Shipping News

Press, 21 April 1979, Page 20

Shipping News

Talking to the officers

Only the Holmdale in the Union Steam Ship Company fleet, now at Lyttelton, qualifies for the special set of instructions to passengers on how to converse with the ship's officers. The Holmdale seldom carries passengers but she did carry soldiers to the Chatham Islands a few months ago. The instructions for passengers are believed to have been written in the early 19205. “The discussion, of political or other abstruse questions is absolutely fatal to an officer’s usefulness and may render him incapable of coherent thought or action for some time after the discussion,” they say. “Any senior officer will be glad to tell you what kind of weather we will have tomorrow or even; next week. If he feels well he can tell you the depth of the ocean at any spot you may specify. “The course steered he usually knows within a few points, but if any question is to be asked on the subject, he should always have a few minutes notice so as to pull his wits together. ! "Any ladies who may re-

quire informatidrt on *stfo< nomieal subjects can have i| free of charge and/ oft ’ th| first clear night, any officei will be only too happy to point out Orion, the moon, the goose or any other obi jects <if -interest.

“This is no trouble to him; he can do it with one hand if he has the other disen< gaged at the time. He is pen fectly at home in explaining the cause of phosphoresence in the water and will gladly lean over the rail with any young lady and explain man ters.

“The chief engineer will be glad to unmuzzle his wisdom regarding his own depart* ment but he is not supposed to know anything beyond that. Passengers may feel in< dined to put him at ease by asking him how the old coffee mill is getting along, or if he is using all his cylinders and if these are th« boilers where you see those things going up and down? “The company tries to meet all tastes by supplying several brands of captains, We have the ‘jolly dog’ fot patronage by commercial men, tourists, and priests. “The ‘soberside’ for elderly ladies and gentlemen; the ‘God-fearing captain’ to watch over Salvation Army warriors, Wesleyan ministers and Christian young men.

“Then we have the ‘old fossil’ and ffire and brimstone’ employed mostly on the West Coast and coal trades.” ARRIVALS Union Lyttelton (9 a m), 4300, 'u e s li sf t ® tt ' Capt C ’ J Mur Phs' DEPARTURES Union Lyttelton (8 p.m 4500. Dunedin (U.S.S.). EXPECTED ARRIVALS Asakaze Maru. Bluff, todav. Ngapaca. Tauianaa, April 23 Sevllian Reefer, Auckland April 23. Trader, Auckland. April Measiniaki AlgU, tanker, Bahrain April 23 Union Lyttelton. Dunedin. Apn) Hero) senjanovic, Dun Min, April 25. Anco Endeavour. chemical tanker, from sea April 25 Coastal Trader, Dunedin. April 25. Wellington Star, Suva. April 15. Flinders Bay. Wellington. April 26. PROJECTED DEPARTURES Coastal Trader. Dun*dln. April 23. Hanka Sawicka, Tauranga, April 23 Messiniakl Aigli, for sea. April Union Lyttelton, Wellington April 24. Coastal Trader. Auckland. April 25. April 25. Asakaze Maru. Japan. April it Wellington Star. Wallington Flinders Bay Tor sea. April 26 VESSELS IN PORT ! Hanka Sawicka, Cashin Quay Nq 2. IKolle D No. 2 East. I Holmdale. No 3 East. (Khudozhnlk Deyneka, No. I West, '