GMV Moana Roa 1960 & GMV Maui Pomare 1927

New Zealand’s GMV Moana Roa 1960 and the GMV Maui Pomare 1927 operating the Pacific & Cook Islands

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With Reuben Goossens

Maritime Historian, Cruise‘n’Ship Reviewer, Author & Maritime Lecturer

Please Note: All ssMaritime and my other related ssMaritime sites are 100% non-commercial and privately owned sites. Be assured that I am NOT associated with any cruise or shipping companies or travel/cruise agencies or any other organisations! The author has been in the passenger shipping industry since May 1960 and is now semi-retired, but continues and I hope that the well over 600 Classic Liners and Cargo-Passengers ships I have written on will continue to provide classic ship enthusiasts and continue a great deal of information and pleasure!

Please Note: Photographs are from the Author’s collection, unless shown otherwise

GMV Maui Pomare:

As part of introduction to the GMV Moana Roa we should realise that she was ordered as replacement for an earlier ship that was built in 1927, named the GMV Maui Pomare. This little 1,211 GRT (Gross Registered Tons) ship was built in Ireland for the New Zealand Government by The Dublin Dockyard Company of North Wall, Dublin, a shipyard owned by Vickers (Ireland) Ltd. As a Passenger-Cargo ship she was 219ft - 66.75m long. The GMV Maui Pomare was launched on September 29, 1927 and she spent all of her days operating out of Auckland sailing between Norfolk Island, Niue, the Cook Islands and Samoa.

The little GMV Maui Pomare is seen arriving in Port

She was managed by the “Union Steam Ship Company” of New Zealand on behalf of the Department of Island Territories until 1960, but her owners were: “The Department of Island Territories of the New Zealand Government.” She was originally fitted with “Petters” diesel engines, however later by 1950 she was given new “Fairbanks Morse” diesels engines that were made in 1941 giving her a modest service speed of just 10 knots.

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Left: The Smoke Room on A Deck - Right: The interior Dining Room on Upper Deck

The Maui Pomare offered accommodations for 30 passengers in two deluxe 2-berth Staterooms, eight two-berth cabins and two six-berth cabins. She was registered in Wellington New Zealand flying the New Zealand flag. Her length was: 219ft - 66.75m a Beam of: 35.1ft - 10.7m and a Draught of: 14ft - 4.3m.

GMV Maui Pomare Deck Plan

With the GMV Maui Pomare having served her owners faithfully for a good 33 years, but now with the arrival of the brand new GMV Moana Roa the company decided to lay her up when the new ship arrived and place the Maui Pomare on the market.

GMV Maui Pomare is seen of the coast of New Zealand

In January 1961 she was purchased by “Austral Pacific Steam Navigation Company,” however she was soon resold to “Kimberley Shipping Company” of Port Kimberley in Western Australia. She was registered at Panama in 1961 and commenced to operate along the Western Australian coastline until late in 1967. The Kimberley Shipping Company sold her in January 1968 to the “Ming Hing Company” of Hong Kong to be broken up and soon she headed to the breakers yard there. It is said that by March 1968 demolition was already well under way. After a total of 40 years of faithful service the little GMV Maui Pomare was affine little ship!

GMV Moana Roa:

The replacement passenger-cargo ship for the GRV Maui Pomare was designed by Mr. H.D.M. Jones who was a well-known New Zealand Naval Architect as well as a well known man for his many other achievements in New Zealand.

When ready the “New Zealand Department of Island Territories” being one of the Government departments of New Zealand placed the order to build the new ship at a cost of £800,000 to provide a superior passenger-cargo service. The ship was laid down at the Grangemouth Dockyard Company Ltd on the Firth of Forth, Scotland, in yard 526 in 1960.

She was launched on April 14, 1960 and she was officially named “Moana Roa” being a ship having a tonnage of 2,893 GRT or 2,276 DWT being just over twice the size than the retiring GMV Maui Pomare, but the Moana Roa was certainly a far roomier vessel! Having been completed and fully fitted our, she undertook her sea trails and did well giving her a top speed of 15.12 knots, but her service speed was usually 14 knots.

The GMV Moana Roa is seen fully dressed as she arrives in Auckland for her maiden arrival

Having been registered in Auckland New Zealand and flying the New Zealand flag, on August 17, 1960, the green-hulled GMV Moana Roa departed Grangemouth for her delivery voyage to her official homeport Auckland New Zealand. Having been fully supplied and made ready she would enter service the previous ships operation between Auckland and the Cook Islands.

