The Log Book

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 24, 20 April 1927, Page 2

The Log Book

NITRATES FROM IQUIQUE. —After discharge of wheat at Callao, the steamer Baron Minto is to load nitrates at Iquique for Auckland, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Fremantle.

MAHIA FOR HOME. —Loaded with Dominion produce the Shaw, Savill and Albion steamer Mahia was to leave Wellington this morning for London via Rio Janeiro.

FROM PACIFIC COAST.— The Union Company advises that the Waiotapu, from Pacific Coast ports, is expected to clear San Francisco to-morrow for Auckland, Napier, Wellington, Melbourne and Sydney.

LUMBER CHARTERS. —Latest advices from America show that there has been renewed activity in lumber chartering for Australian ports. No fewer than eight steamers and six sailing ships are under charter for this purpose, while cargoes are also being arranged from Sweden.

TOFUA GOES INTO DOCK.— The Union Company’s Island passenger steamer Tofua, which arrived back from Fiji yesterday, goes into dock this afternoon for a clean up. She will be out again on Friday and sails at 11 a.m. on Saturday next for Fiji, Tonga and Samoa.

TONGARIRO AT SUVA. —News has been received by the New Zealand Shipping Company that the Tongariro arrived at Suva on Sunday morning from London, and that the vessel will leave Suva to-morrow for Auckland. She is expected to arrive at Auckland next Monday.

HINEMOA CLEARS SAMOA.— Messrs. Spedding Limited have been advised that the Government steamer Hinemoa left Samoa at 6 p.m. on Sunday last for Suva via Mokogai. Sue is due at Suva to-morrow and returns to Auckland about April 28.

NO WORD FROM DENHAM.— Up to the present no word has been received from the C. and D. Line’s chartered steamer Denham, which is due at Auckland from New York. Messrs. Heather. Roberton and Company are the local agents.

HORATIUS TO COMPLETE.— To complete loading under the auspices of L. D. and Company the Shaw, Savill and Albion steamer Horatius is due at Auckland this afternoon from Gisborne. She is scheduled to clear this port on Saturday for London via Monte Video and Teneriffe.

RUAPEHU’S MOVEMENTS.— The New Zealand Shipping Company reports that the Ruapehu will leave Lyttelton to-morrow for Wanganui and Wellington to fill up. The vessel is due at Wellington next Tuesday, and will sail from there on April 29 for Liverpool and London, via Panama. TAINUTS ITINERARY. —To continue loading for London, the Shaw, Savill and Albion Company’s Tainui is to leave Lyttelton to-day for Timaru and Wellington. The vessel is due at Wellington on Saturday, and sails finally on May 4 for Southampton and London via Panama.

QUEEN MAUD RAD I OS.— Accordingto a radio message received by the New Zealand Shipping Company the steamer Queen Maud is due at Auckland at noon to-morrow from St. John. From this port the vessel proceeds to Wellington, Lyttelton, Dunedin, New Plymouth and Wanganui to discharge. SOMERSET ARRIVES. —An arrival in port this morning was the New Zealand Shipping Company’s steamer Somerset from Brisbane. Owing to sickness on board the vessel has not yet berthed. She has been fixed to load for London at Auckland, Napier, Port Chalmers and Wellington, and is expected to clear the latter port about May 7 for London via Panama. NORTHUMBERLAND BERTHS.— The New Zealand Shipping Company advises that the Northumberland, which undocked this morning, berthed at King’s Wharf to commence loading. She leaves Auckland on April 26 for Tokomaru Bay, Gisborne, Waikokopu, Napier and Wellington to complete, and is scheduled to clear the last-mentioned port on May 17 for London via Panama.

LA MARGUERITE.—The ship’s bell of La Marguerite, an improvised troopship which carried 360,000 soldiers to France during the war, was on March 9 presented to the 6th Battalion, London Regiment. On St. Patrick’s Day, 1915, La Marguerite, which has now been broken up, made her debut as a troopship by taking to France the first battalion of the regiment. The bell has been mounted and will be taken with the regiment when it goes on annual training.

SOUTHERN CROSS AT VILA.— After a favourable trip of nine days from Auckland the Melanesian Mission steamer Southern Cross reached Vila, New Hebrides, on Monday with the launch Mavis in tow. A cable message from Suva relaying a wireless from the vessel, was received yesterday by Messrs. Watkin and Wallis, stating that the 2,000-mile tow had been concluded successfully. The Southern Cross will make her usual Island round and return to Auckland in about 13 weeks’ time.

ATHENIC FOR AUSTRALIA.—A departure will be made by the Shaw, Savill steamer Athenic on her next voyage from England. She is to sail from Liverpool on Saturday for Australia, and will later load at New Zealand ports for London. Although other Shaw, Savill vessels trade to Australia regularly this is the first time the Athenic has done so for a long time.

