Pacific Shipping
pp. 91-97 · Read in the full issue
P & O takes a long, hard look
Recent events suggest that the whole business of passenger liner operation is under careful considera tion by the top London management of the biggest people left in the field, P & O.
It would not be surprising if several of the line’s well-known vessels were to disappear from the routes, without replacement, over the next year or two. The Cunard Line has set a precedent in disposing of its big liners which may bear strongly on the company’s thinking.
Latest victim of the big passenger ship decline is the 30,000-ton Iberia, a comparative youngster which has been a worry to her owners, P & O, for some time. After the current South Pacific cruises end, Iberia will take her final farewell from Sydney on March 16, and on arrival in Britain will be withdrawn from service and disposed of.
Mr. Peter Parry, Chief Executive of P & O’s Passenger Division, an nounced this on February 4, saying that the decision had been taken on commercial and technical grounds.
“Commercially the introduction into service of our new 15,000-ton custom built cruise liner Spirit of London, scheduled for later this year, has had a bearing on our decision,” he said.
“The technical grounds are that, although still attractive from a pas senger point of view, Iberia is less flexible to operate than the rest of the fleet in the sense that she is slower and has a more limited range. Iberia has reached the stage where she needs substantial sums spending on her, and we do not think this would be a good investment.”
Mr. Parry did not mention the engine trouble that has plagued the ship contributing to her early retire ment, but it’s a fair bet that it did.
Because the Iberia is still so good looking, observers believe she is more
likely to be “sacrificed” to a ship breaker than to be sold to a southern European or Asian line which, with lower crew costs, might sail her in competition with P & O’s other pas senger liners, Iberia’s older sisters, the 28-year-old Chitral, of 14,000 tons, and 22-year-old Chusan, of 24,000 tons, may well be expected to follow her into retirement within the next two years.
Palmy days of the passenger liner trade have given way to days when cruises to palmy isles are all that can make a passenger liner pay. P & O announced increases in the cruise programmes for 1972 and 1973 at the same time as the Iberia’s with drawal was made known, and the spokesman declared forcibly that the company intended to develop this sector of its business.
Is is unlikely that the P & O line, will go back on this assertion willingly, with 7,000 jobs in a job hungry Britain depending on its operations, but nevertheless the pos sibility of cheaper air fares and larger airline capacities eventually wiping
out the profits of holiday cruising is not to be discounted.
P & O gave some details of the new cruises a week or so later.
The Himalaya will make more cruises this year, as will also the Oriana and the Oronsay, the net increase in cruises scheduled being six for the year, bringing the total to 38.
Himalaya will cruise continually for 8 months beginning in June and the other two ships for approximately five months and two months from November. The enlarged programme will offer 47,000 berths, an increase of 7,000 on the original plan.
This will apparently be at the ex pense of the Australia-UK route principally. Voyages projected for 1972 have been cut from 16 to 14, and the nine at present listed for 1973 may be further reduced.
Containers May Yet
Reach The Islands
Interocean NZ Ltd. still held an option on a container ship under con struction in Holland, Mr. T. Halla raker, general manager of the corn-
The 42,000 ton "Oriana" will show the P & O flag more often in the Islands this year, when together with "Himalaya" and "Oronsay", she takes part in an expansion of the company's cruise programme.
pany, said last month. A previous option had lapsed because plans had not been completed when the ship was ready, but an option had been taken on another ship due for com pletion in July.
Plans for the service were “still cooking”, and ports of call were not yet decided upon. “We are still work ing on the venture,” he said.
Capitalism Reaches Geic
The GEIC will have its first private enterprise shipping line this month with the start of a service between Suva and Tarawa. Cargo will be carried on a monthly basis by the Equator Shipping Company, which has acquired a 159-ton former Baltic Sea trader for the service.
Another Round Of
Islands Freight Rises
The Union Steam Ship Company and the Holm Shipping Company both raised NZ coastal freight rates on January 31, by 8 per cent, and 7* per cent, respectively. Both had been in difficulties with costs and facing further wage rises, so the increases came as no surprise. On February 12 USS rates to Pacific Islands went up by 7 per cent.
Hydrofoil May
Skim Fiji Waves
Plans for a hydrofoil service be tween the two main islands of Fiji Viti Levu and Vanua Levu, became hrmer with a visit to Suva at January’s end by Captain Frank W s l lk ®T of Sydney’s Port Jackson and Manly Steamship Company. He had talks with Mr. Charles Stinson, Minister for Communications and Tourism.
