Many New Zealanders Want To Join Pamir For Trip To England

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22820, 15 December 1948, Page 10

Many New Zealanders Want To Join Pamir For Trip To England

(P.A.) WELLINGTON, Dec. 15. Hundreds of New Zealanders appeared to be anxious lo join the Pamir for the long voyage to England, said the Finnish master of the barque, Captain W. B.orkfelt. Letters had been received from all parts of New Zealand and there were many daily callers. The same thing was told to all of them. The Pamir was not vet picking up a crew and all had to be members of the New Zealand union. He added that it was unlikely that more crew would be signed on until January just before the ship's departure for South Australia to load wheat. “The ship will be expensive enough to take to England without signing on crew too early,” he commented. He estimated that the cost of the voyage would be £IO,OOO. No Room for Passengers

Many letters had also been received from people wishing to travel in the barque to Australia and even to England, said Captain Bjorkfelt, but the Pamir had no room for passengers. The possibility of a grain ship race between the other Erikson barque Passat and the sister-ship Pamir depended on loading conditions in Australian wheat ports. The Passat was to leave London today for South Australia. She would take about 80 to 85 days on the voyage, arriving after the Pamir which was expected to leave Wellington in January. Extra ballast for the Tasman voyage would be loaded from today. This would take some time and after that the ship would be cleaned in the floating dock, said Captain Bjorkfelt.