Cruising Yachts

Pacific Shipping And Cruising Yachts

From Hats And

Hosiery To Running

Islands Ships

By a Staff Writer

New Hebrides shipowner Captain Athol Rusden, who once made women’s hats and hosiery in New Zealand,

is rapidly becoming some

thing of a tycoon in the Pacific Islands shipping world.

IN December and January, Captain Rusden added two new ships to his fleet, one of them being the big gest he has bought in nearly 20 years of buying and selling ships and yachts.

Captain Rusden’s new purchases are the 1,200-ton Colorado del Mar and the 414-ton Dutch-built ship Konanda.

The Colorado del Mar, Captain Rusden’s biggest ship to date, was bought in association with an Auck land businessman, Mr. Leo Moriarty, horn Noumea shipowner Captain E. J. Savoie.

The Colorado del Mar has recently been operating between Sydney and New Guinea. Before that she was mgaged in the Sydney-Noumea-Vila trade.

Captain Rusden plans to run the Colorado del Mar from Auckland to Noumea, Vila, Santo, Lautoka and back, carrying general cargo and timber.

Captain Rusden, who was in Syd ney in January, would not disclose to P IM the price paid for the Colorado del Mar. But he said he had paid EStg3s,ooo for the Konanda.

The Konanda was bought from he Pearl Kasper Shipping Company, if Nelson. New Zealand.

The Konanda will go into service let ween the New Hebrides, Noumea md Fiji after completing a charter iob in Queensland.

This run was previously operated by the Rusden ship Tuvalu, which is

now on charter to an American firm, United Geophysical, which is making a seismic oil survey in Cook Strait, New Zealand.

The Tuvalu, incidentally, ran aground near Honeycomb Rock, 35 miles north-east of Wellington, on January 11 while carrying 129 tons of high explosives.

Her hull was ripped open near the engine room, but all 13 crew members got ashore unharmed.

Besides the Colorado del Mar, Tuvalu, and Konanda, Captain Rusden owns three other motor vessels—the Darnley, Tui Cakau and Paulmarkson.

Both the Darnley and Tui Cakau, operating out of Vila, trade within the New Hebrides, although the Darnley has recently been in New Zealand for a refit.

The Paulmarkson, a 500-ton vessel which Captain Rusden named after his children, Paul, 8, Mark, 2, and Sonia, 3, is under charter to Inter national Geophysical (an ally of the multi-million dollar space equipment firm, the Texas Instrument Company) in Bass Strait, operating out of Port land, Victoria.

Formerly called the Holmbrae,

the Paulmarkson was bought for £5tg33,300 in mid-1966.

Captain Rusden told PIM that he wanted to consolidate his present services, particularly the Noumea- Auckland run, with the Colorado del Mar.

He had no plans for extending the runs further and, despite profitable chartering, he said he was more concerned with inter-island services.

“It’s no way to build up a busi ness by chartering my ships out all the time,” he added. “I lose too much valuable island trade if I don’t have a ship available for a job.”

Captain Rusden’s success as a Pacific shipowner stems directly from a spare-time interest in sailing before the war.

In those days, when he ran a factory which manufactured women’s hats and hosiery in Auckland, his home city, he sailed in yachts in Auckland harbour and along the New Zealand coast.

His interest in the Pacific began in 1947 when he sailed his 36 ft ketch Faith with a friend from Auck land to Tahiti and Hawaii.

Next he bought the 60 ft schooner Lady Stirling, and for some time, he sailed the Pacific in this, visiting all the major islands and a lot of the smaller ones.

In 1951, with a friend, he bought the luxury New Zealand schooner,

Captain Rusden

\New Golden Hind in an exchange deal with the Lady Stirling.

About a year later, the New [Golden Hind was sold for a re ported $U526,000 of Marshall Aid money to Messrs. Herve andd Cie, of Papeete.

The New Golden Hind was re named Artemise and was completely destroyed by fire at Raroia Atoll (Tuamotus) shortly afterwards.

In 1952 Captain Rusden went to England and bought the 121 ft motor ketch Philante 11, which he sailed via the Panama Canal to the Pacific.

He sold this in Noumea in July, 1953, for about £A10,700.

The Philante II suffered a similar fate to the New Golden Hind —she was wrecked on Lifu, in the Loyalties in 1955, by a hurricane.

About this time, with a couple of small trading ships, Captain Rusden started a cargo service in the New Hebrides and between Vila and Noumea.

In October 1959, he headed an Auckland syndicate to buy the Ton gan Government’s 90 ft ketch Aoniu, which, under the name Trade Winds, was resold to the French Administra tion in Vila in early 1961 for about £A 19,000

Two lost

The French renamed her Alize and ire still using her for administration work.

