Plan To Give Help To Ships In Emergencies

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28766, 11 December 1958, Page 19

Plan To Give Help To Ships In Emergencies

The establishment of a scheme of co-ordination for giving assistance to vessels in an emergency is being investigated by the Marine Department. At no time had he adopted the attitude of “no salvage—no tug,” said the secretary-manager (Mr A L. Burk) in a report to the Lyttelton Harbour Board yesterday on the dispute over the decision not to send a tug on November 17 to the assistance of the Holm Shipping Company’s Port Waikato, whose engines had broken down 225 miles from Lyttelton on a trip from the Chatham Islands.

“The position of the Port Waikato was given as 150 miles east of Lyttelton but this position was later determined at 225 miles from Lyttelton,” said Mr Burk. "The deputy harbourmaster (Captain E. Sutherland) said that Captain J. Holm advised him that the vessel was not in distress, that it was a towage operation and he wished to know what the cost would be. I advised Captain Sutherland that I was unable to give anything in the nature of a quotation. The first consideration in a situation of this nature is to render assistance with the least possible delay and settle the matter of costs later.

“The situation confronting the acting-harbourmaster was that of a congested port and one tug in dock. In the circumstances he considered it unwise to deprive the port of the remaining tug, particularly when there were in port at the time three suitable vessels available for the work.’ Furthermore, as ’stated in the report of the acting-harbour-master, the Navua was under weigh and bound for Lyttelton and was some 60 miles closer to the actual position of the Port Waikato that any vessel in Lyttelton ”

The three vessels were the Holmburn and two naval frigates. Captain Sutherland took immediate steps to ensure that the Port Waikato received the necessary assistance. He naturally assumed that the Holm Company would allow the Holmbum to proceed to the Port Waikato, specially as the Holburn was unable to work cargo because of a labour shortage. When Captain Holm refused the necessary permission. Captain Sutherland advised the Navy officials of the situation and the frigate Kaniere proceeded to sea and towed the Port Waikato to Lyttelton. Availability of Tug

“The question of towage and salvage generally is a matter which has engaged the attention of the Harbours Association and in 1957 a move was made to establish a scheme of co-ordina-tion between harbour boards to ensure that there would always be a salvage tug available in an emergency,” reported Mr Burk. “It is accepted that harbour boards provide tugs in the first instance for harbour purposes and there is no obligation upon them as port authorities to provide vessels of suitable dimensions and

with sufficient equipment to engage on long distance ocean salvage jobs. At the same time no board in a position to do so would hesitate to render such assistance as it could in the event of an emergency.” The conference, therefore, approved in principle the establishment of a scheme of coordination for rendering assistance to vessels and the co-opera-tion of the Marine Department was sought. At a meeting of the executive of the harbours association held on November 27, the chairman of the Lyttelton board pressed for the establishment of such a scheme as approved by the conference and urged that such scheme be brought under the control and direction of the Marine Department. Captain L. Ruegg (nautical adviser to the Marine Department) was present by invitation and after addressing the meeting on the broad principles involved in rendering assistance to vessels, gave an undertaking to investigate the possibility of the establishment of such a scheme.

“The establishment of such a scheme should prove of great value both to shipowners and Harbour Boards Whose officers* both administrative and nautical, are called upon to make important decisions at very short notice,” said Mr Burk.

"Argue Afterwards” The question of towage was first raised and it was not within his province to contract the board out of its right to claim salvage or to contract the tug’s crew out of its rights, said Mr Burk, amplifying his report The circumstances were unfortunate. He had supported the deputy harbourmaster in his stand and the harbourmaster (Captain A. R. Champion) felt it would have been wrong to have left the port without a tug when other vessels could have done the towage. “If anybody wants assistance, they should get it,” said Mr Burk, “and let us argue costs afterwards.” “In the circumstances, I would have acted in exactly the same way as did the deputy harbourmaster,” said Captain Champion. “The port cannot be left without its insurance policy—the tug. There were lots of other avenues that could have been used and I am surprised at Holm and Company giving this publicity, because the board has assisted it and other companies throughout.” The main damage was done in the first place by the statement by Holm and Company, said Mr W. B. Laing. With its bunkers.

i. the tug could not have gone out t 225 miles and towed the ship j. in. It would have been' funny s if the tug itself had had to be 1 towed in. i “The Port Waikato has broken - down regularly on the Chatham t Islands run,” said Mr Laing. “It * has been said that one day she i will break down and won’t ret turn. “If there had been any r danger to the crew and passengi, ers, the tug would have gone out