Shipping News

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33918, 11 August 1975, Page 5

Shipping News

\ isitors* courtesy impressive

'By

JOHN LESLIE)

Although no selfrespecting seaman would refer to his vessel as a

"boat” — which is something to row. or sail in the bath — the colloquial or tourist term "banana boat” might be applied to Ecuador’s first merchant vessel, as far as records show, to call at Lyttelton. She is the Italian-built motorvessel Rio Amazonas ißiver Amazon*, uf 6625 tons, now discharging Ecuadorian bananas. Xot only is this immaculate, white-hulled, sharply streamlined v esse! owned by Flotta Bananera Ecuadoriana; there is something; else worthy of mention. ft is the matter of good manners. For example. Captain C. Moran, the master, from Guayaquil, who is married with two teen-age daughters, not only spoke fluent English, besides tlu customary Spanish used in Ecuador. but was most co-operative when the writer called aboard, and even escorted the writer to the gangway on leaving. This could be taken two ways, ofj • ourse; but others who boarded the Rio Amazonas noted the courtesy of these Ecuadorians. On completion of local dis-, < harge. the Rio Amazonas will load paper at Tauranga for Ecuador Ecuador had about 250.000 tons ■gross* of merchant shipping, Captain Moran said. His com- 1 pany had another “banana boat,*’ but was building two more. The

country’s shipping also included tankers, and general cargo earners. American petroleum interests were bringing good business to Ecuador, said Captain Moran. Mostly Ecuadorians served in the Ecuadorian Merchant Service, he said. Moran, by the way, is a good, solid. Ecuadorian name teven if it sounds Irish) and is well known, like Smith. Jones or Brown, according to Captain. Moran. Ecuador, with a population of 7m people, linked the Galapagos Islands i population 10,000>. 600 miles distant, by a ferry service, said Captain Moran. -Passengers who have travelled the PanamaXew Zealand route may recall sighting the low-lying Galapagos Islands, on occasions' Many tourists now went to the Galapagos Islands Captain Moran said Reverting to the subject of good manners, Captain Moran

expressed his delight, on his I first visit to Lyttelton, at receiv-i] tng a telegram of welcome from: the chairman of the Lyttelton] Harbour Board (Mr J. Brandi. He had never experienced this i before anywhere in the world, he I; said—and is one of many l foreign first callers who havejj mentioned this to the writer. It is the Harbour Board's pol-J Icy to promote courtesy, through 11

its staff, in the interests, of port promotion, for the benefit of Canterbury generally. By and large, if not entirely, the board succeeds admirable, and is to be commended. A welcome telephone caller on Friday was Mr D S. Walker, languages master of Mairehau High School, for he has close . links with the port. Some three rears ago, Mr Walker approached the Lyttelton office of “The Press’* for help in providing linguistic study facilities with visiting foreigners, for senior pupils of his progressive “language laboratory.’’ Through the initial assistance of Kinsey and Company, Ltd. shipping agents, much in international good will and understanding has been achieved, with cultural and sports contacts between Mairehau High School and visiting foreign seafarers. This year alone, in their own I •’are time. Mairehau senior ipils have been in contact with i2 different vessels, their latest addition having been a Polish vessel. But they are familiar with Russian, Yugoslav, Italian, French, and Scandinavian vessels. Mairehau High School teaches Russian. German, and French. A future possibility is Italian. Mr Walker recently broke away from his successful maritime role to act as interpreter for the visiting French Rugby league team when it was in; Christchurch. Mr Walker, besides! French, speaks Russian and Italian. ARRIVALS

Saturday Rangatira <6.38 a.m.), 9387, Capt. J. D. Cleaver. Wellington (U.S.S.). Recife Maru (9.27 a.m.), 7772,: Capt. Y. Mori. Wellington <Sea- ■ trans*. Sunday Rangatira (6.38 a.m.), 9387,: Capt. J. D. Cleaver, Wellington! (V.S.S.). Anyuy *8.25 a.m.), 3468, Dune-! din -Scales*. (Tanker.) Aegis Beauty <3.33 p.m.), 8351, -Picton (Scales*. DEPARTURES Saturday Rangatira *9.14 a.m.). 9387/ Capt. J. D. Cleaver, Wellington! -U.S.Sj. (Daylight). Silver Fem (3.14 p.m.). 5027, Capt. Chen Sin Kwang. Timaru. ! (X.S.S.* Sunday Rangatira »8.5 p.m.*. 9387. Capt. J. D. Cleaver, Wellington (U.S.Sj. i EXPECTED ARRIVALS

lonic. Auckland, today. Coastal Trader, Auckland, today. Hamilton Marsden Point. August 12. (Tanker.) Rangatira. Wellington. August : 12. Straat Frazer. Wellington, August 13. * Laurentic, New Plymouth, Aug. 13. Podgora, Dunedin, August 13. i Holmdale. Chathams, August 13.

| Erne, Marsden Point, August 13 (Tanker). Hobart Star. Dunedin. August 13/ Union Sydney, Wellington. Aug-i ust 14. Ngakuta. Dunedin, August 15. i Union Wellington. Wellington,! August 15. Madison Lloyd. Wellington, Aug. I 15. PROJECTED DEPARTURES i Rockhampton Star, today. Rio Amazonas, Tauranga. today.: ■Coastal Trader, Dunedin, today. : Rangatira. Wellington, August' 12. Vishva Chetana. Dunedin. August 13. Hamilton. Dunedin, August 13.! (Tanker.) .Hobart Star. Dunedin, August 13.1 Aegis Beautv. Shanghai. August! 13. ’Union Sydnev, Wellington, Aug/l 14. Erne. Dunedin. August 14! (Tanker). Podgora, Auckland. August 15. ! I Straat Frazer. Napier. August 15. ! Union Wellington. Wellington,! August 15. VESSELS IN PORT Rockhampton Star, No. 1 Cashin Quay. Rio Amazonas, G.P.E. Vishva Chetana. No. 7 East. !