JUBILEE DOCK

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 105, 30 October 1931, Page 12

JUBILEE DOCK

TESTS ON ARRIVAL

VESSEL TO BE "LIFTED"

In terms of the contract", before dolivery is taken by the Wellington Harbour Board of the. big Jubilee floating dock, now en route to Wellington, tests will be made. One will be the trial docking of a ship of approximately 10,000 tons, and it was reported at Wednesday's meeting of the board that the Xew Zealand Stripping Co., subject to one condition, had offered the board the use of one of its vessels. Tin; Hctiiig-clr.urmau of the board i (Mr. 11. i). Ueimett) referred lo the i cable message published last Friday,; I stating that after staying a few days Ito enable Hie tugboats to be docked, j il-its big doi'k left IJiilnvia lioads on I 2-nd October in continuation of its, j voyage. It was though! that I'or fur-| I thcr information as to the dock's jiroI gress the- board would be dependent upon passing vessels, although a report might be received from Thursday Island when the dock was in that vicinity. In connection with the arrival of the dock at Wellington, Mr. Bennett sairl that under a condition in the contract the board was not required to take over the dock until it had been tested, and part of the testing would be the trial docking of a ship of approximately 10,000 tons weight. Members would recollect that some discussion had taken place as to how that was to bo done, and the suggestion was made by Mr. C. M. Turrell, traffic manager of the Kew Zealand Shipping Co., that his company might come to the rescue and offer the board a ship for the purpose. Tin! board was required to supply a ship for the use of the contractors, and the responsibility for tho dock would not pass to the board until the tests had been carried out satisfactorily. Mr. Turrell had undertaken to make inquiries, and ho would ask Mr. Turrell to report to the board. Mr. Turroll said that a cable messago was sent to tho London office of tho New Zealand Shipping Co., and. a reply had been received that, provided the preliminary testing of tho dock was satisfactory, authority was given to the New Zealand head office to supply a ship to bo lifted by the dock. At the time the dock would bo ready for tho tost it was expected that the board would bo able to have the choice of three ships—the Otaio, tho Opawa, and tho Remuera —all of which bore New Zealand uavnes appropriate to the occasion and whose tonnage was from eight to ten thousand. Mr. Bennett, Mr. G. A. Troup, Captain C. F. Post, Captain Macindoe, and other members of the board expressed appreciation of tho New Zealand Shipping Company's generous offer, and a resolution to this effect was carried. Captain Maeinddo said ho hoped for I sentimental reasons, which lie explained, that the vessel selected would be the Bemuera.