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MV Konanda
On 20 January 1955 a vessel called MV Konanda
was launched from the D & J Boot shipyard in
Aphen, River Rhine, The Netherlands. The ship
was built for the Adelaide Steamship Company.
The new ship was 153.25 feet (51 metres) long
and 29.91 feet (9 metres) wide with a depth of
8.91 feet (3 metres). It had a tonnage of 414
gross (145 net) and was registered with Lloyds
as 1196736. The ship was put into service
carrying raw sugar between Cairns and Mourilyan
and Goondi in Queensland. These last two places
are located at Innisfail, also in Far North
Queensland. I assume that she carried sugar
from Mourilyan and Goondi to Cairns where it
was on-shipped.
In 1958 the Konanda shipped the final load of
bagged sugar from Port Douglas. After this date
the cargo was sent by road to the Cairns Bulk
Sugar Terminal.
The Konanda at an unknown location
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Noel Hitchins 1951-2005
Lloyd Bridges - Mike Nelson
in Sea Hunt
In 1961 the MV Konanda was sold to Pearl Kasper Shipping of Nelson in New Zealand. Nelson is on the northern tip of the
South Island and it was to be used as a ferry between Nelson and the capital, Wellington, which is on the southern end of the
North Island. This means that it was used to cross Cook Strait, one of the most adverse waterways in the World (I crossed it
in late 2000 and we had 8 metre swells).
Apparently the ship was withdrawn from service suddenly as in the Volume 19 Number 1 of 1967 issue of the New Zealand
Marine News it was reported that mystery surrounds the departure of the 415 ton Dutch built coaster Konanda. It was
reported that it left Nelson on 10 December 1966. The article did not solve the mystery appears to have also described the
vessel and its history on the Nelson-Wellington route. I have not seen the article yet. Its replacement was the Towai.
In any case, it had been sold to Captain Athol Rusden of Port Vila, New Hebrides (now Vanuatu). It was reported that it was to
be used in "the Islands". This may mean around Vanuatu or other South Pacific Islands.
A later report in the same journal says that the Konanda had been used in the general cargo trade between Noumea in New
Caledonia and Wallis Island. It was reported that it was possible that she may join the former MV Holmbrae on geophysical
work in Bass Strait.
In 1966 the Holmbrae was also purchased by Captain Rudsen and renamed MV Paul Markson (also reported as Paulmarkson).
It appears he also purchased the Holmrea from Holm Shipping.
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The bow of the Konanda
The starboard railing of the Konanda
On 7 August 1966 the Paul Markson was sent to Bass Strait (between Tasmania and Victoria) for geophysical work,
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presumably on the then developing Bass Strait oil fields. Sometime after this she moved to Port Vila. For the next three years
or so it was used around the islands of Vanuatu until sometime in 1969 when it was sold to Comptoirs Francais des NouvellesHebrides, also of Port Vila and renamed MV Henri Bonneaud. The Henri Bonneaud is now a dive site in Espiritu Santo.
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Current Kirrawee
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house at Kirrawee, Sydney, is
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Detailed Diving Weather and
Conditions.
The Konanda was later sold to Burns Philp Vanuatu Limited. When the rebellion occurred on Santo in May 1980, the ship was
used to evacuate refugees from Santo. It is stated that on the night of 30 May 1980, a large number of the residents of Santo
fled and went to Tangoa Point at South Santo.
Together with the MV Nalkutan and MV Semle Federsen, the three ships ferried 2,000 people from Santo to Malekula
Over 7 to 8 February 1987 she was wrecked by Cyclone Uma and declared a total loss. I arrived in Port Vila a couple of days
after this event and the place was as shambles. There was damage everywhere and boats aground all over the harbour. The
vessel was later sold to Iririki Islands Resort to be stripped and sunk.
Conditions at 7:14 on 13/6/09
Temperature
5.3°C
Humidity
80%
Barometer
1013.59hPa
Rate
0.263hPa/hr
Wind Speed:
0 km/hr
Wind
Direction
SE
Rainfall for
Today
0.00mm
Rainfall last
hour
0.00 mm
Rainfall last
24 hours
0.00 mm
Rainfall at
Start of
Month
437.80 mm
Rainfall this
Year
444.60 mm
Today's Extremes
High
Temperature
7.2°C at
0:01
Low
Temperature
5.2°C at
5:52
Peak Wind
Gust
0km/hr at
0:00
Yesterday's Extremes
A porthole on the Konanda
The stern capstan of the Konanda
Sometime in 1987 or 1988 the Konanda was scuttled off Ifira Island. This is the island to the west of Iririki Island and is the
southern headland of Vila Harbour. The wreck is approximately off the small gap between the island and the mainland.
High
Temperature
16.3°C
at 13:19
Today the Konanda sits at about 26 metres with a mooring located on the top of the mast in about 12 metres.
Low
Temperature
7.0°C at
7:38
Rainfall at Start
of Yesterday
444.60
mm
The wreck faces south. From the mast, head to the bow and you will see that this is quite an attractive photo opportunity.
There is a nice bow winch as well. Behind the bow there are two holds. Inside there are portholes, unusual, but remember
that this at one time was a ferry on the Nelson to Wellington run. Drop down into the front hold and you can swim through
into the second hold. At the end you can swim up through a hatch to the deck level.
Rainfall at End of 444.60
Yesterday
mm
Astronomical Data
Sunrise
6:58
Sunset
16:53
Moonrise
21:44
Moonset
10:32
The stern of the Konanda
The prop of the Konanda
Go through the starboard door and you enter a large cabin. You can go across to the port side. This goes past the entrance to
the engine room, but it is a bit tight and I would only go there are a dive or two here.
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Once out the port door, drop over the side and head to the stern. Here you will reach 26 metres and there are some great
photos of the propeller and rudder available. The rudder is hard starboard. Once you have examined the prop and stern, go
up to the main deck again. There are some nice railings here (also at the bow) and they again make for a great photograph.
At the stern there is a huge capstan and in front of that there is a door. This is narrow and inside there is a toilet in the
second room on the left. On the right there is the galley and further ahead you come to the engine room again. You can exit
up through the engine room skylights here. Behind you is the funnel and an access hatch. Forward is the bridge.
Sonia exits through the engine room
skylights of the Konanda
Kelly in the front hold of the Konanda
From here, go to the bridge and then ascend up the mast and the mooring.
This is a very good dive, well worth doing at least once on a trip to Port Vila. Visibility was about 20 metres and the water
temperature 26° in May.
References:
z New Zealand Marine News 1967 Volume 19 Number 1 Page 25
z New Zealand Marine News 1967 Volume 18 Number 4 Page 126
z http://www.news.vu/en/news/national/050808-Vanuatu-Santo-rebellion-remembered.shtml
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