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Guess What...?

...Another Rusden Ship Comes To Grief

To many seadogs, news that Captain Athol Rusden’s latest ship, the 1,000-ton Poranui, had gone aground on coral near Lifou Island, in New Caledonia’s Loyalty Group. on November 17, wasn’t really a surprise.

For this affable New Zealander-

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no less than five other ships in recent ye Captain Rusden, formerly a maker of women’s hats and today also a farmer as well as a shipowner, registers his ships in the New Hebrides.

The following ships have come to grief either by flames or reef: Sorona del Mar, in the New Hebrides, 1964; Nikau, New Hebrides, 1964; Tuvalu, New Zealand, 1967; Wallisien, Fiji, 1967; and Mmipo. New Caledonia iy S?* ♦ Dndpn had nnlv iust

bought'the “ when The' w’eTl

up on the reef. He bought her as a freelance island trader from the New Zealand Northern Steam Ship Company for an undisclosed sum.

He said he planned to run her probably from Australia or New Zealand to New Caledonia and New Guinea, and he would take her off

the NZ register and register her at Vila.

Purchase of the Poranui was c ap t a in Rusden’s first shipping trans action since last April, when he sold the 396_ ton inter-island trader. Paid markson, to the French New Hebrides trading firm , CFNH.

This sa,e left Captain Rusden the d son is currently trading m the New Hebrides under the name of Bonnaud.

Late rep orts in December said that Captain Rusden was still attempting to get t b e poranui off the reef. Two barges she had been towing were safe, but t b e crew 0 f 14 had agreed to re main aboard. Several ships were standing by, including the Onewa. rf a New Zealander who took delivery of the ship in New Zealand, is Captain Ray ynno Qur photo was taken in Decembei by Captain Peter King, master of the GEIC Wholesale Society vessel Moanaraoi. Captain King said the Poranui appeared to be stuck fast, and Moanaraoi could provide nc assistance.