SHIPPING NEWS

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33158, 23 February 1973, Page 4

SHIPPING NEWS

Harbourmaster back from Antarctica

The Lyttelton Harbourmaster I (Captain D. Holden) returned | home from Antarctica early yes- | terday morning with only one i aim, to have a good sleep. Cap- ■ tain Holden, aged 59. who was I appointed harbourmaster in 1967, | had by that time piloted more •than 28m gross tons of shipping, ■ but this figure has vastly in- . creased since then, even though ; a harbourmaster’s opportunities I for piloting are less, because of i administrative duties. I Last Saturday he flew to Antarctica aboard a United 1 States Navy Hercules to pilot the 1630 ft American tanker Maumee to her berth in Winter Quarters Bay. Captain Holden has piloted many tankers in and out of Lyttelton, but piloting the Maumee was something new. The Maumee’s master had, as a matter of prudence, asked for a pilot on this occasion. Arriving at Winter Quarters Bay on Sunday morning, after the plane had been delayed by returning to Dunedin for more fuel, Captain Holden briefly inspected the berthage facilities, and environment, then flew to the icebreaker Northwind by helicopter. The Northwind put him alongside the Maumee, and by noon he had piloted the large tanker seven miles to her berth, without incident. He also piloted the Maumee seaward again on Wednesday morning after discharge. She was bound for the United States. Again he was taken aboard the Northwind and brought into Winter Quarters Bay. Although everything went smoothly, such an operation required skill and long experience. Lyttelton's confined waters are an excellent training ground for this work. During his spare time, waiting for return to Lyttelton by air. Captain Holden visited Scott Base, looked around generally, and also spent more time aboard the Northwind, an interesting experience, he said. Piloting a large tanker carrying a record 7m gallons of aviation, diesel, and marine fuel is always an exacting business, but performing this task in Antarctic waters in confined areas, and berthing her with the comparatively limited facilities available, calls for a little extra. Captain Holden will be in his office again as usual; early this morning. * * * Lyttelton had a big surplus of waterfront labour (444 men) yesterday. The Lyttelton Harbour Board’s traffic manager (Mr J. B. Graham) expects a reasonable improvement next week, based on present programming. Only 145 men were engaged at 7 a.m. Two Bathurst class, minesweepers of the Royal New Zealand Navy, on routine operational tasks, are due at Lyttelton. H.M.N.Z.S. Kiama will call briefly today for bunkers only. Tomorrow, H.M.N.Z.S. Inverell is due. She sails again next Wednesday. Next week should bring a trio of American vessels. The Coast Guard’s icebreaker Burton Island j is due on Monday, and another ; icebreaker, the Northwind, is also due next week. Both are homeward bound from Antarctica. Another ship is due from i Antarctica—on her first visit to ' Lyttelton—on Tuesday. She is the 6281-ton (gross), deep-sea drilling i vessel Glomar Challenger, de- | signed by Global Marine and launched at Orange (Texas) in 1968. The Glomar Challenger ran drill in water 20,000 ft deep, and 2500 ft into the seabed. This ultimately determines the age and movement of the seabed She will return to Antarctica on March 1. * ❖ * The ashes of the late Mr Thomas Andrew White, formerly I a master stevedore in the Shaw Savill and Albion Line, Ltd, at Lyttelton, were scattered at sea on Saturday by Captin F. M Dickenson, master of the company’s lonic, after the vessel left Lyttelton for Tauranga. One of Lyttelton’s most respected shipping stalwarts bv employer and employee alike, Mr White died in December, aged 69. Born in Edinburgh. Mr White served aboard three Shaw Savill and Albion Line vessels as a I voung m an They were the' Mahana. Waimana, and the' Tamaroa. * * * ARRIVALS Hawea 16.27 a. mJ. 2926. Capt. C. J. Murphy, Dunedin (U.S.S.). I Storm (7.55 p.m.), 931. Capt. D. Mackay, Gisborne (U.S.S.). |

