TOUR DE CÓTES.
The regular coastal sea traffic in New Caledonia commenced a little after 1865, after the first European settlers arrived. The trade started with the use of small schooners, which transported all kind of goods and passengers to the small remote villages along the coast.
Before the only mean of transport was by horse.
1896 The Ballanda company bought the SAINT-ANTOINE a steamship and used her in the coastal trade along the coast of New Caledonia.
Then was formed the Union Commerciale et de Navigation Calédonienne (UCNC), and three vessels were transferred to the new formed company the LE EMI, SAINT-PIERRE and SAINT-ANTOINE repurchased by Ballande.
1923 The shipping company UCNC was replaced/renamed in Tour de Côtes (STC), with a total of capital shares of 1200.
The crew of the SAINT-ANTOINE is made up of forty men.
Accommodation for passengers is supplied in spacious and comfortable cabins, divided in two classes.
The SAINT-ANTOINE had several steam-boilers which were fired by coal.
Arrival of a ship of the company Tour de Côtes is a large event in the small ports, bringing with them the mails, pensions and arrests warrants, orders and money orders. She is loading mainly copra and specially the trocas for her return voyage.
On the East coast she load mostly coffee
1928 The SAINT-ANTOINE stranded without any loss of crew of passengers, but the ship was lost.
She was replaced by the MAWATTA, but she is too large and expensive to exploit, also a world coffee crises accelerate the difficulties to exploit the vessel.
1936 The shipping company Tour the Côtus was gone.
The vessel depict on the stamp is the SAINT-PIERRE, why she is depict and not the SAINT-ANTOINE, I don’t know.
Built as a steel & iron cargo vessel under yard No 197 by J.W. Klawitter, Danzig for Behnke & Sieg, Danzig.
Launched under the name BALDER.
Tonnage 731 gross, dim. 177.0 x 27.0ft.
One triple expansion steam engine ?hp speed 8.5 knots.
1895 Delivered to owners.
1896 Sold to L. Ballande fils ainé, Nouméa, renamed SAINT PIERRE.
1902 Sold to Union Commerciale de Nav. Calédonienne, Nouméa.
First quarter of 1927 broken up.
New Caledonia 2005 75F sg?, scott ?
Source: Register of Merchant ships completed in 1895.