Mystery surrounds ship’s departure from Lyttelton

Press, 30 December 1976, Page 4

Mystery surrounds ship’s departure from Lyttelton

Mystery surrounds the destination of the swashbuckling little coaster Ranginui which disappeared on Monday from Lyttelton’s slipway berth, where she had been laid up for the last 18 months. The 158-ton vessel, which became known to Canterbury people in the 10 years she spent battling across the Waimakariri River bar to Kaiapoi, slipped quietly away at 4.30 p.m. on Monday. Lyttelton’s signal tower has no record of her proposed destination, apart from a terse note that she was headed for "southern ports.”

Her most likely destination is believed to be Dunedin, where two years ago Simms Engineering replaced her midships derrick with a helicopter pad for game-recovery work in Fiordland. Sources said she had been sold to Suva interests, and would eventually sail for Suva once she had picked up her derricks. But late yesterday, Dunedin’s Harbourmaster reported that she had not arrived — and that he was not expecting her. Nor had the Ranginui been

sited at either Timaru or Bluff.

It is believed the Ranginui’s new owners planned to sail her to Suva as a yacht, thus dispensing with stringent Marine Department surveys and the need for costly union labour as crew. But even as a yacht, she must be registered (being over 15 tons), have a survey carried out by specially appointed yacht club members; and must notify the Collector of Customs and Superintendent of Marine at her port of departure of her destination.

The Ranginui was deregistered at Nelson two years ago and, according to the Lyttelton branch of the Marine Division, has not been reregistered — at least not at Lyttelton. There is always the possibility that she has been reregistered in Liberia or some other flag-of-convenience country, though the division said this seemed unlikely. The Lyttelton branch of the Customs Department has received no statutory notification of the Ranginui’s proposed destination, nor had a clearance been issued — a

prerequisite if the vessel is ito be allowed to enter an overseas port.

No light on the Ranginui’s whereabouts was obtainable yesterday from her agent at Lyttelton, Mr Frank Stark. Mr Stark was away on holiday and could not be reached.

The Ranginui’s mysterious disappearance is somewhat in keeping with her career, which has been more than usually colourful. She was built on the Clyde more than 40 years ago for the Northern Steam Ship Company. Until 1957, she plied out of the NelsonGolden Bay area to the North island.

With the re-opening of the Port of Kaiapoi, she went on to the Wellington-Kaiapoi run. in 1959, she was bought by the Pearl Kasper Shipping Company but remained on the Kaiapoi run until the Cook Strait rail ferries forced her out of business.

She was then taken over by Luggate Game Packers, Ltd, and worked mainly in Fiordland during the boom gameexport years.

Later owners were believed to be an American syndicate, Caribbean Pacific Enterprises, which at one time attempted to establish a republic on Minerva Reef, south of Tonga. The Ranginui was to be gun boat and supply vessel, but the deal fell through, and she never left port under the flag of her new owners.

For the last two years, the Ranginui has lain idle—rusting and unwanted—first at Kaiapoi, where she became a target for vandals, and then at Lyttelton. Many persons came to look over her, dreaming of setting up their own little business, and her sale seemed imminent several times—but negotiations always broke down at the last minute.

Her price was not known, though earlier this year a figure of about $60,000 was mentioned.

Most would-be purchasers realised that New Zealand manning scales and award rates meant certain death to small shipping ventures on the New Zealand coast Only in the Islands could such a vessel remain viable.