Cruising Yachts

Pacific Shipping And Cruising Yachts

They are dreaming of Suva as Islands shipbuilding centre

From JOHN CARTER, in Suva “Pacific Islands governments, and others, have your ships milt in the Fiji Government’s shipyard and save money.”

0 far this advertisement has not n placed, and it may never be, but e are people in the Fiji Govern it who are dreaming of the day ;n Suva will be the shipbuilding tre of the Islands. he is already the repair centre the Asian fishing fleets based in 10a, Tonga and Fiji, he idea of Suva as a shipbuilding re crystallized in a few minds on j 15 when the Fiji Marine lartment’s latest ship, the steel ■ton m.v. Rogovoka, glided down launchway in the government’s yard at Walu Bay, Suva, follow her christening by Lady Jake , the wife of Governor Sir Derek ;way. in Fiji, and built by 1 labour, she is a vessel anyone Id be proud of. She is the second est to be built by the govern t’s Public Works Department, biggest being the landing craft yabaki which is 110 ft long nst the Rogovoka's 78 ft.

Dwered by two turbo-charged, ylinder Rolls Royce diesel nes, each developing 252 horse jr, the Rogovoka has a service 1 of more than 12 knots. le was designed by the govern t’s naval architect, Mr. N. L. kenzie, and the bill for her will ibout £F32,ooo—for labour and :rials only—which is cheaper Fiji could have bought her seas, was the last launching under ic Works Department auspices, n August 1 the shipyard’s acti ? will be controlled by the ine Department under the Direc of Marine, Captain A. J. New who is likely to be one of the ng protagonists of the plan to a national shipyard, le next launching is likely to

be a twin affair—two 36 ft, wooden hulled launches which will be fitted out for general medical duties.

Why in wood? It’s the depart ment’s policy, Captain Newport ex plained, that anything below about 40 ft in length will be in local timber, and, above 40 ft, in steel.

Ready for more

For one thing, building wooden hulls will help to preserve the craft of ship building.

Already in the yard, on one of the launchways, there is the keel of the next steel ship to go down to the sea, the Seniua (Seaspray), a 58 ft, high-speed vessel to be used for pilotage and port operations in Nadi waters. She will also be fitted for hydrographic surveys, search and rescue, mercy missions and general duties in western waters.

Another keel will be laid in about two months, the Vuniwai 111, a

stretched version of the Rogovoka , which will be 89 ft long.

Next year work will start on a sister ship to the Rogovoka. She will be the same as the Rogovoka in every detail and will replace an auxiliary ketch, Fairwind, now work ing in western waters.

There are also blueprints ready for another landing craft which will enable the government to get rid of the expensive and inefficient tugs and barges which at present carry gov ernment cargo and equipment to the various centres and outer islands.

Work on the landing craft will begin in 1969.

Here Fiji will break new ground.

The landing craft will have a design unique in Fiji and many other parts of the world. She will have the ramp at the stern instead of the bows. The bows will be the normal shape, and the craft will beach stern first.

From scratch

And that is as far as the Marine Department ship-building plans go.

Wfnt will haopsn after 1969?

Will government shipbuilding activities stop and the yard’s labour strength be cM Torn <‘ts lBO to about 20 or 30? Or will the gov ernment seek jobs *rom overseas?

Fill’s first Director of Marine, English-born Captain Alan Newnort has built up the Marine Department

ost from scratch. Before it came being, it was merely an adjunct he Customs Department, aptain Newport worked for a irtment comprising three divisions, ible of undertaking government ine responsibility in all its cts. i January, 1967, the Port and hours division was created to look - all port operations, pilotage, o-handling, ship safety surveys the examination of masters and JS.

Kactly a year later, came the division which now operates government’s 35 ships, both cargo passenger, a job previously done the PWD, and also sees to the itenance and expansion of marine gational aids —there are 42 lights more looming—machinery sur and engineers’ examinations, ic shipyard division comes into g on August 1, and that’s the ion for which most of the ing will have to be done to make to a money spinner for Fiji, icre will be opposition from those le government, and outside, who all for private enterprise, and oppose any nationalisation, any will argue that it doesn’t er who builds the ships so long ley are built in Fiji, but at the lent, outside the government, are three shipbuilding and r yards—Bish Ltd., Millers Ltd.

