Poor practise leads to ships grounding
2 week surf mission wraps up
Doors open on revamped Spaghetti House
Tenors wrap up tonight
Stone exhibition first of its kind

Poor navigational and seamanship practice led to Te Kou Maru II stranded on the Mauke reef. 11050511

Poor navigational and seamanship practice led Te Kou Maru II to run aground on the Mauke reef.

The Ministry of Transport (MOT) has concluded its preliminary investigation into the stranding of the 45-metre Taio Shipping vessel on the reef last October, and MOT director of marine Ned Howard and Cook Islands Maritime Training Centre tutor Steve Simpson have compiled their findings into a 60-page report.

Howard and Simpson flew to Mauke in October to inspect the site and photograph the vessel, the hull of which was aground on the reef.

Their report notes that when Te Kou Maru II was inspected prior to her departure from Avatiu, her radar was deemed not working. The inspection also revealed she was not equipped with a depth sounder.

Shipmaster Nubono Tebano did not insist that all navigational aids were in good working order. The report suggests that he might not have done so because of financial reasons and time constraints.

When the vessel departed, the only working navigational aid on board was a GPS, which had an error.

No attempt had been made to identify and quantify this error, the report reads. The way point for Mauke was set for a position about two nautical miles to the west of Mauke.

At the time the boat ran aground, the GPS position did not accurately reflect its course.

The GPS was known to have an error yet no checks against visual bearing positions were attempted, the report says.

Howard and Simpson found other discrepancies in the navigational practice of Te Kou Maru II crew upon inspecting the stranded vessel and interviewing those on board.

GPS positions were not always plotted, and in some cases plotted inaccurately.

The vessel was on autopilot even as it drew near to land. A crew member made an alteration of course without first consulting the shipmaster. The light was on in the wheelhouse, severely restricting night vision.

No one was keeping an efficient lookout and not all watch keepers were trained in plotting on a chart.

The arrival waypoint was set too close to land. There was no echo sounder on the vessel.

Mauke also does not have navigational lights or beacons to indicate the presence of land.

The report reveals that crew member Umaia Duruwaqa tried to tell chief officer Joseva Lasaganibau that the ship was nearing the reef, but he was preoccupied fixing a position to include in his scheduled radio report. He was again alerted to the proximity of the reef by crew member Tevita Vakasale, but was at the time tuning into the radio to deliver his report.

When Lasaganibau finally put the helm to starboard and the engine to astern, it was too late. The vessel was already on the reef.

A northerly wind might have exacerbated the problem, but the grounding was directly caused by poor navigational and seamanship practices.

These may be attributed to the general guidelines followed by the shipping company and the ships officers which resulted in complacency, the report reads.

After the vessel ran aground, Taio Shipping agent Josh Taio did not take Simpsons advice to run the port anchor as far astern as possible and operate the engine a method of preventing the ship from moving further aground.

Says the report: ...the action of full astern on the engine together with hauling in on the port anchor would have assisted greatly and the vessel may well have been successful(ly) refloated. This suggestion was not acted on.

The report goes on to make a number of recommendations.

No vessel should be operated using a single GPS as the sole means of navigation. All navigation aids must be in good working order before departure and all vessels operating in Cook Islands waters should be equipped with a depth finder.

An efficient lookout must be maintained at all times, and the vessels position must be plotted on the chart and noted in the log book at frequent intervals.

All bridge watch keepers should be trained in plotting the ships position and final waypoints should be far enough from land to allow for unexpected incidents.

The investigation report was distributed to Tapi Taio of Taio Shipping, Maritime Cook Islands, then-shipping minister Tangata Vavia and police commissioner Maara Tetava.

Meanwhile, Te Kou Maru II remains on the reef and continues to move toward shore along the reef. Howard says the situation is no longer in his hands.

Now Tapi needs to make a decision on what he wants to do with the boat, Howard said. Once the boat was on the reef and not able to get off, it was out of our hands.

Taio has said that once his replacement ship Ocean Sun arrives from Norway mid-year, he will take measures to remove Te Kou Maru II from Maukes reef.

He says he will sponsor the removal which is likely to involve cutting the vessel into pieces with money from his own pocket. As the project is estimated to cost thousands of dollars, he said, timing depends on funding.

Last time he removed a ship from Rarotongas reef, he paid for the entire operation.

Taio also says that the vessel does not represent an environmental hazard, though some Mauke residents argue to the contrary.

• Rachel ReevesRachel Reeves

Charlotte Piho (standing at back, centre) and members of the team pose with the Manavanui dance group at the Pacific Resort wrap-up function. 11052406

Charlotte Piho dances with a member of Manavanui at the Pacific Resort wrap-up function. 11052401

Sydney-based surfer Charlotte Pihos two-week mission to find the perfect Cook Islands wave dubbed The Awakening on her website ended on Tuesday night with a dinner-and-show function at Pacific Resort.

The evening marked the end of a journey through the southern group islands to locate an untouched surfers paradise.

Piho and her team which included Ryan Callinan and Mike Brenan of Billabong, Kiwi junior pro Matt Hewitt and top Maroubra surfer Lukas Street travelled to Atiu, Takutea and Aitutaki to chase waves and returned to Rarotonga last week.

They missed the Takutea swell by one day, she said, and werent able to surf in Aitutaki because the breaks were too dangerous to surf without jet skis for towing.

