GERMAN BARQUE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXV, Issue 22, 26 January 1934, Page 3

GERMAN BARQUE.

MAGDALENE VINNEN ARRIVES. GUANO FROM SEYCHELLES. After an absence of nearly a year, the German four-masted barque Magdalene Vinnen is again in port, discharging guano from the Seychelles Islands at the King's wharf. In the interim, she lias been round the world, greeted everywhere with delight by those old-timers who regret the passing of the sailing ship and regard her as the finest example still afloat. Actually she uses her auxiliary Diesel engines' a lot, carrying fuel for 90 days, more than enough to take her from here to Germany. During the last stage of her voyage, from Townsville to Auckland, she used her engine for several days, and was not seen under sail coming down the coast. With a crew of 43 all told, the Magdalene Vinnen has plenty of hands to keep her spick and span, and even the most critical of old shellbacks- —who are far more fussy over the stowing of a sail than even a woman is over the hang of her dress —can find little to; boggle at. Her crew are all young, of powerful physique, and as active as the proverbial monkey in the rigging, while her master, Captain L. Peters, is obviously and justifiably proud of his ship. When she left Auckland last Febru-

ary, the Magdalene Vinnen went to Sydney to load wool, and was too lofty to pass under Sydney Bridge without lowering her topgallant masts. With 10,000 bales of wool under her hatches, she made a fast passage of 77 days to Bremen. Later she went to Barcelona to load cork and ''500 tons of potash. Thence, with calls as Las Fa 1 mas and Ascension Island, she went to Mahe, in the Seychelles Islands, to fill up with guano. Part of her cargo was discharged at Townsville, and she left there for Auckland on January 2. Meeting unfavourable weather, though not stormy, in the Tasman Sea, she used her engines for a great part of the voyage, and came in under power as far as Rnngitoto beacon, where the Harbour Board tug Te Awhina took her in tow. In berthing her at the King's wharf, the tug Kumea assisted the Te Awhina. Throughout her voyagings, the Magdalene Vinnen line been fortunate, and Captain Peters said that nothing had happened in the past year to break the orderly routine of their life. He admitted, however, some apprehensions at the prosjvect of going to such an open port as New Plymouth to complete discharge, and the Magdalene Vinnen may discharge the whole of her cargo here.