VESSEL ON REEF

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22585, 25 November 1936, Page 13

VESSEL ON REEF

MISHAP AT SUYA SUGAR COMPANY'S FIONA REFLOATING EFFORT FAILS By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright (Received November 24, 5.5 p.m.) SUVA, Nov. 24 The Colonial Sugar Refining Company's vessel Fiona (Captain V. G. Parker, master) was stranded on a reef at the eastern side of the Suva passage when she was leaving for Sydney last evening. She was aground fore and aft but did not make water.

After the mishap a start was made to discharge 1940 tons of molasses and 50 tons of general cargo from the ship, which it was hoped would raise her two feet and thus enable her to be refloated at high tide at 2.24 p.m. to day.

Part of the molasses cargo was jettisoned with this object. The tidal riso is 4J feet.

With tho aid of three of the company's tugs the Fiona started to move at 12.35 p.m. She was still hard and fast on the reef, however, when the tide began to fall. The ship struck at dead low water inside the eastern reef o'r the passage, approximately 700 yards from the normal centre passage course at a point where the water shoals rapidly from six fathoms to one and a-half.

The Fiona is a semi-tanker and in addition to self-trimming holds she has tanks capable of holding 2000 tons of molasses. Her deadweight carrying capacity is 3484 tons and she is 285 feet in length with a 44-foot beam. She was built at Dundee for the Colonial Sugar Refining Company, and was launched on March 22, 1933.

The vessel was last in Auckland od July 27 when she sailed for Sydney. She replaced the company's old Fiona which was sold in 1933 to Eastori buyers.