Cruising Yachts

Pacific Shipping And Cruising Yachts

Sixty-five-year-old English yachtsman, Francis Chichester, in December sailed into Sydney Harbour in his 53 ft yacht, ; Gipsy Moth IV, to complete a lone voyage of 13,750 miles from Plymouth, England.

CHE veteran yachtsman and pioneer aviator took 107 days to com ic te the trip—the first half of a 30-day circumnavigation along the jutes of the old clipper ships. (PIM, ept., 1966, p. 111).

He had hoped to finish the first ig to Sydney in 100 days but ad ;rse winds and heavy seas in the ass Strait and unfavourable north ist breezes south of Sydney added ;ven days to the trip.

The slight, suntanned adventurer ft Plymouth on August 27. He tached the Canary Islands off west frica on September 17, his 65th irthday. Chichester sailed south trough the Doldrums and turned ist into the “roaring forties” off auth Africa on October 20.

During the lengthy dash to Aus alia his self-steering gear was recked on November 15, On De jmber 2 he was sighted in Bass trait, above Tasmania.

Tough in Bass Strait

Chichester encountered his Highest conditions in the Bass Strait tid in his battle up the NSW coast, he north-east breeze freshened to lore than 15 knots, a three knot jrrent hit him and his yacht glanced le side of a chartered trawler near akes Entrance, Victoria.

The Australian Press wrote up his ay-by-day experiences and hired elicopters, small planes and trawlers > intercept him before he reached ydney—a day late for elaborate mday celebrations. Hundreds of nail boats and yachts had lined ydney harbour all day. They waited i vain—he and the Gipsy Moth id through the Sydney Heads at .45 p.m. the next day.

Nevertheless, he was greeted by ozens of small craft which escorted im up the harbour to an organised ews conference at the Royal Syd ey Yacht Club.

Standing on land for the first time i three and a half months he said: My legs are rather wonky. I feel drunken and sore. I feel wizened nd dry.”

Chichester takes out the lone yachtsman record

A burly policeman helped him up the club’s wharf to its billiard room where he gave a 45-minute report of his trip to a bank of tele vision cameras, microphones and dozens of reporters.

He had sailed non-stop longer and further than any lone yachtsman had ever done before. He failed to reach Sydney on his 100-day target but his feat was amazing. Chichester was to rest in Sydney for about a month. His yacht was to be re paired, its steering gear fixed and fresh supplies bought. (Only a small amount of marine growth was found).

Then he will be off again—14,000 miles homeward bound to Plymouth via Cape Horn and up the eastern coast of South America. It could be a more exhausing ordeal than the one he has just completed.

Mrs. Chichester and his son, Giles, had arrived in Sydney several weeks before him to await his arrival.

Chichester is well-known to PIM

readers. In 1931 he was the first man to land a plane at Norfolk Island and Lord Howe Island. He flew the second plane solo from England to Australia—in a Gipsy 1 Moth. In 1960 and 1962 he made solo Atlantic crossings in his yacht Gypsy Moth 111.

On his arrival in Sydney the Lord Howe Island Promotion Committee sent him the following telegram: “All your plane-repairing friends from your historic 1931 flight send congratulations on your latest record voyage and hope you will revisit the island whilst in Sydney.— Residents of Lord Howe Island.”

Gypsy Moth IV was specially de signed for his circumnavigation en deavour. The watertight bulkhead is nine feet aft of the stemhead to in crease the chances of surviving a collision with an iceberg.

Nevertheless, Chichester told the Press the yacht was the wrong de sign for the job. He didn’t elaborate, despite questioning. His story is “tied up” by London newspaper interests.

Still Talking About

Oro Bay Wharf

Members of New Gui n e a’s Northern District Advisory Council are plumping for an early start on a 200-ft long wharf at Oro Bay.

The council chairman, Mr. W. I.

Johnston, said the water depth at the berth would be deep enough to allow the “occasional overseas vessel” to come alongside. The council will ask the Assistant Administrator for data about the wharf with a view to it being included in the 1966-67 de signs list.

"Floating Horse Trough"

For New Hebrides

The first concrete-hulled vessel to go into service in the New Hebrides was sailed up from Auckland in November.

The vessel is the 30-ft motor yacht Break-of-Day, which was built specially for the Presbyterian mission, and will be based at Lamenu, Epi.

She is the third vessel of that name to serve the mission. The first broke up in a hurricane in 1951, and the second was pensioned off recently because of old age.

The new Break-of-Day has a

ter three-cylinder engine which is her a maximum speed of six ts. A Vila wit has nicknamed ship the “Floating Horse ugh”. ler skipper is the Rev. Graham ■well, who has been in the New wides for 20 years. He has a v of two New Hebrideans, he ship will visit mission stations, , as far north as Santo and as far :h as Tanna. [r. Howell believes concrete s may be the answer to the dif- Ities of maintenance on the New irides.