The company is believed to have in mind a regular service with hydro foil craft capable of more than 40 knots, which would take passengers tor a fare lower than present air tares.
Ghost Ship Of The
Western Pacific
bizarre T outcome of Cyclone January was the finding L the .? 9 ft motor launch Ring Lee 100 miles from Honiara, where she lad been abandoned at the height of he storm.
She had been torn from her moor ngs by 70 mph wind and moun ainous seas, and the crew of six lad given up hope of making head way towards the shore, even with full ngme power, so they abandoned her nd took to a dinghy. It was soon wamped but five of them made it
safely ashore. The sixth was found drowned three days later.
The motor had been left running as the launch disappeared into the open sea in the early hours of the morning. Three days later, the Fling Lee was seen drifting powerless 100 miles north-east of Guadalcanal.
Villagers and people from a Malaita mission station went out and towed her to shore.
Now Tonga Has A 'National 7
Shipping Line
The Tongan Government has formed a national shipping line, to be called the Pacific Navigation Company. It
has a share capital of ST2 million, subscribed by the government, the Tonga Copra Board and the Tonga Produce Board. The company will take over the services provided by the Tonga Shipping Agency, but a date for its beginning business has not been set.
Only the Ministry of Agriculture’s fishing vessel Ekiaki will remain out side the control of the new company.
Vessels the Pacific Navigation Com pany will operate are Tauloto , Niuvakai, Aoniu, Hifofua, Olovaha, K q o, Pakeina, Ulufonua, Fonualei, Fanga’ilifuka, and the pilot launch Unga.
Future Of 'Moana Roa'
Still In Doubt
What to do with the islands ship Moana Roa which had incurred a loss of $346,000 for her owners, the New Zealand Government, during the last financial year, was recently de ferred pending a report by an inter departmental advisory committee.
The Department of Maori and Island Affairs does not expect a decision to be made until the new airport at Rarotonga is completed.
Moana Roa’s trade has been with the -ook Islands.
Meanwhile, Cook Islands Premier, Vlr. Albert Henry, says that because >f its cost, Moana Roa should go, as oon as the second Cooks vessel is >perational in June. A fast, efficient ervice with two smaller ships which wild work the port of Avatiu would how a twofold benefit, the Premier nmks.
A timetable integrated with the ipemng of the banana crop would nable better quality fruit to be anded in New Zealand, which would enefit both the consumer and the roducer, he said.
Money spent by the Department t Maori Affairs to meet operating >sses on the Moana Roa was listed 5 aid to the Cook Islands, but it was o direct aid to the economy.
He said that when the Moana Roa as brought into service, present :onomic conditions could not have ' en envisaged, as there was no talk ien of an international airport owever, Mr. Henry said the Cook lands would never cease to be ateful for the service provided bv e Moana Roa.
Dat-Building In The Marshalls
Boat-building has been resumed in e Marshalls District of the United ates Trust Territory under a scheme
to supply the outer islands com munities with copra boats.
The boats are part of a grant-in-aid programme designed to improve copra production by streamlining copra collecting in the outer atolls.
According to Marshalls Community Development Officer, Jina Lavin, Robert Reimers Enterprises has com pleted the first of 16 boats to be built under the scheme. The craft cost $U52,600 each. The government will pay 80 per cent, of the cost, and the individual community the remaining 20 per cent.
So far, boats have been ordered by Jaluit, Arno, Ebon, Mili and Rongelap.
“Any community can request a boat; pay the 20 per cent, and they’ll receive one,” said Lavin,
Uss Reduces Its
Operating Losses
Union Steam Ship Co. of NZ Ltd., recently sold by P&O to NZ and Australian interests, reduced its operating loss for the year ended September 30 last year. A loss of SNZ 189,647 was reported, compared with a loss the previous year of $NZ1,315,911.
Depreciation was static at
$4,045,931 ($4,084,989). Directors
did not recommend the payment of an ordinary dividend.
The new chairman of USS, Sir Peter Abeles said that fuller control would be taken of subsidiary com panies, among which is NZ’s Holm Shipping Company. A review of all operations was in progress. It was possible, he said, that future services might be combined and include Pacific Islands interests. He had no doubt that island trade had to be built up, and there was great potential in the island cruise market.