Captain Rusden’s next purchase was the 260-ton trader Sorana del Mar (ex Rosalie ). He used her to *arry petrol to Islands plantations intil she was burnt to the water line vhen her cargo caught fire off Santo n July, 1964.

About five months later, Captain Lusden lost another ship, the Nikau, m the reefs at the south of Tanna.

Since then, however, everything eems to have gone his way.

He bought the former Japanese ishing ship Asahi Maru No. 8 for a eported £13,000 towards the end of 964, altered her considerably, and esold her in the first half of 1965 o Conzinc Riotinto for £22,000.

Later in 1965, he earned a five igure fee for salvaging the fishing r essel Kuk Nam No. 5 from a reef >ff the coast of Santo.

Meanwhile, Captain Rusden had •ought the 260-ton motor ship Altair rom Morris Hedstrom in Suva, and te bought the Tui Cakau and Tuvalu rom the same source a few months ater.

Before another 12 months were •ut Captain Rusden had also bought he New Zealand coaster Holmbrae, riuch he has renamed Paulmarkson

and he had resold the Altair to a Santo businessman.

This left him with four ships.

Now, with the Colorado del Mar and Konanda, he has a round half-dozen.

Thirteen Lost In

Rabaul Tragedy

Thirteen of the 43 people aboard the 20 ft pinnace Ambess were lost when the vessel sank in a sudden squall between Rabaul and Watom Island, six miles away, on January 5. Twelve bodies had been recovered to January 12.

The pinnace was about three miles

from Rabaul when a big wave swamped the motor.

The pinnace was out of control and broadside to the swell when another wave sank it.

Natives on the shore at Nonga, near Rabaul, saw the pinnace sink and they put out in four canoes to rescue the survivors The canoes picked up 14 survivors and the body of a baby, aged 18 months, who drowned.

Seven others, including a 70-year old woman, managed to swim ashore and arrived at Nonga Base Hospital with the body of another baby, aged six months, who had also drowned. (Over)

Other survivors were in the shark nfested water for up to six hours icfore being picked up.

Apanese To Work On

►-Ng Shipbuilding Project

A joint company of Rabaul and apanese interests has been given ermission to bring 17 Japanese •clinicians into Papua-New Guinea ?r employment in a new shipbuild ig industry at Rabaul.

Twelve of the Japanese will be ranted permits to work in Rabaul litially for a maximum of two years.

The remaining five Japanese will be ranted employment permits for the uration of the period required to onstruct a slipway for the company.

The Japanese are the first to be dmitted to the territory under a :heme whereby technicians of any ice will be allowed in to work for eriods of up to two years (PIM, in., p. 8).

Raining Vessel

Eaves For G.E.I.C.

The training vessel Teraka, which as been bought for the proposed lerchant marine training school in le GEIC (PIM, Sept., p. 12), left ondon for Tarawa in December.

The Teraka, formerly the Nor egian ship Barcy, cost £5tg.92,000. he was converted for training pur oses in the yards of Messrs, horneycroft in Southampton,

Oriental Queen"

Eaves Pacific

The Toyo Yusen Line, of Japan, as withdrawn the Oriental Queen ■om the trans-Tasman service and acific Islands cruises.

The Oriental Queen, formerly the Australian coastal passenger ship '.animbla, was the only ship to rovide anything like a regular trans 'asman service after the USS Co. ithdrew the Monowai.

She made about 20 voyages each ear across the Tasman and on acific Islands cruises, carrying about 50 passengers each time.

She also made one trip a year to apan.

The cruise schedules generally took i Tonga, Fiji and New Caledonia, nd occasionally extended as far as ahiti.

The Oriental Queen went to Hong iong for dry-docking after her last 'acific cruise in January.

As far as the Australian agents, '• H. Stephens Pty. Ltd. were aware, lans for her future were uncertain.

However, it was thought that she light be used to carry pilgrims from louth-East Asia to Mecca.

Iji Marine Department

Iow Functioning

! Fiji’s new Marine Department is [>w functioning. The organisation of ie department is being built round larine staff who were formerly part I the Customs, Excise, Port and [arine Department.

The Safety at Sea Commission, hich sat in Fiji after the Kadavulevu isaster in April, 1964, recommended ie formation of a Marine Depart ient.

The Director of Marine, Captain J. Newport, has Captain Peter bugh, the Senior Harbour Master, ; his assistant in an acting capacity.

Three other senior marine officers ■e Captain J. L. Harrison, who is eputy Harbour Master at Suva, id Captains J. Moffatt and J. R. urline.

Captain Curline was appointed to is post early in January. He had •eviously worked in ships on the ustralian coast for 13 years, the st six as a master. He last visited iji in 1961, when he was second ficer in a USS Co. ship.

