FOR ISLAND TRADE

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 943, 9 April 1930, Page 10

FOR ISLAND TRADE

NAVANORA TO VOYAGE TO SANTA CRUZ SAUCY KATE RENAMED Fifty-four years ago in Mercury Bay, Thomas Carina built the good ship Saucy Kate. For the past few years she has swung in idleness at her anchor in “Rotten Row,” but now, thoroughly overhauled and under her new name of Navanora, she is to seek the more slender romance of the South Seas—fishing and trading, maybe, pearling. \ SCHOONER of 41 tons, with a length of 57ft and a fair spread of sail, the Navanora is well known on the waterfront and at the various ports north of Auckland. In Mercury Bay waters In the latter part of the last century, under the name of Saucy Kate, she was used for the most part by her owner and builder in fishing and general trading. But in ISBO, when the Auckland firm of J. J. Craig, Ltd., purchased her, she went further afield, carrying out coastal trade between Auckland and the more Northern ports. For many years she was used in transporting cement and lime from Portland. LYING IN “ROTTEN ROW"

A few years ago it appeared that the Saucy Kate, now so trim In appearance after her recent overhaul, was to meet the doom of so many of the old ships. Considered to. have outlived her usefulness in coastal work, she was towed to the Waitemata’s “rotten row” to lie in idleness among the many relics of past great sailing ships and old coastal steamers. Interest in the Saucy Kate was revived when the Auckland Sea Scouts endeavoured to acquire her as a training ship, but found the cost beyond their means. The owners then believed, that in spite of her half century of existence, she could yet serve a good purpose, and she was towed to the shipbuilding yards in Freeman’s Bay for overhaul. She was then renamed the Sea Elf. Attempts were made to sell her, hut no buyers were forthcoming and she was once again taken to "rotten row.”

But the day came, recently, when the Sea Elf was purchased by two elderly seafaring men, Messrs. Cowan and Saricb, and once again taken to the shipbuilding yards to be prepared for trade in the Pacific Islands. Old “salts” about the waterfront can hardly recognise the old Saucy Kate, now the Navanora, as she lies at anchor near the Stanley Bay Wharf. Painted white, with many deck improvements, and fitted specially for Island trade, she appears a different ship. She has been thoroughly overhauled and has had a 24 horse-pow-er engine installed- which should drive her at about six to seven knots. Both Mr. Cowan and Mr. Sarich are rather reserved in telling of the adventurous life they seek in the Navanora.

“Oh, yes, we will do a bit of trade in the Islands, hut after all, she's little more than a yacht, and we guess we will be doing a lot of fishing,” they remarked when approached by a pressman. It is expected that the Navanora will sail from Auckland, bound for Vanikoro, in the Santa Cruz group, some time next week. Captain Townsend, a well-known personality on the waterfront, has been chosen as master of the schooner. Vanikoro is one of the best-known islands in the Santa Cruz group, it beiDg the scene of the pioneer attempt at settlement by Europeans in 1595, when Mendana founded his ill-fated colony at Graciosa Bay, and where Le Perouse was wrecked and lost. Vanikoro is surrounded by barrier reefs, which necessitate extremely careful navigation, the reefs being from three to five miles out. There are many entrances and the vessels may cruise inside.