The delightful Moana Roa is seen here in the beautiful Cook Islands

This is a colourised photograph, based on the original photo taken by the excellent photographer Bill Johnson

Captain John Hare, who had been the master of the GMV Maui Pomare, was given the command of this fine new ship, and very soon she would be operating her regular Passenger-Cargo as well as Mail services from Auckland via various Islands ports, heading to the various Islands of the Cook Islands with the last port at Avarua on the Island of Rarotonga being the main Island of the Cook Islands, before her return voyage.

The Moana Roa offered accommodation for 40 First Class passengers. Her passenger’s cabins comprised of five cabins up on Boat Deck there were four 2-berth cabins and one 4-berth cabin. On Bridge Deck there were ten 2-berth cabins and two 4-berth cabins. Her accommodations gave travellers the opportunity to travel the South Seas in far greater comfort than on board the old Maui Pomare, yet the cabins did not offer any private facilities. The cabins on Boat Deck were somewhat inboard of the lifeboats which where on their gravity davits, but cabins on Bridge Deck, being located one Deck down, offered views onto the port and the starboard alleyways.

Located at the forward end of the Bridge Deck superstructure was the Lounge and Bar. The venue was timber panelled, with the floors covered with the covering of choice of the 60s, “linoleum.” Furnishings offered were pleasant, with there being several leather-covered settees with tables, but there were mostly groups of four chairs around tables in the room. However the highlight of the venue was without a doubt the delightful Bar that was built into the aft wall. Obviously the Bar was a popular place especially when the ship was in the tropics. The Dining Room was located directly below the Lounge and the food on offer was good as was the service most respectable in every way! The Moana Roa had three hols and all cargo space, save No. 1 ‘tween deck was insulated!

Here we see the GMV in Lyttelton in the South Island and the port for the City of Christchurch

Photographer unknown – Please see Photo Notes at bottom of page

There was no doubt that as the 1970s arrived slowly things commenced to change for slowly the Moana Roa’s passenger numbers began to dwindle as the growth of airliner services to the Pacific Islands commenced to increase and as fares of airfares dropped. The other factor for all worldwide shipping was the price of fuel & oil quadrupled and also wages and maintenance costs also seemed to head into skyward trajectories. Added to this, sadly there were also the never-ending labour stoppages, for in 1972 Moana Roa was stuck for three and a half months in the Calliope Dry Dock in Auckland, the result of a dispute with the dockworkers’ union.

Finally, in August of 1972 the GMV Moana Roa headed out to sea for a day with RNZN (Royal New Zealand Navy) officers on board who were there in order to assess the ships suitability for conversion as a survey ship. Planning and decision-making in this regard continued for another long two years.

The delightful Moana Roa is seen off the coast of New Zealand

Prior to her launching there had already been s a great deal of advance advertising describing the Willem Ruys as being a worthy successor to the popular liners the MS Dempo and the Baloeran, and without doubt she proved to be a great success considering that she was one of the most luxurious ships on the service.

She returned to her regular services for the next two years, but with passengers loadings decreasing and the need of mail and cargo to the Islands slowing being transferred to the airlines, the need for In August 1974 the GMV Moana Roa’s days as a passenger-Cargo liner was about to come to an end, for on August 13, that year she arrived and berthed in Auckland at the conclusion of what turned out to be her very last commercial voyage ever. once her passengers left the ship and she discharged her cargo, the delightful Moana Roa was moved across Auckland harbour to the “Devonport Naval Base,” where her career as a merchant ship came to an end!

And here is another photo of her at Lyttelton

Photographer unknown – Please see Photo Notes at bottom of page

GMV Moana Roa Specifications:

Built at:……………………………Grangemouth Dockyard Company Ltd on the Firth of Forth, Scotland, 1960.

Yard:……………………………….526.

Launched:……………………….April 14, 1960.

Official No:……………………..315021.

Tonnage:…………………………2,893 GRT, 2,276 DWT.

Length :…………………………..90.8m - 297ft.

Beam:………………………….….14m - 46ft.

Draught:………………….………5.2m - 17ft.

Engines:………………………….Two 7-Cylinder two-stroke Clark Sulzer diesels, 3,090 BHP.

Propellers:………………………Two.

Speed:…………………………….Service speed 14 Knots, trail top speed during her sea trails, 15.12 knots.

Range:…………………………….7,800 Nautical Miles.

Passengers:…………….………40.

Crew:……………………………..Unknown.

HMNZS Monowai:

Late in 1974 the Moana Roa headed for Scotland and the Scott Lithgow Shipyards where she received a comprehensive two-year refit to transform her into a Hydrographic Survey Ship complete with a helicopter platform far aft. Then again in 1975 she was renamed the Monowai. The interiors and accommodations were rearranged to suit her new working needs.