"Moana Roa" ... Cook Islands will always be grateful.
'Jacques Del Mar'
Goes To Panama
The French-flag motor vessel Jacques del Mar (formerly Burns Philp’s Tulagi ), owned by Sbciete Maritime Caledonienne, Noumea, has been sold by Banks Brothers and Street, Sydney, to Gambela Enter prises Ltd., SA (Panama), and delivered.
About 2,746 tons gross and 2,360 tons dwt. she was built by Grange mouth Dockyard in 1955 and spent most of her days on the BP run to Norfolk Island, the Solomons and Hebrides, with occasional calls in the
Geic.
Nauru Extends Its
Aust.-Guam Service
? ad A fic Sh /.PP in S Lines has extended its Austraha-Guam service, a iv!r P ,j Ua Guinea Ports, to take m Mindanao in the southern Philip pines. In Mindanao it will pick up contract cargo for Guam.
As on the return journey from Guam to Australia the ship would be ra vfllm g virtually empty, it would be available to pick up cargo in New Gmnea ports for Australia. The ship would also have sufficient space afte? loading the contract cargo for Guam to pick up timber for Australia if such cargo is available. . line has also extended its ser vices from Australia to Nauru to take m Majuro in the Marshall Islands.
Ships In Trouble
Through The Islands
The Islands had their share of osses and groundings of vessels in he last two months, with at least our losses and four groundings in volving varying damage. In early anuary salvors in Suva and Pago ago expressed no interest in salvaging motor fishing vessel, Korea 71, ground off a Suvarov Island reef. v ° rea 71 was holed in the engine uom and port double bottom fuel mk, and any salvage would have , the . of 75 tons t rotten fish aboard.
In mid-January, the motor vessel ".lu'Z s ? nk 36 fathoms five miles mh-west of Tree Point, near amarai, Papua. Heavy seas shifted ; r p c T a^ go and capsized the vessel, s PIM reported last month, all 21 )o a rd were picked up after abandon g snip. nf N ° m 1 89 ' ton fishin 8 boa t it of Tokyo, was surveyed in Suva early January, and emergency pairs were recommended for her Mr fuel pipes. The Rabaul hydro- Li Ermes was grounded in the NG ands area and extensively damaged
I All foils were knocked out of position, port and starboard drain pipes were broken and rudder and the forward bulkhead bent.
In the Honiara area, of Guadal canal, the 23 ft fibreglass fishing boat Cleopatra was sunk during Cyclone Carlotta, on January 17, and refloated, extensively damaged, on January 20.
On January 25, the motor liquified gas carrier Guinea Gas was refloated after grounding south of Shortland Light, Shortland Reefs, Samarai. The tug Vanapa helped her refloat and Guinea Gas proceeded under her own steam to Samarai.
Work boat Jean R successfully ■efloated the 437-ton steel motor ishmg vessel Satsu Maru No. 7 off Mackenzie Shoal, Rabaul. There was io apparent hull damage to the Tokyo-registered vessel.
Veronique, a 75 ft landing craft >n a delivery voyage from Brisbane o Vila, New Hebrides, sustained ngme damage en route on January 4 and was assisted to Noumea, New "aledonia. She underwent repairs in Noumea and left on January 25 rriving at Vila on January 28.
Willow bank, the Bank Line copra went aground on the River [umber, UK, for a brief 32 minutes n January, with no hull damage.
New Taiwan Marine Transporta -3n Co. Ltd., of Taipei, issued a atement on January 13 saying that )thmg had been heard of the 147-ton uwan-registered tunafishing vessel an Chi No. /, for four months. With crew of 21, Wan Chi left Pago igo on July 27 last year for fishing i the South Pacific”.
She gave her last reading to NTMT August 8. Lloyd’s Agents reported at she was spoken to by another ssel in September, but since then no aorts had been received.
\Rlander Getting
W Ships For Ng
The two ships with which the rlander line opened its service be :en Australia and New Guinea six rs ago, Sletholm and Sletfjord, e withdrawn from service 1 sold to interests in Singapore.
J company proposes to replace ai with more modern vessels, be se the 20-year-old pair were no ?er economically worthwhile. )ne of the replacements is the a, sister ship of the Sariba, already the run. Sofia, like Sariba, has n on the Australian coastal trade. a will go on the run in March. A >nd ship is expected to go into ice later this year.