STORES LANDED ON RAOUL

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 70, Issue 45, 3 December 1949, Page 2

STORES LANDED ON RAOUL

MISSION OF H.M.N.Z.S. ROTOITI (P.A.) AUCKLAND, Dec. 2. v One of the iNavy's routine peacetime tasks was performed by fi.M.N.Z.S. Rotoin when sne brougm relief personnel and 50 tons of stores to Raoul island yesterday, says a message from the vessel. This cliff-girt settlement* one of New Zealand's mam island weather-reporting stations In the South Pacific, has few facilities to assist in servicing work of this kind and all stores had to be manhandled from the ship into her own open boats, which were then* towed ashore.

As the island has no sheltered landing place, 'moorings were laid some distance from Fishing rock, a weatherseamed • and wave-lashed promontory, where stands a petrol-driven crane. The boats were inched to lie perilously riding 15-foot swells. As the boats’ cargo included such heavy and umvieldly equipment as caterpillar tracks for the island’ single tractor and 44-gallon drums of oil, grease and molasses (thus robbing them of much of their buoyancy and power to manoeuvre), a high degree of seamanship and skill was needed. In all, 48 trips were made between the ship, and shore. Each was full of incident for both the sailors and the islanders. A viciously-whipping rope-end knocked one of the Rotoiti’s men into the sea and only prompt action by the crew saved him from serious injury.

From the small concrete shelf at Fishing rock stores were hoisted 200 feet* to the cliff-top on an aerial cable, loaded on to the islanders’ sole motor-vehicle, and conveyed about two miles to the meteorological station.

On the second day, unloading of the greatest tonnage of stores ever sent to Raoul in a Warship was complete and several Niue islanders, their 12-month term at the station completed, embarked for the passage, home. As the Rotoiti weighed anchor with a farewell blast on Tier siren, the group of islanders on the quarterdeck broke into a farewell chant.