Piho did say that the Aitutaki lagoon would be an ideal spot for a surf competition, but added that she wouldnt want to organise a large-scale competition if the island didnt embrace the idea.

Piho says she never intended to upset local people by thrusting Cook Islands surf spots into the spotlight.

It was never my intention to upset people I thought I was only doing a good thing, Piho said. And I understand Im a surfer too. The people I upset, I admire. I only wanted to do a good thing.

She was clear that she never envisioned bringing hordes of surfers to the Cook Islands, but was more interested in organising small-scale stand-up paddling retreats, surf trips and perhaps an annual surf competition.

All this negative publicity really was a shock and I do hope I can make amends with anyone Ive upset. (It was the) last thing I ever wanted to do and I really am extremely upset to have upset people I admire, she said.

Her aim, she says, was to introduce the Australian people to the beauty of the Cook Islands through a Tracks magazine article that writer David Sparkes will be producing within the next three months.

Sparkes says that while he will not name the Cook Islands, he will make mention of Cook Islands Tourism, which footed the bill for boats the team used.

And while the team might not have found the perfect wave, it became familiar with true Cook Islands hospitality eating fish and coconuts on Takutea, drinking in the Atiu tumunu and enjoying the sponsorship and support of many a Cook Islands business.

Piho said she was blown away...by the love and support from the community.

Cook Islands Tourism covered the cost of hiring boats, Air New Zealand flew the crew to Rarotonga and Air Rarotonga sponsored the inter-island jaunt.

Pacific Resort Rarotonga and Pacific Resort Aitutaki offered free accommodation and Budget provided cars. Steve Lyon of Pacific Divers and Mike Henry donated their boats, and Cafe Salsa, Aquarius, Trader Jacks, Koru Cafe, Tupunas Restaurant and Prime Foods contributed meals. Cooks Lager supplied the alcohol.

Atiuans travelled with the crew to Takutea and looked after them. Classic Pearls supplied every member of the team with a pearl and Manavanui performed on wrap night. Piho also wants to thank Lynsay Francis, Mike and Tiavare Henry, Corey Fisher and Bret Gibson for their hospitality and help.

Australia-based companies Billabong, Tracks Magazine, Sunny King Paddleboards and Canon also provided financial backing for the mission.

Piho is still pursuing her vision to establish Surf the Cook Islands a tour operator specialising in surf trips and stand-up paddling retreats. She says she will stay on Rarotonga for as long as it takes to get her venture up and running.

• Rachel ReevesRachel Reeves

Bubs Numanga eyes a pizza, a new addition to the Spaghetti House menu. Photo Emile Kairua. 11052409

The Spaghetti House has a new look and a new menu.

Host of New Zealand television series The Kitchen Job John Palino and Kiwi master chef Paul Edge were on Rarotonga last week with an eye to redesigning the restaurants decor and re-jigging its menu.

The Monday night opening function of the redecorated and revamped Spaghetti House was well-attended, and guests had a chance to enjoy new pizza flavours and an authentic Italian ambience.

John has been a tremendous source of knowledge and inspiration to us. We want to make sure that our guests have the best possible dining experience while staying at the resort. We have two restaurants and both establishments have been subject to Johns careful creative eye and experience, Edgewater general manager Chris McGeown said.

Staff also underwent two weeks of training on cooking and customer service.

• Rachel ReevesRachel Reeves

This weekends Opera in Paradise at the Crown Beach Resort features award-winning Samoan/Tongan tenor Benjamin Fifitia Makisi and Cook Islands very own tenor Bonaventure Allan Moetaua.

Opera as a performance art is new to the South Pacific and it is now gaining interest here in Rarotonga.

Like our own traditional performing art of Cook Islands cultural dance, song and music, opera requires talent, training and dedication. And it is very popular.

Ben and Bonaventure Allan are both fine opera singers, who the South Pacific can be truly proud of. In opera, they are both referred to as tenors and therefore they each have one of the greatest vocal ranges for men.

Opera singers are classified by voice type, based on the texture, agility, power and timbre of their voices. Male opera singers are loosely classified by vocal range as bass, bass-baritone, baritone, tenor and countertenor.

Opera started in Italy in the late 16th century. The word opera means work in Italian, suggesting that it combines a work of art of solo and choral singing, speech, acting and dancing in a staged dramatic spectacle. Opera is part of the western classical music tradition.

Opera normally includes spoken aspects of staged theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance. The performance is typically given in a public venue, such as an opera house, accompanied by a live orchestra or smaller musical ensemble.

Tonight, both of our accomplished Pacific Islands tenors will be performing a wide range of operatic song selections which will no doubt keep their Cook Islands audience enthralled and cheering for more, encore, encore!.

• Paul Lynch

A collection of Cook Islands stone sites, structures and monuments will be on display at the National Museum, starting from tomorrow.

The exhibition entitled Cook Islands in Stone opens for a preview tonight at 6 oclock and will be open to the public until June 21.

The National Museum is staging the exhibition with help and support from Cook Islands Printing and the Cook Islands Library & Museum Society.

All objects on display are local, and the highlight of the collection is a cache of Samoan-style head adzes unearthed on Ngati Tiare land in the early 1960s.

The toki collection uncovered in Takuvaine comprises six adzes, which indicate early contact between Samoa and the southern group islands.

Curator Mahiriki Tangaroa says the museum is very fortunate to have them.

This is the first exhibit of its kind at the National Museum.

• Rachel ReevesRachel Reeves