Shipping Briefs

• Salvage of the Palau Islander, which went aground on the reef off Ebadon Island, Kwajalein, in Decem ber, 1972, has been postponed be cause of high cost of the salvage and then of restoring the ship to opera tional status. • The Waikare, a Union Steam Ship Co of NZ Ltd freighter, went aground on a reef near Lautoka on February 15 as she was entering the harbour. She refloated under her own power less that 24 hours later. • All ropes on mooring buoys in the Japanese fishing grounds at Cape Lambert, Papua New Guinea, now conform to the new standard of 10 metres. The East New Britain Dist rict Commissioner, Mr Carey, re cently visited the area to inspect the buoys after a member of the East New Britain District Advisory Coun cil criticised the length of the trailing ropes on the mooring buoys, saying they were a danger to shipping. • The PNG Government has briefed a firm of consultants to probe the economics of overseas shipping, and comment on the possibility of the country setting up its own overseas shipping line. • Rarotonga is looking forward to a boom in tourist shipping in 1974.

The ships likely to call there are the Volendam and Veendam (Holland- Amerika Lines), Royal Viking Star (Royal Viking Line), Orsova (P and O) Hamburg (German-Amerika Line) and Fairsea or Fairsky (Sitmar). • A boat, built in spare time, has been launched in Fiji for fishing and carrying passengers between the Lomaiviti islands. The boat, the Tomitomi, was built by Isoa Koroi and cost $6,200. She is built of: marine ply, is coated with fibreglass,, and is capable of 9 knots. • A writ was nailed to the mast: of the Compagnie Maritime Hebrides; ship, Erakor, in Sydney, on February 6 on behalf of Burns Philp for alleged debt. Burns Philp became; agents for the ship about six months ago. The Erakor has been trading from Australia to New Caledonia and the New Hebrides. • One of Australia’s largest trans port groups, Thomas Nationwide Transport Limited, has linked with two West German companies— Montan Transport and Hapag Lloyd.l to form a new international shipping and shipbroking company to be known as Montan-TNT.