For Islands Service

Soon to be plying again between Rabaul and New Ireland ports is the “Gona”, which was recently sold at auction to Rabaul shipping owner Mr. Pat Roberts for £2,300. She was considered a good buy at that price.

The vessel is 62 ft. x 14 ft., and was a light hospital ship during the war.

Vharf Completed: Suva’S

vharf, which cost £2,500,000 hich can take any ship in the is now finished after two years’

The job was undertaken by iani-Nielsen and Gammon Ltd., ish-Malayan consortium, wharf was opened in various The first was a new berth alu Bay. Then followed the face (King’s Wharf); and last Prince’s Wharf, at the southern ; King’s Wharf. contractors, under the guidance Iton and Bell, engineering cen ts to the Fiji Government, had ercome many obstacles, chief \ which was the sloping nature j seabed. Nine hundred pre d piles were put down. Most >etween 132 ft. and 140 ft. long, veral were much shorter. main wharf is 2,800 ft. long i capable of taking two liners ease. Now that the work is d Suva may see the giant P and ;nt liner Canberra, which was i to call at Suva on her early : voyages because of insufficient of water at the wharf, vever, a Pacific cruise for the rra is at least 12 months away ;e the liner has several other itments before a new schedule : drawn up, a has needed a new wharf for for facilities at the old wharf badly damaged in the 1952 ane and in the 1953 earthquake, d been planned to spend £6 n on a completely new dock i, but in 1958 this plan was oned because of lack of money. paid about half the cost of :w wharf. The other half came f the pockets of British tax i in the form of Colonial De nent and Welfare grants. : Governor, Sir Kenneth Mad , officially opened the last stage j project and unveiled a com bative plaque at the Walu Bay on June 7. ny tributes were paid to the ictors, who also built the new at Lautoka and the Suva slip

way. They deserved it because they finished their work five months ahead of schedule.

After the opening ceremony, Christiani-Nielsen and Gammon pro.vided “refreshments” in the Walu Bay cargo shed for the 600-odd men and women who worked on the project.

The junketings for the men included a feast, liquid trimmings, and double pay for the day, which was also a holiday.

• Higher Charges Pos

SIBLE: Freight charges between Aus tralia and Suva may rise, according to a letter the Lautoka Chamber of Commerce has received from South Pacific Sugar Mills Ltd. The chamber had asked that the differential in rates applying between Australia and Suva, and Lautoka, should be stan dardised.

The SPSM Lautoka manager, Mr.

J. M. Aitken, said in the letter that the whole question of Australia-Fiji rates had ben under discussion for some months between established shipping companies, but agreement had not been reached.

• Link With Micronesia:

When Captain Rudolph Muller and his son-in-law, Mr. Jack Adams, brought the 208-ton diesel-powered ship Tungaru into Rabaul from Micronesia in May, it was hoped that this would inaugurate a fairly regular service between Ponape, Caroline Is lands, and New Guinea.

The two territories are separated by only 900 miles and it is believed there is enough potential trade be tween them to justify a service about every eight weeks.

The Tungaru is a hardy-looking freighter, with accommodation for a couple of passengers. The registered owner is Mr. Carlos Etscheit, of Ponape.

• Schedules Upset: Labour

troubles on the New Zealand water front have seriously delayed the schedules of the Union Steam Ship

Co. Ltd. island traders, Tofua and Matua. The Matua’s timetable was badly upset on her June run, and to pick up time the owners cut Welling ton and Lyttleton from her south bound run, so she would leave Auck land on time on the next cruise.

Meanwhile, shippers in Western Samoa, Tonga and Fiji had to re arrange their cutting schedules so they could send sound fruit to New Zea land in June.

Even cutting out Wellington and Lyttleton did not allow the company to make up all lost time. Instead of sailing from Auckland for Suva on July 5, as scheduled, the Matua had her departure delayed till July 9.

The Tofua, which was scheduled to leave Auckland for Suva, Nuku alofa, Vavau, Niue, Pago Pago, and Suva, on June 18, had her departure delayed exactly a week. She was scheduled to reach Suva on the re turn voyage on July 9, instead of July 2, to pick up a cargo of bananas and other produce. (Over)

More Ships Visit Fiji:

overseas ships called at Suva autoka in 1962 than in 1961. va the arrivals numbered 413, red with 349 in 1961. Lau figures were 161 and 129 re ely.

Fraining For Shipping

ERS: A course to train is and New Guineans for in coastal shipping services art in August. course will be held at the istration’s Nautical School, loresby.

Director of Trade and In- Mr. G. D. Cannon, said the would be for seamen and engine operators, said 12 Papuans and New ns were completing the first of 12 months, for seamen arine engine operators, course had been so successful s next course would be for two Thirty applicants would be for this. essful trainees would be quali t employment in either Ad afion or private vessels.

:Anoe A La Mode: An

;oing canoe, built in the nal style used for centuries, lipped with modern accessories, an be used in a regular service Guinea. canoe has been fitted with outboard motor, life saving nd has an auxiliary sail. 11 be used to provide a freight, er and trading service in the Group of the Manus District, >f the New Guinea mainland.

Tiain run will be between Awin and Allison Island, a distance ut 35 miles, expected to be in four hours, canoe was built at Yaku, near st New Guinea border of the Territory. Yaku people are for their ocean-going canoes, hope, if the new venture is lercial success, that there will :w market for the Yaku canoe I industry.

Iip Replaced: W. R. Car

md Co. (Fiji) Ltd. has bought ath Australian ship Parndana ice the Ai Sokula. She arrived on May 31. ship has been renamed Komai ter a Carpenter ship that was own in Fiji waters after World The first Komaiwai has been up.

Komaiwai will be used on the Vanua Levu and Taveuni, for copra cargoes. The master Captain Alf Peckham.

• Formal Investigation

‘'REQUISITE”: After an inquiry at the end of May into the stranding of the W. R. Carpenter and Co. (Fiji) Ltd. ship Ai Sokula, the Fiji Marine Board decided it would be better if a court, presided over by a magis trate, made a formal investigation.

The Ai Sokula stranded on Mabu alau Reef, south of Moturiki, about 1.45 a.m. on March 10.

The board heard evidence from only two witnesses, the master, Cap tain Robert Gabriel Croker, and the second mate and supercargo, Frederick Corrie. Corrie admitted that the fault was his.

Crocker said he had handed com mand of the Ai Sokula to Corrie

“ 9 and 5 d told rj m 1 a course of 2!° SQd thC Wakaya an ° T llghts * He (Croker) was m bed when the ___r .

at eha,^

“g 230 decrees, Come had admitted that he had steered that course, but was unable ex pl al n how he made the mistake.

The board’s finding was: “From the evidence before it, the board is of the opinion that a formal investiga tion is both requisite and expedient”.