SCHOONER OVERDUE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21164, 22 April 1932, Page 8

SCHOONER OVERDUE.

FEARS FOR THE ARATAPU.

NON-ARRIVAL AT PAPEETE.

REQUEST MADE TO SHIPPING

[BY TELEGRAPH.—PEESS ASSOCIATION.]

"WELLINGTON. Thursday

The Secretary of the Post and Telegraph Department has receiver! iho following navigation warning, broadcast from Rarotonga at 7.25 p.m.: —

The auxiliary schooner Aratapu, which left Rarotonga for Fapcete on March 22, has not arrived at Papeete. All ships are requested to keep a lookout arid report to this station if the vessel is sighted.

The Chinese-owned auxiliary schooner Aratapu, a New Zealand-built vessel with a Maori name and registered in Peru under the Peruvian flacr, sailed from Auckland with a British crew on February 22 for Papeete. The Aratapu was well known in the international and New Zealand coastal trade for over 50 years and during that period she had an interesting career. Built at Aratapu. on the Northern Wairoa River, in 1878, the vessel was first rigged as a brigantine, with square yards on the foremast. She was engaged in the costal timber trade for 44 years, during which time she occasionally went to Australia. There were several changes of ownership and in 1922 the Aratapu was converted into a fore and aft schooner and fitted with an oil engine. Her name was changed to Zeta, but she was later renamed Aratapu. In 1922, when she was engaged in coastal trading as the Zeta, the vessel (ran aground in the Wairoa River, below Dargaville, but was refloated without much damage. In March, 1929, when she was en route from Westporfc to Waitara with a eargo of coal, she stranded during stormy weather at the entrance to the Waitara River and was aground for several days before being refloated when the tides increased. On that occasion she also escaped with very little damage. After being repaired, the Aratapu was withdrawn from service arid laid up at Waitara. A period of nearly three years' idleness followed until the vessel was recommissioned last December to come to Auckland. She reached Auckland from Waitara on January 12 and a few weeks later she was sold to Mr. C. If. Mardon. who intended to utilise the vessel in the Fiji Island trade. The project, however, was dropped. This resulted in the Aratapu changing owners again and she was purchased by Mr. A. Chang, a Chinese merchant, of Auckland. She was registered at Auckland under the Peruvian flag. From Auckland the vessel sailed for Papeete, Tahiti, to enter the inter-island trade. It was understood there was a possibility that she might later go to Peru to load a cargo of guano for New Zealand. The vessel left port with Captain A. Wilson in charge and he had with him a mate, two engineers, a supercargo, a cook and five deck hands.