Mo need to worry about such gs as teredo worms,” he says, hough you must still use anti ing paint.”

) A Concrete

User For Lae

arry Scholium, of Lae, is build a 21-ft cabin cruiser with a irete hull which, he claims, will stronger than anything made of d. he cruiser will weigh no more : an ordinary boat of similar size, it won’t be very expensive. In Harry says it will probably him only about Sioo to build, e will probably operate the ier with a 40-hp outboard motor.

Ding Vessel

Haged At Tanna

he trading vessel Corrigan, be ing to Mr. Bob Paul, of Lenakel, la, was badly damaged recently a she was swept on to rocks by ig winds while loading copra on Kwamera coast, South Tanna. le managed to return to Lenakel re she was beached for repairs.

Sidised Nz-Ng Shipping

/Ice To Be Requested

he New Zealand Trade Com ioner in Sydney, Mr. W. F. in, will ask the New Zealand eminent to subsidise a regular ping service to Papua-New lea to offset his country’s fall exports and rising imports with territory. r. Quinn paid a ten-day visit he territory in early November said exports had fallen from 28.000 in 1962-63, to $A326,000 1956-66. Imports from 1961-62 risen from 5A47,000 to 25.000 in 1965-66. ew Zealand’s exports to the terri are foodstuffs and newsprint the main import is coffee.

Ireement System

Dm London

Bethell, Gwyn and Co., Ltd., Lon n shipping brokers, will operate •ir Fiji district service from Lon n under an Agreement system >m January 1. From that date ippers in London will ship on net ms, and the 10 per cent, rebate oblem will not arise.

) Easing Of Congestion

Sight For Lae

Shipping interests and Lae busi ssmen may have to put up with ngestion in the sheds for many onths to come.

According to the Administration’s jrks manager, Mr. E. Flower, no aney has yet been allocated for Iditional storage space. No definite ans or specifications had been awn up.

The chairman of the Harbours >ard, Captain G. A. Hawley, said oney could not become available r the work till the board became itonomous this year.

Oted P-Ng Seaman

Emembered

Steamships Trading Co. Ltd. has imed a new coaster, Frank Rei, ter an old and respected P-NG sea an, who spent 30 years at sea, work g his way up till he became cap in of his own ship.

Frank Rei in his day spent much ; his time sailing ships in waters jmpletely uncharted.

He retired a few years ago from ic service of Steamships, and settled ith his family at Elevala.

He went back to the wharf recently > inspect the Frank Rei, and try his and at the wheel.

The Frank Rei is a 58 ft steel ship, hich can carry 35 tons of cargo at speed of nine knots. It has special mtilating arrangements in the hold > enable it to carry benzine and viation fuel below hatches.

Captain Dogoda Hekoi, one of the rst graduates from the Nautical raining School, will become per aanent master of the Frank Rei.

Peruvians For

Outh Pacific

Independencia, the Peruvian Navy’s raining ship, sails from Callao on anuary 2 for a 55-day training ruise of the South Pacific.

The ship will carry 103 naval adets to commemorate the fourth entenary of Mendana’s voyage to be Pacific from Callao.

The hopes to call it Tahiti, January 16; Samoa.

January 23; New Caledonia, Feb ruary 1; Sydney, January 8; Mel bourne, February 15 and Wellington, February 24.

Administration Pile-Up

Four Administration ships involved in a crash in New Guinea’s Rabaul Harbour —the Eros, the Mangana, the Lahara and the Batuna —caused about $3,000 damage, an Adminis tration official said in early De cember. He denied current reports that the damage had been about $lO,OOO. A full report has gone to Port Moresby but it is unknown whether an inquiry will be held.

Bp's Acquire Old

Suva Firm

Burns Philp (SS) Co. Ltd. has acquired a controlling interest in Bish Ltd., ship repairer, which is based close to the slipway in Suva.

Bish Ltd., an old-established firm, was sold by the Bish family some years ago to Mr. Sethi Narain, of the Narain Construction Co. and Narayan Furniture Co. Mr. Narain has had close financial links with Burns Philp for several years.

Barges Aground

A tug towing four steel barges went aground in late November on the New Caledonian barrier reef about two miles from the Amedee lighthouse, which marks the entrance into Noumea.

The tug and barges were coming from Australia for delivery to a New Caledonian mining concern.

"Nankin" Leaves The

Western Pacific

The cargo liner, Nankin, sailed on her last voyage for the Eastern and Australian Steamship Company on November 29 when she left Sydney for her new owners in Hong Kong.

The Nankin had served the E. and A. line since 1947 and over the last 20 years was a familiar sight in many Far Eastern ports, in the Western Pacific, and the Tasman.

She carried some pretty unusual loads, including RAAF aircraft from Japan to Australia and, in December, 1948, Wirth’s Circus from Mel bourne to Wellington.

