SCHOONER PIRI

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27221, 26 October 1949, Page 8

SCHOONER PIRI

LAST SAILING VESSEL TRADE IN EXPLOSIVES The auxiliary schooner Piri, which is at present at Port Chalmers, is now the only sailing vessel engaged on a regular overseas service out of New Zealand ports. For many years the Piri was associated in the explosives trade across the Tasman with the Huia, an auxiliary schooner, but now the Huia is lying at Auckland and is for sale. Replacement of the Huia by a fully-powered ship will mark the end of a long stand made by sail. Built in Australia in 1917, the Piri has been in the explosives service since 1924. In that year she was purchased from the Pacific Cable Board, under whose ownership she was named the Tangaroa, by Imperial Chemical Industries, Ltd. Together with the Huia, she has brought all the company’s explosive cargoes from Australia to New Zealand until thepresent time. Formerly a topsail schooner, the Huia was built at Aratapu in 1894 and is the holder of the record for a Tasman crossing under sail, achieved on a passage from Sydney to Kaipara. The voyage of 1100 miles was made in four days and six hours. From Auckland to Melbourne, the record time of the Piri is a little over seven days. The company’s latest ship, the Taranui, was formerly pwned by the Australasian United Steam Navigation Company, of Melbourne, when she was named the Bingera. Built in Scotland in 1935, she had been engaged on the Commonwealth coast. Alterations to the ship included lining the holds with timber and constructing a detonator magazine. In compliance with regulations for the carriage of explosives, she will not be able to carry more than 400 tons of this cargo. Most probably she Vill be engaged only on the Australian coast. Another vessel which was engaged in the carriage of explosives from Auckland to New Zealand coastal ports, the auxiliary ketch Mira was sold recently. Bought by a Wellington concern, she may be used privately to carry cement.