recruiting, etc.
Mr. Kay went originally to the BSIP in Quest which he exchanged with Mr. Georgetti for Loma.
It is understood that he is now looking around for another vessel and while in Rabaul inspected Kathleen which originally went to the Territory for Mr. Jack Thurston
but which is now owned by Chinese interests.
Another Hitch.
In the paragraph regarding the cruising yacht Solace, page 106, September PIM, one of our linotype operators dropped out a line which made nonsense of the item in ques tion. It read: “. . . Tuatai Marsters of Palmerston will return to the Cooks in the trading vessel Inspire.”
It should have read: “ . . . Tuatai Marsters of Palmerston will return home with the yacht. His com panion, Kori Marsters, earlier re turned to the Cooks in the trading Ketch Inspire”
Inspire, of course returned to the Cooks months ago.
Report No. 1 On Arakarimoa
Sometime between December 29, 1955, and February 28, 1956, a Com mission of Inquiry was held into the disappearance of the Arakarimoa.
The report has just been released —although Arakarimoa subsequently turned up, of course, in southern Guadalcanal, 64 days and 1,000 miles from where she disappeared on a 19-mile voyage between Tarawa and Maiana (See March PIM); and although two other inquiries have been held, one in Honiara, which was inconclusive, and one in Tarawa in August, the findings of which have not yet been made public.
The extraordinary attitude of the
authorities over the whole Arakarimoa incident is highlighted by the fact that this preliminary report—made when the vessel was presumed lost —has only now been released.
The report says in part: "Arakarimoa" disappeared because she went to sea with her main engine faulty and her
auxiliary not working, without her * transmitter, and with insufficient charts.
Previous to her sailing on her last voc the vessel has been laid up because 6 burned-out bearing and other defects. A bearing also burned out, melting and do® the reverse shaft.
An engineer reported that he believes had burned out because the reverse shaft t not been properly fitted in.
The auxiliary charging engine was not vt
bus, if the batteries were flat, and the ■y charging engine was not working, ngine could not be restarted if it ed to stop.
Mechanical Engineer of the Colony said Inquiry that he had advised the manager Tangitang Co-operative Society, owner akarimoa", that the vessel should not tside the lagoon until the auxiliary g engine was repaired.
Commissioners said that had "Arakari sailed with either her radio transmitter rts aboard she would, in the event of trouble, either have given warning it had happened, and could have been , or she would have been able to make se for some other down-wind island i Ocean or Nauru.
Commissioners were of the opinion that anager of the Tangitang Co-operative was morally to blame for permitting >sel to sail when he was fully aware imporary repairs only had been made; e generator was not working; and know it the mechanical engineer had recom against sailing outside the Tarawa dealing with searches made for "Ara i" the Commissioners commented: "The in of outside assistance would have Ivisable immediately it was known that ireau's' search had proved fruitless", eau" made a search for "Arakarimoa" ember 31.
I Inexcusable Tragedy
Of Arakarimoa
! extraordinary case of the irimoa and the equally extra ina r y dilatoriness of the rities over the whole matter arch for the vessel has been sing the minds of the whole :al world. In the July issue ie Nautical Magazine, which een publishing in Glasgow for iast 100 years, some scathing s were said about the whole 3ss —both in an article by a Vharton and in editorial com mas called a “tragedy so stark srrible that it might have been straight from the dark pages utical annals of two centuries nstead of out of the records 6 when more than a thousand iving devices are at the beck all of every ship.”
I again: “Only the most casual i was made for her when she eported missing. The search exactly one day and the ship hen written off as lost . . . igh the RNZAF stands by 24 a day, 365 days a year at Suva, ny such occurrence.”
XDrially, the journal demanded ow whether there was no law e sea that applied to such s; or could they continue to voyages placing human lives ipardy from the moment they »ff until they anchored in the )ort of call. The journal listed r tragedies in the Pacific in ist three years and cites the )f the Joyita which was per -1 to lea ve Apia port in unsea y condition “because she was sred in Honolulu.” y call this “arrant nonsense” i unseaworthy ship were to try ive New York or London or
oncft Paciflc!° n unseaworthy Chips' 1 w ere allowed to put t 9 sea with defective radio and carrying passengers and equal chance of getting to their port of destination or going to the bottom of the sea.”