Nankin, together with another E. & A. cargo liner, Nellore, are to be replaced in the company’s Far East trade by two cargo ships acquired from the P & OSN Co.

»An's "Floating Fishing

Versity"

apan’s “floating fishing uni lity,” the Hokusei Maru, spent a days in Suva in November, on second call there in two years, he ship, carrying a professor and students from the fishing faculty Sokkaido University, was near the of a 10,000 miles voyage.

Tie students had finished a four a r oceanographic survey course were rounding off their training i practical instruction.

Tie Hokusei Maru was expected k in Japan about the end of :ember.

Jans Have New

\Der

new 220-ton cargo ship, the lilakeba, was launched in Japan in October and will go into dee in Fiji for the Lau Provincial mcil. die Uluilakeba was expected to ive in Fiji in December.

Hie will operate primarily to carry ra from islands in Lau and naiviti to Suva.

Tie Uluilakeba has an overall gth of 113 ft, a breadth of 23 md can carry 10 saloon passengers.

She will have a complement of four officers and 10 crew.

Planter's Arrest Of

Ship's Crew

A Mai Island planter boarded a Japanese fishing ship, the Koyo Mam, off this island in the Ninigo Group, P-NG, in November, and placed the captain and the 20-man crew under arrest.

This was disclosed in the Lorengau District Court when the captain, Toshiyuki Murakami, pleaded guilty to a breach of the Immigration Ord inance.

The planter, after making the arrests, radioed Lorengau for help.

A Government trawler answered the call and escorted the Koyo Mam to Lorengau.

Captain Mutakami said he entered Territorial waters on November 14 through a navigation error. He was fined $3OO.

Collision In Suva

Harbour

The Tivitivi, a 19-ft Fiji cabin cruiser, was badly damaged on the starboard side on November 21 after a collision with the Vuniwai-ni-Toba, which belongs to the Fiji Medical De partment.

The accident, in the Walu Bay basin, Suva Harbour, occurred when Mr. G. Eyre, part-owner of the Tivitivi, was turning his launch.

To stop the Tivitivi from sinking, Mr. Eyre ran it on to a concrete ramp.

Mr, Eyre and the other part owner, Mr. P. Allan, who is Deputy- Mayor of Suva, used the Tivitivi to take tourists on trips.

Crayfish Expedition

To Minerva Reef

A 97 ft fishing trawler, Loch Lein, captained by David Fifita, former captain of the ill-fated Tuaikaepau, whose crew were marooned on Minerva Reef in 1962, is evaluating the possibilities of the crayfish potentiality in Tongan waters —particularly South Minerva Reef.

The trawler was bought by the Loch Lein Syndicate, formed in Auckland. It was built for the North Sea and includes all Navy aids, such as radar and a depth sounder.

A refrigeration plant was fitted for 40 tons of frozen cargo and at Nukualofa, 54 Tongans were taken on as crew and divers.

The divers were trained for two weeks in the use of aqualungs and

the Loch Lein sailed for S o Minerva on November 19.

The deepwater, sheltered lag and wide passages make S« Minerva a crayfisherman’s para; The crays were all taken by h as clear water made the laying pots impracticable. Unfortuna after three days the refrigera broke down so the Loch Lein turned to Nukualofa.

The Loch Lein was to conti crayfish exploration at Minerva I in December as there were 1 hopes of making the venture paying proposition for both syndicate and Tonga.

More Cruise Ships For Apia

Apia’s deep water wharf has t cleared for visits by P and O lin This follows an inspection of i facilities by the P and O mai superintendent from Sydney, Capi Little. First P and O cruises are pected in 1968, with the Chusan Himalaya.

The Chandris Line vessel Qu Fredricka is due in Apia on cm on January 4 and February 11 fr Australia, and the Sitmar Line r include Apia in a 1967 cruise.

Van Camp Boat Sinks

Two Chinese fishermen drowi when a fishing boat, working for Van Camp cannery, capsized in he; seas off the western end of Tutu American Samoa, in late Noveml The capsized vessel was seen b> Polynesian Airlines pilot en ro to Pago from Apia. The Co Guard Cutter Cape Providei picked up 13 crewmen, and anoti Chinese fishing boat four more. 1 vessel, Main Sun 11, later sank.

And Another Fisher

On A Papuan Reef

The Formosan fishing vessel U Chang in December was wrecked a reef off Dadahai Island, south-e of Sudest Island in the Louisiad Papua.

The captain and 13 crew membi were rescued and landed at Misii Island from a plantation ship, t Polyanna.

The Wan Chang put into P( Moresby early in December to ] fuel and take on water.

Reports said that the Formos vessel was beyond salvage, with or her stern above water.

"Bodmer" Back In The Cooks

The 278-ton Cook Islands trad Bodmer left Auckland on Decemb 1 for Rarotonga after a period nearly 10 months on what was have been a brief survey visit Auckland.