SAILING SHIPS

Auckland Star, Volume LXV, Issue 277, 22 November 1934, Page 6

SAILING SHIPS

A VALUABLE PUBLICATION

All invaluable collection of photographs of sailing ships that are either still in commission, or were so until recently, has been issued 'by .'Syren and Shipping, Ltd., Ijondon. under the appropriate title of "The Last of a Glorious Era." The histories of the vessels, are written by Ronald Pearse, and there is a foreword by Sir William Garth waite, owner of the last square-rigged sailing ship to fly the 'Red Ensign—the Gartlipool—and founder mid chairman of the Sea Lion Sail Training Ship Society. Appealing for support for the society, which is trying to collect funds to build a. square-rigged, ocean-going sailing ship for use as a training ship, Sir William Gartlnvaite quotes fifteen countries that maintain one or more such vessels, of which the -pictures of several are reproduced in the book. What Sir Wiiliam Garthwaite thinks of this may be judged from his reference to Great Britain as "the ex-mistress of the seas." Many of the vessels mentioned in the book —.John Ena, E. R. Sterling, Golden Gate, Olivebank, Winterhude, Passet, .Magdalene Vinnen —have visited Auckland, while the Rewa lay idle hero, for many years. The author has apparently been misinformed as to the fate of the last-named ship, which he says has been converted into an oil barge, whereas actually she is lying at Moturekareka Island, sunk to make a breakwater. The author pays a. generous tribute to Captain G. Erikson, who, more for love of them than in hope of any great profits, h:>s bought since the war over a score of sailing ships, mostly at 'ship-breakers' prices, and, by the exercise of rigid economy, still maintains them 100 Al at Lloyd's. "His ollice in Marieliam is. a very humble establishment, with a staff of three, namely, Captain Erikson's assistant, a typist and a clerk," says Ronald Pearse, Tt is certainly a modest headquarters from which to rum age such a fleet.