Still Tied Up
Stranded, but not in the usual sense, is the 495-ton refrigerated twin-screw ex-yacht Rican Star —ex Samana Queen, ex Elena, ex Lynx ex Ramona, ex Dolphin, Costa Rican flag, tied to a Sydney wharf -2? 5
fc* 3 CarB ° ° f d —* sequ n enT ß d n eman e d k bv \ nd ? E , u! " navigation authorhies survey, decided the owners in Canada to repatriate the crew anc 3 put the vessel up for sale-lnother incident in what has evidently been a very chequered career, if the list of names is an indication.
KEEPING IN totipti c in TOUCH oeamen interested in what goes Ml . ® mari time world beyond , , Pac i - Islands area will find plenty of interest in the BBC Mer
latter is the Pacific trans n, but both are well received w Zealand. (Note: Thursday IMT is Friday morning west L)
Gather Information
Broadcasts
i another hurricane season in when this appears, we sum the principal voice weather asts available in the Islands.
Fadi on 7530 kc/s at 0915, and ;ry GMT half-hour after an las been issued. Suva broad : station on one or more of [lowing frequencies—B4o/930/- ;/s at 0030/0130/0625/0907/2007 and on every hour after an las been issued. Suva Post on 4445 kc/s at 0230/2130 and hourly following alert.
Moresby broadcasting station f/6130 kc/s at 0225/0855/1230/- MT weekdays, 0225/0855/2155 local Saturdays, and at 0855 Sundays and holidays, ara broadcasting station on 60 kc/s during 0700-0800 broadcasts Mon./Tues./- /Fri./Sat.; during 0630-0800 aroadcast Wed. From VQJ2 station on 5826 kc/s at 00 GMT weekdays, 2300 GMT ud on the hour following an
\Ri Being Repaired
nship Trading Company’s 56ira scow Kari which ran
One Typewriter Coming Up?
IN June PIM we had a little fun with our chief shipping corres pondent, J. P. Shortall, currently of Auckland, NZ, suggesting that the reason why a Cook Islands ship had got confused with one in the New Hebrides was that he had an “un educated’'• typewriter which couldn’t spell. (June PIM, p. 93).
We have now had a note from Richard Gordon McCloskey, ' sec retary of the Slocum Society (C/~ V SIS-American Embassy, Lima, Peru) as follows : “Jim Shortall has been a most useful and co-operative correspon dent. We think so highly of him that we are soliciting contributions from all New Zealanders in Peru to buy him a literate typewriter. We have unearthed several New Zealanders who, upon being dunned, immediately denied being New Zealanders —an act that immediately proved to our satisfaction that they were New Zealanders. Say not the struggle nought availeth. We are continuing it and hope to report success soon.”
aground on a reef east of Normanby Island, Papua, on August 6 was not the total wreck at first feared.
She was patched up sufficiently to get her to Samara! where she is currently undergoing repairs at Mr.
H. (Bunny) Barrow’s Sariba slipway.
Pacific Shipping Co
Celebrates 75Th Birthday
October 1 was the 75th anniver sary of the establishment of the Union Steam Ship Company of New Zealand in Fiji.
The Company was formed in 1875 at Dunedin and operations were extended to Fiji six years later. The first vessel to open up the new trade was the Southern Cross, which left Auckland for Levuka on September 26, 1881, thus establishing a regular link with New Zealand which has continued, with steady expansion, until the present day.
The Company was represented in its early days in Levuka by Mr. C.
D. Pimmock. At a later stage the late Sir Maynard Hedstrom was in charge of affairs there. The first Suva branch was established in 1899, with Mr. A. N. Duncan as blanch manager.
The company now provides the principal sea-links between Fiji and New Zaland, in addition to operat ing the Grand Pacific Hotel in Suva.