WRECKED COOMA.—A Sydney paper states that now the formerly well-known passenger steamer Cooma, which was stranded on the North Reef last year, has been declared a total wreck, the underwriters are inviting tenders for the purchase outright of her hull and equipment as she lies on the reef. The successful tenderer will have the right to salve cargo, if'any, and this will be handed over to the Receiver of Wrecks, who will decide the remuneration to be paid for salvage service.

AN INTERESTING PERSONALITY.—The master of the tanker Scopas, which discharged a quantity of fuel oil at Bluff last week, Captain Wall, is an interesting personality. In the United States he would probably be classed as “coloured,” but he is really a native of Dutch Guiana in South America, and is an educated and accomplished gentleman, speaking and writing four languages. Since he was last at Bluff in the Dutch tanker Hermes, he has been to the to superintend the building of another tank steamer. His father is a wealthy shareholder in the company which owns these vessels. The officers of the Scopas are Dutch and the crew Chinese.

STEAMERS RENAMED. The steamers Fezara and Famaka, which have been transferred to the A.U.S.N. Co., Ltd., and are to be added to the interstate fleet next month, are to be renamed Oxley and Olinda. They are to replace the Levuka and Wyreema, which were sold to South American buyers. The vessels are comparatively new, having entered the Egyptian service in 1923. Each steamer is of 5,800 tons gross register, and provides accommodation for about 155 passengers. A feature is that they will be the first oil-burning vessels to be engaged in the Australian coastal passenger trade. Propelled by steam turbines, the vessels have a speed of 15 knots. The two steamers are regarded as particularly suitable for the trade between Melbourne, Sydney and North Queensland ports. Minor alterations will have to be made in order to comply with Australian conditions, and the steamers will be docked for overhaul before being placed in commission. BARON GRAHAM FROM CUBA.— The Hogarth Shipping Company’s steamer, Baron Graham, arrived early yesterday afternoon from Neuvitas, Cuba, loaded with raw sugar for discharge at Auckland. The vessel left Neuvitas on March 12 and reached Colon on the morning of March 17. Passage through Panama was made and Balboa cleared the next afternoon. Good weather prevailed generally for the whole voyage, although strong winds and rough seas were experienced on the run from Balboa to Auckland. Before this voyage the Baron Graham was employed to carry a cargo of coa.l from Newport to Gibraltar. Captain J. MacDonald is in command and has associated with him the following officers:—Chief Officer, _ Mr. D. Kidd; second, Mr. D. Munro; third, Mr. BCopelands; chief engineer, Mr. J. Boyd; second, Mr. W. Bamborough; third, Mr. J. Arnott; fourth, Mr. J. Lees; wireless operator, Mr. L. Pollard. The World’s Ships.—During the year 1926 the number of ships launched throughout the world was 600, totalling 1,674,000 tons, according to the annual summary published by “Lloyd’s Register.” The decrease in ship construction as compared with the previous year was 518,000 tons, while the decrease in Great Britain was 445,000 tons. Only 22 vessels of over 10,000 tons were launched throughout the world, and only eight of over 15,000 tons. The largest vessel was the turbine steamer He de France, -of 43,000 tons. The tonnage afloat on June 30, 1926, was 59,117,000 tons, compared with 42,514,000 tons on June 30, 1914. A Prolonged Trip.—On her recent voyage from London to New Zealand, the steamer Port Caroline, at present loading in the Wanganui roadstead for Home, made a prolonged trip of 50 days. Owing to the coal strike in England, the vessel was supplied with poor quality German coal, and 130 tons of the coal were consumed each day, instead of 85 tons, the normal consumption, states the “Wanganui Chronicle.” Because of this, bunkers had to he* replenished at Ponta del Gardia, in the Azores, and nine days later at St. Thomas, in the West Indies. WITHIN WIRELESS RANGE— The following vessels are expected to be within range of the undermentioned wireless stations to-night:— Auckland. —Ventura, Nordhval, H.M.S. Diomede, Denham, Aorangi, Famaka. West Henshaw, Queen Maud, Cumberland, Kartigi, Horatius, Omana. Wellington.—Maori, Wahine, Tama--11 ine, Ngaio, Arahura, Port Caroline, Karori, Mahia, Inclianola, Coolana, Hertford. Awarua.—City of Kimberley, Canadian Challenger, Kia Oia, Port Hacking. PORT OF ONEHUNGA—YESTERDAY’S DEPARTURE RARAWA (4.30 p.m.), 1,077 tons, Bark, for New Plymouth. The Rarawa, which left yesterday afternoon for New Plymouth, is due back early to-morrow morning. Messrs. Russel and Somers advise that the Orepuki, wliicn arrived at Onehunga on Sunday from Dargaville, leaves to-morrow night for Nelson and West Coast ports.