is tough
p. 37 · Read in the full issue
Boat building is tough on Pitcairn
Pitcairn Islanders have brought their fleet back up to three with the completion of a longboat to replace the Reid Cowell which was wrecked last June as it put out from Little Bounty Bay.
Building a longboat does not sound much of a challenge—nor is it to the marine craftsmen of Pitcairn. But the accompanying frustrations must have been hard to take.
After advice on sources of supply for the various materials and com ponents for the longboat, the Pit cairners ended up ordering hardwood from New Zealand for the keel and Oregon pine for the planking; a diesel motor from Australia; a drive shaft and propeller from New Zea land; and the tail shaft, fuel tank and other parts from England.
The keel arrived from Australia in August, was laid and work began on the framing. The motor arrived in November on the ship which brought home Tom Christian from New Zea land where he had been recuperating from the injuries he received in the wreck of the Reid Cowell.
The drive shaft arrived from New Zealand but not the tail shaft and other parts from England, Another wait—and then it did arrive, but it was not the same size as the drive shaft from NZ. Plenty of files and scores of grinding man hours later the shaft parts were a match.
The propeller never did arrive but a spare was available.
Now comes another worry. The island’s population, reports Tom Christian, is down to 82, 10 less than a year ago. Of this number, 75—35 female, 40 male—are descendants of the Bounty mutineers.
Christian’s main concern seems to be that if the male population dwindles much further there will not be enough hands to go round to man the three longboats.
And without them there is no way of making physical contact with the few boats which anchor off this ruggedly inhospitable island.
Nearly 40 years ago there were over 200 people on Pitcairn, by 1960 the number was down to 144 and within three years it had dipped be low the 100 mark. If the trend con tinues the Pitcairn problem in the eyes of the UN Special Committee of 24 on Colonialism will solve itself.