Nauru's growing merchant service

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33741, 14 January 1975, Page 17

Nauru's growing merchant service

SHIPPING NEWS

(By

JOHN LESLIE)

The Nauru Pacific Line has a fleet of six vessels today with more tonnage in the offing, according to Captain K. Brewer of the huge bulk carrier Nolle I), at Gladstone Pier.

Captain Brewer. English-bom. with an adult fainih. some I where in his sixties. and dot * not wanf to retire because lie like.* the sea too much Seafarers who have tried shove life understand this problem, hut some ’lune their cake and eat it too.** b\ dwelling al) da\ with ships and sailormen but going home every night. ( aptain Brewer, who has IK ed in Australia for 40 yeais. due* not want < onipronu.>c Mt hough he began his seafaring career in the Bank Line. Captain Brevet . has spent most of his life in tankers. The Nauruan Ensign is no stranger to Lyttelton. The company is progressing welt accord ing to Captain Biewer. It includes the Kolle D.. Japanese-built with i a dead-weight capacity of 31,953 ! tons, and less than two years old. She is the only exclusively ■ bulk carrier in the fleet; the ! others are mainly all-purpose i carriers. .Another noted vessel is the ' Enna G. which carries 125 passengers regularly between Melbourne and Sydney and Fiji. Today New Zealand has no regular passenger service to toe Pacific Islands The Tofua was the last which filled this role New Zealanders must now cruise by British or foreign liner or fly. A third vessel, the Rosie 1) . which also has limited passenger accommodation, has \ (sited Lyttelton in the past Another vessel, the Cenpae Roundoff which carries about 90 pasesngers. links the Pacific Islands. The Tryphena is another carrier and the Eigamoxa , (Nauru’s first queen) has limited passenger accommodation. Their trade is mostly in the Pacific and include.*- trips to Japan. Even fhe Kolle D. has limited passenger accommodation, if its urgently needed. The Kolle D.. with bulk phosphate from Nauru for Lyttelton | (to lighten draught), Timaru and now piuff is idle at present through a labour shortage in a busy port. She was drawing 35ft Sin (maximum) when piloted inwards by the Harbourmaster (Captain D. Holden) on Sunday morning. Captain Holden has only piloted one deeper vessel into Lyttelton, namely a tanker drawing 36 feet. Yesterday at Lyttelton a former tanker officer now resident of Christchurch recalled seeing the giant tanker Globtik London (British) loading to a draught of 68 feet at Ras Tanura in the Arabian Gulf last year.

Most of Nauru’s merchant fleet is manned by Australian officers, but not entirely. For instance, the Kolle D. has a Swedish chief officer. The crew, who live in luxurious conditions, comprise. Filipinos, Tongans, Gilbert and Ellice Islanders, men from the British Solomons and Fiji A few Nauruans are in the fleet, but Nauru is a prosperous island with ofher work, so Nauruans do not have to go to sea, and are well in the minority. The: vessels are mainly named after Nauruan chieftains or their families. ARRIVALS Rangatira <6.33 a.m.), 9387, Capt A. F. Mclntyre, Wellington (U.S.S.). Coastal Trader. (6.57 2499.1 Capt. J. Taylor. Auckland (U.S.S.). DEPARTURES Rangatira <9.6 a.m.), 9387, Capt. A. F. Mclntyre, Wellington (U.S.S.k (Daylight.!

Coastal Trade, <3 pm.i. 2499. ' apl 1 Payloi Dunedin (I S.S ■ Woosung i 6.2” p in . 8475. Capt o \ i' 1 ' - ' Fry sna i7.4u p.m. . 298. Capt Kepueli Funak. Tauranga N.S.S EXPECTED ARRIVALS Tacoma Maui. Wellington to day Hamilton Mai>den Point, today Rangatira Wellington. toda\ Hawea. Auckland Jamia: \ 15. Rangatira. Wellington. lamian 15 <l)avlight i Coastal Tradet Timaru Januarv 15 Rangatira. Wellington. lanuan 16. (Daylight • Apollonian Grace, Los Angeles. January )' ( Zira. Auckland. Januarv 18 C Joyce. Singapore, .lanuan 18. Rangatiira, Wellington. Januarv 18 Rangatina. Wellington, .lanuan 19. Aegis Kudu, Neu Plymouth. January 20. (Bulk). > Abel Tasman. Newcastle. January 20. PROJECTED DEPARTURES ! Rangatira. Wellington. today, jRy tie rf. jell. Port Kembla. today. Prima Marti. Japan, todax. [Bakke Cooler. January 15. j Hamilton, Timaru. Januaiy 15. (Tanker.) Hawea Wellington. January 15. Belblue. Dunedin, January 15 (Bulk.) Rangatira. Wellington Januarv 15 Belblue. Dunedin. January 16 Rangatira. Wellington. Januarv 16. Kolle D , Timaru, Januaiv 16. (Bulk.* ICarpentaria. Auckland. Januaiv 16. Coastal Trader, Auckland, January 16. Japan Kauri. New Plymouth. January 17. Rangatiira. Wellington, January 18. (Daylight). Rangatiira, Wellington, January 19. (Daylight). Apollonian Grace, Auckland, January 21. Aegis Kudu, Japan, January 21. (Bulk). Abel Tasman, Auckland, January 22.

VESSELS IN PORT Adelaide Star, No. 1 Cashin Quay. Baake Cooler, No. 3 Cashin Quay. Kolle D., G.P.E. Rytterfjell, No. 1 B.W Prima Maru, No. 2 East. Belblue No. 3 West. Mil bum Carrier, No. 4 West. < Survey.) Holmdale. No. 6 West. Carpentaria, No. 7 East Japan Kauri, No. 7 West.