Tabakea (Landing Craft) 1967

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Arturo
Posts: 723
Joined: Mon Feb 13, 2012 8:11 pm

Tabakea (Landing Craft) 1967

Post by Arturo » Wed Apr 09, 2014 5:36 pm

Tabakea is a landing craft built in England in 1967.

She is 631 tons, 63 feet long and powered by 2-168 hp Gardner Engines. Speed; 8 knots.

Tabakea meens “Turtle God”

Kiribati, 1979, S.G.?, Scott; 339

Source: Watercraft Philately
Attachments
Tabakea.jpg

aukepalmhof
Posts: 7771
Joined: Thu Apr 02, 2009 1:28 am

Re: Tabakea (Landing Craft) 1967

Post by aukepalmhof » Tue Dec 27, 2016 8:55 pm

The TABAKEA (turtle) was built as a landing craft ferry on a yard in Twickenham, near London in 1967 I believe for the British Government, at that time Kiribati was still a colony of Great Britain and became independent in 1979.

After arrival in the Gilbert Island as Kiribati was known, she was used in the passenger-vehicle ferry service on the Tarawa lagoon between the commercial islet of Betio and the administrative islet of Bairiki a passage of about 20 minutes.
Occasional she made voyages to the two nearest outer islands, a passage of around two days, where she loaded huge loads of pandanus thatch, which is used as roofing material in Tarawa. It was a light load so the pandanus could be loaded very high, and the ship then resembles more like a floating haystack.

I could not find anything more on the ship, fate unknown.

https://www.britishempire.co.uk/article ... seadog.htm

Sources: Log Book 9/21 and internet
Gilbert Island 1976 $1 sg37, scott?, Kiribati 1979 $1 sg98, scott339 and 1981 $1 sg023
Attachments
1976 tabakea.jpg
1981 tabakea.jpg

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