Tug master upset by Harbour Board

Press, 29 May 1981, Page 6

Tug master upset by Harbour Board

Lyttelton Harbour Board members living in their ivory towers had no feeling for the port, said the master of the former board tug. Lvttelton 11.

Captain J. F. E. Crawford, who returned from Australia last. week, was disgusted with the attitude of the board over the recent voyage of the vessel to Australia where she arrived with a minimal amount of coal in her bunkers.

The tug was being delivered to a preservation society in Australia, and .because of trouble with the quality of the coal she had to use jury-rigged sails to help get her' across the Tasman.

Board members taxed the crew of the tug with “squealing" over the standard of the coal.

“The board made a series of comments about the voyage without 'approaching me." Captain- Crawford said. "They were talking about things they knew nothing about."

Captain Crawford said that

several persons had been approached about the type of coal to use on the Tasman voyage and it had been decided to buy a mixture of Strongman and Charming Creek coal. "We even had advice from the Coal Research Institute," Captain Crawford said. He said that on the first part of the trip to Westport the tug was using 10 tonnes of coal a day at an average speed of 7:6 knots. At Westport they, took on a new supply of the same Strong-man-Charming Creek mix, but on the Tasman leg of the journey they' were using 17 tonnes a day and attaining only five knots. "We proved that the mixture was all' right on our voyage to Westport. It was the poor grade coal we received when we bunkered there that caused all the trouble,” said Captain Crawford.

The poor quality coal contained rock, with some boulders the size of a football.

I had a look over the coal

on the wharf at Westport but it is difficult to gauge the quality when it is heaped in a 40-tonne pile and every-, thing is wet. therefore dis-: guising the stones," said Cap-; tain Crawford. “All the seamen manning; the Lyttelton were doing so! in theit - own time, and for: nothing. More than half are! board employees. ...... | "They worked like Trojans ‘ during the voyage especially in the letter stages when we had to man-handle 26 tonnes of emergency supplies from* the hold where the coal was stored in bags; and this wasdone while the’ decks were ■awash., ’ :< ;■ "Yet the board turns round and says that we are ‘squeal- 1 ?ing’ about the quality of the coal. Not a word was said. It was great working with 19 other people all keen to do a good' job and get the.''tug safely to port.” . If the board showed more loyalty to its employees it. would be a better board to work for. said Captain Crawford.