New Ship Names

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1061, 27 August 1930, Page 8

New Ship Names

Will Razmak Be Rechristened

WILL the liner Razmak be renamed -when she is transferred from the Peninsula and Oriental Company s India trade to the Pacific run —Sydney -Wellington-San Francisco, lhe chances are that this question is already under discussion, for there can he no doubt that a new name is desirable. Both tradition and precedent decree that a vessel regularly employed between New Zealand and North America shall be named appropriately, as are the Aorangi, the Niagara, the Maunganui, and others. The loss of the Tahiti removes from shipping lists another familiar name oi this type.

The Razmak, a vessel of 10,857 tons, properly equipped for the India trade and therefore ideal for thc Islands run, carries a name foreign to Australia, New Zealand, the South Seas, or America. It. is certain that a rechristening would be popular. \Vhen the Tahiti was transferred to the run that crossed her destined grave, her name was chosen. Previously she was known as the Port Kingston, a name as foreign in its way to the Pacific as is “Razmak.” Some time ago the New Zealand Shipping Company placed orders for three new cargo ships. These are in course of construction, and the first will sail for New Zealand at about the end of. the year. They are to he named Otaio, Orari and Opawa. The Union Steamship Company is to assign a new steamer to the VVell—-ington-Lyt.telton run, and an order for this has been placed With VickersArmstrong, Limited. The vessel has yet. to be named, but it is safe to predict that the owners will conform to tradition. once again. It would be highly unlikely that a ship engaged as an inter-island'ferry would carry an "Outside" name. In view of this ample precedent the probability is that the Razmak will be rechristened with a Maori, Pacific Islands, or North American name. Usually an endeavour is made to classify ships in certain groups with names that bear a euphonious similar—ity; thus: Otaio, Orari and Opawa. This being so. a name linking the Razmak with the Aorangi would be suitable. Among the ships names chosen from various parts of the Pacific—Maunganui. Moana. Matai, Tahiti and the rest —the Island of Raratonga has never been honoured. The chief town of Raratonga is Avarua. which is also a port of call on the Wellington—Frisco run. Here then would be an excellent name for the RazmaktAvarua. Thus the Aorangi and 'thc Avarua would speedily become known as allied ships friendly rivals of the Pacific. Recently it was announced that two

new ships had been laid down by the American Matson Line, and the possibility is that they may call regularly at New Zealand ports. These have not yet been named, but the company may be observing the age« old tradition in ship building that the name of a boat shall not be made public until the oflicial launching, and the ceremony of “breaking a bottle of christening wine” has been performed. This rule was rigidly observed in all the old—time yards; in one or two instances, where unruly tongues had prematurely disclosed the selected name for a ship, there was ample evidence of the bad luck that followed. Often a competitor would seek to secure a Dre-christening disclosure of the name of a. vessel being built by a rival, partly with a belief that this would bring bad luck to his opponent in commerce. In the shipyards the lack of a name for a vessel being built is no hardship. for any vessel laid down is always referred to by number—number of that type or of the vessels built in the yard. Even after launching the vessel is always known to her builders as “No. —. Now called the So and So.” Many old hands in yachting declare that Sir Thomas Lipton lost his chances of winning the America’s Cup by naming his yachts before they were built, and are firmly convinced that malignant fate Will defeat the cleverest men who ever handle those craft. The Matson Company was said to have selected an unlucky name for their last ship; the Malolo, which visited Auckland last; year. The Hawaiians call the flying fish “malolo” (the Maori name being “maroro), and consider it most unlucky that it should be given to a boat. The Malolo. a converted cruiser that was discarded in U.S.A., under the Washington Treaty limiting battleship building, was involved in a dockyard accident. Her first trip was beset with odd happenings, and on her arrival at Honolulu an airman. circling around, met death. A girl was hurt in the crowd assembled to greet. the steamer at the wharf. This time the Matson Line may consider it unwise to tempt fate.