Charles Whippy and Co. Millers i the Carpenter orbit and Bish is a section of Burns Philp th Sea) Ltd., and only Whippy local firm. □fits from shipbuilding should be in Fiji if the industry grows, ; those in favour of the govern shipbuilding yard carrying out ;eas orders.

Overseas orders?

far as government-approved are concerned, the shipyard vork for about a year, but Cap- Newport is one who is hoping government will decide to seek s from overseas, ver the years, and with financial ance from the British Govern , this shipyard has developed to the needs of the marine :e,” he said. ere are two covered launchways hich ships of up to 150 ft length 300 tons launching weight can uilt. In addition, smaller craft 3e constructed on areas around aunchway. would be most discouraging if shipyard and its labour force allowed to run down for lack >portunity and initiative.”

He is fully convinced Fiji is the natural centre for shipbuilding and repair work in the Islands. Fiji is called the ’’Hub of the Pacific” so far as tourism and travel are con cerned. She is also the natural hub for just about everything marine.

What about the cost? Captain Newport believes that Fiji can do as good a job as anyone in Australia or New Zealand—and at a lower price.

For labour and materials alone, the cost of the vessels built or to be built by the Fiji Government run out at about £F45,000 for the landing craft (110 ft); £F32,000 for the Rogovoka (78 ft), the Vuniwai 111 (89 ft) and the replacement for the

Fairwind (78 ft); £F34,000 for the Seniua (58 ft) and £F5,000 each for the two wooden launches (36 ft).

And that’s good value in anybody’s language!

N. Hebrides Boat

Renamed

Lakeleo, the touring vessel for the French Residency in the New Hebrides, was re-christened Narcisse Cugola in a short ceremony in Vila recently.

The new name will perpetuate the captain’s name of the French vessel.

La Condorde, Narcisse Cugola’s skipper is Captain Roger Garrido.

Ptain Rusden Hits

His Critics

Mew Hebrides shipowner Athol sden told PIM in July that the scks of three of his vessels—the valu, the Wallisien and the Matipo re due to a “consistent run of bad k”. [£e denied rumours in shipping zles that lately he has made more mey in insurance claim cheques his lost vessels than his shipping ight activities.

Captain Rusden said that his pping troubles had been caused, part, by the fact that he has been ;rating from Auckland and has ; been able to keep as close an ociation with his captains as he »ht. de is planning to return to Vila, w Hebrides, in late July aboard his )-ton trader Paulmarkson and run srations personally from Vila or Captain Rusden said he had re ved much adverse criticism in the w Zealand and Fiji Press concern the wrecks of the three ships. ‘One NZ report had me on board captain of the Tuvalu when she s completely lost on rocks near llington, NZ, in January, 1967,” said. “In 21 years of sailing Tything from yachts to freighters ►und the Pacific Islands I have r er personally wrecked a vessel. ‘lt’s true I was on board the ■ona del Mar when she was burnt Santo, New Hebrides, in 1964, she didn’t hit anything—her rol drums caught alight while ding and she was burnt to the ter line.”

Captain Rusden has received only ) insurance cheques—one for 8,000 for the loss of the Tuvalu I another for $A 15.000 for the s of the Sorona del Mar.

“In both cases these ships were worth far more to me than these sums because I had spent consider able sums on improvements to them,” he told PIM.

“To say that I deliberately wreck my ships is preposterous the captains of these three ships would all have to be involved with me, as I was on board none of them when they were wrecked.”

He said he was “greatly disturbed” at the delays in the findings of the Fiji inquiry into the grounding of the Matipo in May, 1967. “I feel the delays are unjustified. They have also caused me a great deal of in convenience”.

Captain Rusden said the inquiries

had already cost him over SNZS,OOO in legal fees, although no final decision had been reached.

He had not received “a penny” of the £5tg.26,000 insurance on the Wallisien with London brokers. The Wallisien had cost him £5tg.26,500, he said. The inquiry into the loss of the Wallisien was to reopen in Suva in August.

In July attempts to refloat the stranded freighter Matipo off a reef near Noumea were abandoned and the freighter was offered for sale in New Caledonia and Fiji on a “as is, where is” basis. The Matipo was insured with London brokers for her cost $NZ60,500. Captain Rusden

Captain Athol Rusden.

said he had spent at least SNZ6,OOO more on her in improvements.

