like Again
p. 77 · Read in the full issue
[?]arewell "Te Vega"
We Will Not [?]ee Her like Again
r'.E South Pacific is losing its largest and most elegant schooner. Mr. Omer Darr, ormerly of Honolulu and lately of sapeete, has disposed of his >lerman-built, Liberian-registered 12-ton steel passenger schooner Te i fga to Puerto Rico interests.
'iThe vessel was to clear Papeete 'Scond week in November, with a weal crew which will be repatriated.
I Te Vega was built as Vega in »iermany in 1930 and saw service Ath the US Navy as a weather Atrol craft during the war. [She first came to the South icific under the ownership of Mr. iprnelius Crane, Chicago invest iient broker, in 1951. The 134-ft, yo-masted schooner made a really .ppressive sight at that time, being jiff-rigged with topsails, and carry lig a sail area far greater than j|at of any other vessel of this [fpe to be seen in the South Pacific :>r many years.
'ton November 24, 1951, Te Vega, :Dder command of a former French Aval officer, Captain Peaucellier, ifeared Papeete on the inaugural iyage of a regular passenger ffrvice between that port and
jpnolulu.
'{Two hours later she was dis tasted and crawled back to port [depressing sight, indeed. There le lay pending insurance settle ment until about August, 1954, when le was purchased by Mr. Omer Eferr.
JTe Vega was jury-rigged for the iyage to Newport, Cal., re-rigged as H3ermudan schooner with greatly isduced sail area and a much less Jautiful, though still elegant fofile. iShe was transferred from French (Liberian registry and sailed again t Tahiti on June 10, 1955. From len until last year, the schooner berated between Papeete and Honolulu. -Lately, after sailing as far west ISuva with an American film unit, e Vega has made commercial iluses in the French Polynesia iOok Islands area. She was under ood to be doing reasonably well 1 this luxury trade—fares averaged o per day and only twelve issengers were carried, plus a crew I about 19, mainly Islanders. an ornament to the South facific seascape, Te Vega will be lissed. She belongs to a virtually 'ainct type. In fact nothing J)roaching her type and size, with )l ch a spread of canvas—or nylon Jjxists in the South Pacific today, * probably ever will again.
Te Vega —the South Pacific’s most elegant schooner. She has been sold by Mr. Omer Darr to Puerto Rican interests.