British tanker off Heads

Press, 13 February 1981, Page 4

British tanker off Heads

The Shell tanker Euplecta, another casualty of the world-wide industrial dispute between the British National Union of Seamen and their employers, the General Council of British Shipping, arrived off the Lyttelton Heads yesterday morning only to be forced to anchor outside the harbour.

The- 19,763-ton Eupleota anchored about 5.30 a.m., having been allowed to berth at the Lyttelton oil wharf because of fears she would block it if her British crew refused to allow her to sail in accordance With union directives.

The Euplecta, which arrived direct from Singapore, has 7000 tonnes of Jet Al fuel and about 4000 tonnes of Gasoil to discharge at Lyttelton. EVen if the strike should be settle: today, it appears unlikely that the Euplecta will be able to discharge her cargo until perhaps Tuesday? “The-oil wharf is heavily committed” said the Harbourmaster (Captain J. A. Barbour. The frigate Otago

was scheduled at the wharf today to bunker, and H.M.N.Z.S. Taranaki would occupy the wharf tomorrow, also for bunkering. The Union- Steam Ship company’s Marama is scheduled to bunker on .Sunday and on Monday the company’s tanker Kuaka is scheduled to arrive to discharge petroleum products.

~The<; Euplecta brings to four the number of vessels at Lyttelton affected by the dispute. The container ship Australia Star, ready to sail, has been delayed by the dispute, as has another Blue Star vessel, the .Almeria Star, which has been in port since January 9 to load meat for Iran. The Almeria Star has about one more full day’s loading to be ready for sailing. . , The other affected vessel is the Overseas Container Lines’ Remuera Bay, which has already taken on about four times the cargo she had been expected to load at Lyttelton, ' including frozen meat for the United Kingdom and the Continent.