Captain Rusden said his fleet of island traders had been reduced with the recent sale of two of his vessels.

He has sold his half share in the 1,200-ton trader Colorado del Mar to an Auckland business associate, Mr. Leo Moriarty, In July the Colorado del Mar was in Brisbane, and Mr. Moriarty was seeking further w He has also sold his small trader Tui Caku to a Vila businessman, Mr. John Taplin, who is now operating the vessel in the New Hebrides.

Captain Rusden told PIM of the movements of two more of his ships.

Paulmarkson, in drydock in Launceston, Tasmania, in July after completing 22-months work for an American firm, International Geo physical, was scheduled to return to Vila in late July and start a cargo service between the New Hebrides and Fiji, as well as operating inter island services in the New Hebrides. n uu , . . £7 J&L a NZ firm for crayfishing operations in the Chatham Islands - Captain Rusden said his future plans included a regular run out of NZ to the New Hebrides, New Caledonia and Norfolk Island, with occasional calls at Fiji.

Karlander Introduces

Sixth Cargo Vessel

Karlander New Guinea Line Ltd will introduce its sixth cargo vessel —Slidre Timur —onto its Australia New Guinea and Solomons runs ir early August.

Slidre Timur will leave Sydney or August 10 and call at Brisbane, La* and Madang before returning tc Sydney. The service will be operatec monthly.

Another Karlander vessel— Slidrt —will begin trading in the Solomon; and New Britain in late August calling at Honiara, Kieta and Rabau on a five-weekly basis. Slidre ha; limited refrigeration space.

New Cargo Service

Out Of Auckland

A new cargo service with a 914 ton coastal freighter Jean Philippi began in early July from Aucklam to Norfolk Island, Noumea, Vila Wallis Island, Suva, and return.

The new service is an attempt b] the freighter’s owners, Reef Shippinj Co. Ltd., of Suva, to win the trad< worked by the Holm and Compam Ltd. vessel Holmburn on a simila route, excluding Fiji and Wall!

Island, Holmburn was withdrawn fron service in mid-June following th< announcement that Columbus Lin< was to run a service from NZ t< Melanesia. Holm was not granted ; NZ government subsidy to extend it service to NG (PIM, July, pp. 31, 9' and this issue, p. 55).

Mr. C. N. Fawcett, of the Jem Philippe’s NZ agents, told PIM thi ship would run a five weeks’ service He said he hoped by early 196< Jean Philippe would be fitted witl refrigerated space. Currently, she hat only space for dry cargo, Jean Philippe, formerly callec Onehunga when she plied the Auck land-South Island of NZ run fo] Fletcher Trust and Investment Ltd. was built in 1948 and is capable o: over 10 knots.

She is to be manned by Europear officers, Fiji officer cadets and crew

Geic Seamen Get

Overseas Training

A group of 16 Gilbert and Ellice Islands seamen returned to Tarawt in late June after two months over seas working on the Columbus Lint vessel Cap Frio, which regularly trades between North America anc Australia.

The seamen did the trips as par of the GEIC’s marine training scheme.

They left Tarawa on April 8 anc

lew to Vancouver, Canada, where hey boarded the Cap Frio.

On return to Tarawa, the seamen said that they had enjoyed working 3n an overseas vessel. “Our one complaint would be about the danger jf being frozen in United States and Canadian ports”, a spokesman, Te [oaniman Roreti, said.

Shipping Lines Up Freight

*Ates By 25 Per Cent.

Freight rates for Karlander New Guinea Line vessels and the Societe Maritime Caledonienne vessel Jacques del Mar II increased by up ;o 25 per cent, from July 1 for Australian cargoes for Norfolk Island md Honiara, BSIP.

New rates are SA3O per ton of JO cubic ft or 20 cwt Sydney/ Brisbane to Norfolk Island, and 5A3 2 per ton of 40 cubic ft or 20 cwt Sydney/Brisbane to Honiara.

Old rates were SA24 per ton to Norfolk and 5A28.50 per ton to Honiara.

