Ships ease burdens at Lyttelton

Press, 22 December 1978, Page 11

Ships ease burdens at Lyttelton

Lyttelton is now established t as a •’first cal] lightening off” 1 port for phosphate, because its big working draught makes it t abi e to accommodate the bigger I bulk carriers loaded too heavily 1 for otnep ports. ; j The Consolidated Venture,; from Christmas Island, and thejl Kolle D. from Nauru Island, 11 were both in port this week to’s lighten their loads—before mov-jl ing on to other ports. ; i The Jebsens bulk carrier P Beynes is also due at Lyttelton; on December 28 with phosphate! from Nauru Island. It too will discharge some of its cargo : before moving on. Some of the phosphate vessels! return with a back cargo of! water for the phosphate islands. The Kolle D took a full load of i water from Nelson on her last voyage, not entirely to the satis- ' faction of Nelson residents who were coping with hosing restric- • tions at the time. Another British Phosphate j Commission ship, the Vaietta, was a regular water carrier uh- < til she was sent to the breakers recently. During her final days she 1 achieved distinction by carrying bulk export water from Whangarei for the first and last time in two years. Tlte Vaietta loaded 2.5 M cu, m. of water for Nauru and the Ban- ; aba Islands, but manning nrob- , 1 lems prompted the harbourmaster to discontinue tht ser*| ( v Ice. Captain P. X, McKellar said: that the port would continue toj supply ships’ domestic needs, but j other places were better suited ■ ’ to supply bulk export water. i One of these is Tauranga, where the Vaietta loaded 6M cu. m Without adv further problems. The port 6f Tauranga has embarked on an extensive cargo 1 diversification programme with <

the approval of the New Zealand! Ports Authority. Approval has been given for! the construction of a specialised, berth for bulk cement/tanker. vessels, a new tU£ berth, a new jetty, and launching tamps. Salt has flowed steadily through Tauranga from Port; Hedland in Western Australia : and Bonaire Island in the Caribbean. for processing at the Dominion Salt refinery at Mount i i Maungann.L ❖ ❖ * ARRIVALS : Lindfield 11 a.m.) ? 6089, from) ,'sea Capt J A. Williams (S.C.! ; n.zj. DEPARTURES | Novaltaisk (6 p.m.l, 5820, Melbourne, Capt. Nikolav Leventov (Seales). Lindfield (9 p.nl,), 6089, New Plymouth (S.C.N.Z.). EXPECTED ARRIVALS Hotodaie, Chatham Islands, today. Kweichow, Auckland, December! 23. Iron Baron, Wellington, Decern-1 ber 23. Southland Star, Suva. December! 24. Jervis Bay, Wellington, Decern-’ ber 25. Remuera Bay, from sea. December 26. .Megantic, from sea, December 26. PROJECTED DEPARTURES Southland Star, Wellington. December 24. 1 Jervis Bay, Australia. December ; 27, i Megantic, Auckland, December ! 28. I Iron Baron. Australia, December 28. Kweichow, Mount Maunganui, December 29 Remuera Bay, Wellington, January .1. VESSELS IN PORT Kolle D. No. 2 East. Coastal Ranger, No. 2 West. ’