Eic Ship Sold To

Sip Government

The GEIC Colony Government has ild the 120 ft MV Ninikoria to the SIP Government for $lOO,OOO.

The BSIP Government has renamed ie ship Belama and will use her as touring vessel for the Western acific High Commissioner, The Belama carries eight cabin issengers and 70 deck passengers, id has a special suite for the High ommissioner.

Her new name means “frigate rd” in the Western Solomon nguage. This revives a link with ie Protectorate’s first Resident Com issioner, Mr. C. M. Woodford, hose first ship was named Belama.

The Belama arrived at Honiara icently after a five-day trip from arawa. Aboard was the super itendant of civil aviation in the r estern Pacific, Mr. E. E. E, Nielsen, ho has been investigating airfield tes in the Gilberts.

The GEIC Resident Commissioner ill use the BSIP ship Coral Princess i a touring vessel, pending delivery I a new ship.

Ruise Ship Will

All At Santo

The China Navigation Co’s Kuala umpur will call at Santo for the rst time on a Pacific holiday cruise i August 23. The cruise is one of vo the ship will make from New ealand to Pacific Islands this year.

On the first cruise the Kuala Lumpur will leave Wellington on July 22 for Nukualofa, Vavau, Apia, Suva and Noumea, and will arrive back at Wellington on August 13.

The second cruise will start from Auckland on August 15, and will take in Noumea, Santo and Suva, before arriving back at Auckland on September 2.

First Award For

Port Moresby Seamen

The first award covering seamen on ships operating out of Port Moresby came into operation on January 5.

The agreement, between the Port Moresby Workers’ Association and the Employers’ Federation of Papua- New Guinea, had been under negotia tion since July last year.

It directly affects about 160 people, and indirectly many more.

The agreement provides a variety of salary ranges. The salary provision for ordinary seamen is now $3.80 weekly for the first year and $4.20 weekly for the second year.

Masters (Grade A) now receive $10.50 weekly for the first year, $11.50 for the second year and $12.50 for the third year.

In addition, those people covered by the agreement will receive rations, accommodation and issues. There is a provision for an all-cash wage in certain circumstances.

The agreement provides two weeks’ annual leave and six days’ sick leave every year.

Two other seamen’s awards have been in force for some time in the Territory, one at Rabaul and one in Milne Bay.

Factory Ship For

Bsip Crayfish Industry

A former prawn trawler, the 71 ft Sensation has arrived in the BSIP for use as a factory ship for the pro tectorate’s new crayfish industry.

Brought from Australia, the Sensation is on charter to Solomon Islands Fisheries Ltd. Crayfish will be snap frozen and marketed through the Philadelphia firm of Woodward and Dickerson.

Cook Islands Trader

Breaks Down

The Bodmer, a 278-ton Cook Islands trawler, radioed for help early in January when she broke down 50 miles south of Manihiki.

The Banks Line vessel, Fleetbank, then 150 miles away and bound for the Panama Canal, steamed to the Bodmer's assistance and stood by her until her engineers could board her next morning.

As repairs could not be carried out at sea the Fleetbank took the Bodmer in tow for Tahiti.

Freight, Passenger Rates

Increased In Fiji

Fiji shipowners increased their freight rates and some passage rates on January 1 to cope with higher pay and new conditions of employ ment for seamen, and higher main tenance and operating costs.

The basic rate for general cargo and copra rose by 10/- a ton. The fares, where increased, were up by 10 to 25 per cent.

The companies and individuals concerned are the W. R. Carpenter shipping subsidiary, Island Transport Ltd.; Burns Philp (SS) Co. Ltd.;

The 12,500-ton liner "Kuala Lumpur", which will make two cruises to the Pacific this year, including a call at Santo, New Hebrides.

urley’s Shipping Agency; Hasan bza Shipping Co.; John Lum On; no-i-Lau Shipping Co. Ltd.; Princess pipping Co. Ltd.; Central Fijian reasury; D. Chung Shipping Co.; nited Shipping Co.; Paras Ram; arayan Sami; and G. Goulding.

Jcreased Research Into

Disonous Cone Shells

'Research into the venoms of ingerous cone shells of the South icific is to be stepped up at the niversity of Queensland this year.

The research will be carried out ider the direction of Dr. R. Endean, eader in Zoology, at the university, bo told PIM in a recent note that e Commonwealth Research Grants ammittee had provided $8,329 for e project.

Dr. Endean said: “We are con nced that only fish-eating Conidae one shells) present a serious threat humans. Of these. Conus geo aphus is undoubtedly the most ingerous and has been responsible r most, if not all, deaths stemming om stingings. u Conus tulipa is another dangerous ecies and has caused serious injury humans.

Dr. Endean said Conus striatus id Conus magus were “probably ingerous to man” and Conus catus id Conus stercusmuscarium should handled with care.