F. H. Stephens Pty, Ltd., Aus ralian agents for the two firms, said he change in rates was due to “in creased costs and stevedoring in creases”. It had been “some con siderable time” since freight adjust nents were made to these two areas, he company said.

Yg Coastal Shipowners'

Association Formed

The Territory Coastal Shipowners’

Association, representing eight coastal shipowners from Port Moresby, R.abaul, Lae and Madang, was urmed in late June in Lae.

This followed earlier talks in among representatives of 20 shipping companies in NG (P/M, May, p. 101). Although less than lalf the original participants in the alks have joined the association, the eight members represent the main lorts of NG.

Mr. M. W. Fishwick of Rabaul las been appointed secretary-manager 3f the association.

Among the main objects of the

association: • Safeguarding the rights and interests of its members. • Providing a forum for dis

cussion of problems associated with coastal shipping. • Opposing any unlawful com petition or unlawful practices in the trade.

Mr. Fishwick told reporters in NG that the association was not formed to increase coastal freight rates.

However, he admitted there could “be an increase in these rates at a later date”.

The association’s first project would be to study coastal vessel operations to rationalise services. The administration would also be asked to license overseas vessels trading in NG, he said.

Next association meeting would be held in September.

The "Cap Frio", which took a GEIC crew, is a regular caller at Tarawa.

Ley Have Sunk

Ie 'Manua Tele 7

Despite a bid of 5U573.60 for r from a group of San Francisco loolchildren, the American Samoan er-island trader and passenger >sel Manua Tele was sunk by gov iment coastguards 10 miles out of go Pago in early July.

It was a sad end to an even Ider tale of the trader’s many mis tunes in American Samoan waters ir the past 20 years.

Manua Tele first appeared at Pago go in 1948. She was then owned the people of Manua. A re bished 124 ft minesweeper, she s to operate an inter-island service ong the three main Manua islands 1 a return service to Pago Pago.

Managerial difficulties forced the r ernment to take her on as charter 1951. n 1956 she was handed back to Manuans who operated her until 15. They kept her operating with 'eminent loans, and made only ill profits.

Tom 1965 until the time of her dng she lay rusting in Pago Pago hour. The Manuans simply could afford the repairs she so perately needed.

H Maopa 7 Starts Weekly

*Go Service Out Of Suva

'he 56 ft island trader Adi Maopa, led after the mother of the late u Sir Lala Sukuna, recently began jgular weekly cargo and passenger dee out of Suva to three islands the Lau Group—Moala, Matuka Totoya. l familiar sight in Fiji waters for years, the trader spent 22 years government service. Her current iers, Ono-i-Lau Shipping Com y, have removed one of her two its and installed a 76 hp diesel ine. /ith a crew of nine, and master nas Kevu, she carries up to 600 « of copra and 25 passengers— ning an important link with the my’s outer islands.

V Wharf At Lorengau,

Nus Island, Ng

will begin this year on a ’ wharf at Lorengau, Manus nd, NG. 4 present Lorengau, Administra headquarters for Manus district, 5 not have a wharf capable of dling overseas-going ships. he only overseas vessel calling, Burns Philp passenger-cargo el Malekula, offloads its cargo lighters. . few miles east of Lorengau is a

large Royal Australian Navy wharf at Lombrum, Although the Malekula is allowed to tie up there, she is permitted only to offload or load cargo for Lombrum. The Malekula has, there fore, to make a separate call at Lorengau.

The decision to build a wharf for Lorengau will complement navy plans to spend $3.5 million to restore part of the huge maritime defence complex on Manus, announced early last year ( PIM , May, 1967, p. 105).

'Arasjo 7 Hits Reef

On Maiden Voyage

In her maiden voyage around New Guinea coastal ports in early July,

the 1,100-ton trader Arasjo was grounded for about 24 hours on a reef near Cape Vogel, Milne Bay.

Operated by the Pacific Islands Shipping Co. Pty, Ltd., Arasjo will complement the work of the com pany’s other vessel, Frisia.

Hydrographic Mission

The French hydrographic vessel La Boussole arrived in Papeete at the end of June for a period of work in French Polynesia.

Built near Rouen in 1962, La Boussole is a sister ship of L’Astro labe. The two vessels were named after the ill-fated ships of the French navigator La Perouse.