Chinese Crew Engaged For Phosphate Freighter

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29841, 6 June 1962, Page 12

Chinese Crew Engaged For Phosphate Freighter

(New Zealand Press Association)

DUNEDIN, June 5 With a new crew of Chinese flown from Hong Kong, the British freighter Cape Clear is expected to sail tomorrow for Nauru for another phosphate cargo Since she arrived at Lyttelton almost a month ago the Cape Clear has had more than her share of crew troubles. About 10 days ago. after

she had completed unloading her cargo at Dunedin, her master. Captain T. Edge, announced that because of “hooliganism and general misbehaviour of the majority of the crew.” the owners, the Lyle Shipping Company, of Glasgow, had decided to flj the crew back to the United Kingdom and to fly out a new crew from Hong Kong. Apart from four men who are in gaol after admitting charges of disobedience, the former crew left Dunedin last week, and the new crew arrived here on Monday. Although Captain Edge paid a tribute to the loyalty of his Arab engine-room crew, these men were also flown home because of difficulties which might have arisen with the new Chinese crew.

The Cape Clear arrived at Lyttelton with a cargo of Nauru phosphate almost a month ago, during the fertiliser strike. The. first indication of trouble on the New Zealand coast was at Lyttelton when four seamen refused to assist it taking the ship from the wharf to anchorage in the stream.

After the ship arrived in Dunedin four of the crew were before the Court and gaoled on disobedience charges. Today the new crew brought the Cape Clear up from the Ravensbourne fertiliser wharf to Victoria wharf for bunkers and stores.