Rangatira (6.48 p.m ), 9387. Capt. A. F Mclntyre, Wellington (U.S.S.) (Daylight.) DEPARTURES Carronbank (12.2 p.m.). 8620, Capt. H. J. Taylor, Bluff (Kinsey). Hawea (4.50 p.m.), 2926. Capt. C. J. Murphy, Sydney (U.S.S.). Rangatira <9 p.m.), 9387 Capt. A. F. Mclntyre, Wellington (U.S.S.). EXPECTED ARRIVALS Holmlea, Wellington, todav. Tawanui, Tauranga, today. Awanui, Auckland, today. H.M.N.Z.S. Kiama, sea, today. Rangatira, Wellington, Feb. 24. H.M.N.Z.S. Inverell, sea, Feb. 24. Megantic, Dunedin. Feb. 24. Kaimiro. Tauranga. Feb. 25. Straat Clarence, Fiji, Feb. 25. Belle Isle, Auckland. Feb. 25. Rangatira, Wellington. Feb. 25. Wanaka, Auckland, Feb. 26. U.S.C.G.C. Burton Island, Antarctica, Feb. 26. Belita, Ocean Island, Feb. 27. Glomar Challenger. Antarctica, Feb. 27. Holmdale. Nelson, Feb. 27. Suevic, Napier, Feb. 28. Maheno, Wellington, March 2. U.S.C.G.C. Northwind, Antarctica. March 3. Rytternes, Dunedin, March 4. Loire Lloyd, Wellington, March ,4. Union New Zealand. Adelaide, March 5. Dona Clausen, Geelong, March 6. Hawea, Sydney, March 6. Straat Colombo, Wellington, March 7. Hobart Star, Bluff, March 7. Port New Plymouth, Picton, March 7. Chilean Reefer, Auckland, March 7. Woollahra, Wellington, March 8. Wenchow. Wellington. March 9. Teesta, Wellington, March 9. Mexico Maru, Wellington, March 9. Patonga, Wellington March 12. Union Trans Tasman, Adelaide, March 12. Nessbank, Wellington, March 13. Straat Luzon, Wellington, March 15. Leuve Lloyd. Wellington, March 15. Canterbury Star, Wellington, March 18. Gladstone Star, Wellington, March 21. Straat Chatham, Wellington, March 22. PROJECTED DEPARTURES H.M.N.Z.S. Kiama, sea, todav. Tawanui. Auckland, todav. Holmlea, Wellington, today. Storm. Dunedin, today. Rangatira, Wellington, Feb. 24 (daylight). Awanui, Tauranga. Feb. 24. Rangatira, Wellington. Feb. 25. Wanaka, Dunedin, Feb. 26 Kaimiro, Dunedin. Feb. 27. Belle Isle, Sydney. Feb. 27. Straat Clarence, Auckland. Feb. 27. Megantic, Napier, Feb. 28. Belita, Dunedin, Feb. 28. H.M.N.Z.S. Inverell, sea, Feb. 28. Holmdale, Chathams, March 1. Glomar Challenger, . Mar. 1. U.S.C.G.C. Burton Island, Wellington, March 2. Maheno, Sydney, March 2. Suevic, Dunkirk, March 4. U.S.C.G.C. Northwind United States, March 5. Rytternes, Napier, March 6. Katea, Tauranga. March 6. Hawea. Dunedin. March 6. Dona Clausen. Peru, March 6 I Straat Colombo. Tauranga, March 8. 'Chilean Reefer, Bluff - , March 8 ; Hobart Star, New Plymouth, March 9. ;Port New Plymouth, Timaru, March 9 i Woollahra Dunedin. March 9 (Union New Zealand, Wellington, March 9. • Loire Lloyd. Dunkirk, March 10. Wenchow, Napier, March 12. Nessbank. Dunedin, March 13. Mexico Maru, Dunedin. March 13. Teesta. Napier, March 14. Patonga. Dunkirk, March 15. Leuve Lloyd, Timaru, March 16. Straat Luzon Dunedin, March 20. Canterbury Star, Bluff, March 20. VESSELS IN PORT Storm, No. 7 East.