Artist impression of the New Zealand Navy Survey Vessel HMNZS Monowai

Illustration by & © Murray Robinson

On October 4, 1977 she was officially commissioned into the New Zealand Navy as the HMNZS Monowai, pennant number AO6, with her new Call new Sign being: ZMFI. Although, she did not have the standard naval grey livery, but being an all white ship with a yellow funnel featuring the official emblem of New Zealand, the “Kiwi” its famed native flightless Bird!

It was twelve months later when HMNZS Monowai A06, was re-commissioned on 4 October, 1977. After one month of sea trials, during which HMNZS Monowai was commanded by Captain J. Somerville. Then she finally departed Greenock on November 7, 1977 bound for London and then London on December 1, 1977 she headed for her homeport Auckland in New Zealand. She visited at Gibraltar, Monaco, Suez, Bombay, Singapore as well as Cairns Australia, before she reached Auckland on February 2, 1978 and she was finally ready to commence her second incarnation of her working life.

HMNZS Monowai’s first commanding Officer as a survey ship would be Commander W.F. Jacques RNZN. She was manned with a complement of 125 officers and ratings.

She is seen here on this fine photograph

During her naval service she was known as the “Ghost of the Coast" for she quietly remapped most of the New Zealand coastline and that included the Chatham, Campbell, Auckland Islands, including the many sub-Antarctic Islands which are part of New Zealand’s responsibility.

The HMNZS Monowai also acted as a resupply vessel transporting stores and equipment to Campbell and other sub-Antarctic Islands, in addition she served as an “official residence” for VIP’s and dignitaries at various Pacific Island conferences. Other tasks she was called on where such as the following; the monitoring of Chinese missile splashdown tests, responding to Fijian military coups and to assist in the evacuation of New Zealand citizens, also participating in the ANZCAN cable route survey and assisting in international searches for sea mounts and shoals. She carried a helicopter aft and therefore undertook rescue and aid missions, saving the lives of eight people during the New Zealand to Tonga Yacht Regatta/Race. From her commissioning she served well for nine years, but the HMNZS Monowai would be replaced in 1997 by the HMNZS Resolution that was previously the USNS Tenacious.

Around 1980 the HMNZS Monowai was armed with two 20mm Oerlikons for self-defence and then in 1982, she was fitted out to carry a single Wasp helicopter. She continued around the coast of New Zealand and proved to be very successful.

Hydrographic Survey Ship, the HMNZS Monowai is seen departing Bluff in New Zealand

On February 2, 1998 close to her final days with the New Zealand Navy

From the day she first commenced operations the HMNZS Monowai served well for nine years, but it was decided in 1997 that the HMNZS Monowai would be replaced in due course by the HMNZS Resolution that was previously the USNS Tenacious.

On April 21, 1998 the Monowai was decommissioned and she was sold to British buyers, being the “Hebridean Island Cruises” and thus she headed once again to the United Kingdom where she would be converted into cruise ship. However on March 28, 2000 the Monowai had fire in the engine-room whilst she was berthed at Lowestoft awaiting her refit. Although the fire was extinguished same day, the damage proved to be extensive.

Here we see the MV Monowai laid up at Lowestoft after the engine room fire in 2000

Photographer unknown – Please see Photo Notes at bottom of page

Her owners taking in consideration the additional costs of repairs in the engine room, as well realising that the ship was in fact unsuitable for the companies needs, thus any idea of commencing the work was suspended, and in December 1998 she was laid up a shut down at Lowestoft, remaining there until 2002.

During the years she was laid up in a “Dead” State, with her engines completely shut down and the ship was without power, etc, thus she was unable to sail under her own power, unless repairs were made to her machinery. However, her owners decided to sell her in a … “as is & where is” state, thus buyers knew that she required to be towed. Then in 2002 the ex HMNZS Monowai and GMV Moana Roa was sold to Spanish ship breakers.

In October 2002, she was towed bound for El Puerto de Santa Maria, Cadiz Spain. However, she broke free whilst she was undertow in the English Channel but the French Navy came to her recue and took her undertow and took her to Brest. It was from there tugs again took charge of her and towed her to Cadiz where she was broken up in 2003.

Remembering the Little, but a Fine & Popular Small Ship - GMV Moana Roa

The wonderful GMV Moana Roa arrives fully dressed in New Zealand’s Capital, Wellington

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“Blue Water Liners sailing to the distant shores.
I watched them come, I watched them go and I watched them die.”

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