Tests had shown that the venoms the mollusc-eating types ( Conus xtile, Conus omaria, etc.), did not oduce serious systemic effects when jected into vertebrates.

Dr. Endean said he would be terested to hear from any PIM aders who could send him samples Conus geographus, Conus tulipa Conus magus.

Dtuman First To Get

Ew Sea Certificate

Rigamoto Nakaora, a Rotuman, is e first Pacific Islander to obtain the w Pacific Islands Master’s Certi :ate. He gained the certificate in e BSIP, where he is assistant arine training officer with the arine Department’s training ship, inadi.

Rigamoto is a son of the Rev. eorge Nakaora, president-elect of e Methodist Church in Fiji.

With the certificate he may take SIP ships to other Islands territories ithin a defined area.

The introduction of the certificate is recommended by the Fiji Safety Sea Commission of 1964.

Captain A. J. Newman, the Fiji

Director of Marine, said at the time that his department would eventually have such an examination, the object of which was to improve local safety conditions.

Captain Newman added that the move would be welcomed by ship owners in Fiji who had to secure the services of a fully-qualified foreign going master mariner whenever a ship had to be sent to Rotuma, or outside the Colony.

Yet Another Formosan

Master In Trouble

The master of a Formosan fishing boat, which was wrecked on a reef

near Tugala (Sudest) in the Louisiade Archipelago of Papua, on December 14, was found guilty on two charges at a court hearing at Bwagaoia, Milne Bay, in January.

The magistrate fined the master $2OO on a charge of making an illegal entry into a place other than a prescribed port; and $4O for operating in territory waters without a fisheries licence.

The master and 13 crew members of the ship, Wan Chang, are all Formosans.

They were rescued after their vessel foundered on a reef south-east of Sudest Island on December 14.

District Officer D. F. T. Permezel

oked after them at Misima, 100 iles away, pending the court hearing.

I Earlier, the vessel had entered edlick Lagoon in the Deboyne roup, Misima, and the crew fished.

The Administration has referred stails of the court case to Chinese mbassy officials at Canberra.

It is one of a number of such ises involving Formosan fishermen I come before territory courts in e past 12 months.

Hpt. Cook Memorial

(Peditions Make News

Two proposed expeditions to com emorate the 200th anniversary in »69 of Captain Cook’s first voyage Australia, New Zealand and the icific were in the news in January.

One of the expeditions has fallen rough because of lack of money.

This is the plan (announced in 'M in April, 1964, p. 97) to sail a plica of Captain Cook’s Endeavour am England to Australia in 1969- >.

In a statement in January, the MS Endeavour Trust said it had ceived only about 5A170,000 in mations and promises towards the needed to build the ship England. This was not enough to arantee the full price of the ship the builders.

The full cost of building and sailing e ship to Australia was originally ;imated at 5A376,500, but this had iw risen to $A700,000, the trust ded The trust recommended that funds ised so far be returned Captain Alan Villiers, an Aus ilian, who sailed a replica of the ayflower across the Atlantic in 56, was the originator of the new i deavour voyage plan.

Meanwhile, the New Zealand ?raid has reported that the New aland naval vessel Endeavour will ike a scientific expedition to the uth Pacific in 1969 to commem ate Cook’s voyage.

The Royal Society of New Zealand s gained permission from the NZ ival Board to use the Endeavour, uch bears the same name as Cook’s ip.

The aim of the 1969 trip will be extend the scientific knowledge which Sir Joseph Banks made iginal contributions.

The Royal Society of London, of uch Sir Joseph was once president, s been invited to select several itish scientists for the expedition.

The expedition will concentrate on Jas of immediate scientific interest, rticularly Tonga and the Cook ands. There will be nine or 10 ;w Zealand scientists and about

five British scientists.

The voyage is expected to finish on October 9, 1969, off Kaiti Beach, Gisborne, where Captain Cook first stepped ashore in New Zealand.

Brief Items

• Mr. O. Olsen, who was mate in the Tongan ship Niuvakai for for about 12 months, has been trans ferred to the Hifofua as master. • Landau, a new 60 ft vessel built by a Sydney firm, arrived at Honiara on December 4 to join the BSIP marine department fleet. She has cabins for six and deck space for 40. • Captain R. L. Stringer has been

appointed shipping inspector with the Marine Division of Papua-New Guinea’s Department of Trade and Industry.

Although stationed initially at Port Moresby, Captain Stringer will act as a relieving officer in various districts.

He was formerly chief officer of the MV Malaysia. • The RCS Nivanga, on charter to the GEIC Wholesale Society, completed her first trading trip from Tarawa to Majuro in the Marshall Islands in December. She off-loaded general cargo at Majuro. The venture could begin a new link between the GEIC and the US Trust Territory.