EXPERIMENTAL CARGO OF TIMBER TO GO FROM TAURANGA

Greymouth Evening Star, 11 October 1948, Page 3

EXPERIMENTAL CARGO OF TIMBER TO GO FROM TAURANGA

(P.A.) AUCKLAND, October 10. The Sleigh Line steamer James Cook arrived at Tauranga from Auckland on Saturday afternoon to mark the opening of a significant phase in the port’s development. The 7208-ton vessel, the largest to visit Tauranga, will load an experimental shipment of more than 1,000,000, feet of timber for Australia. Her visit will enable forestry, harbour, and other interests to test the port’s suitability for such ships, and if the experiment is successful, Tauranga may become a leading export centre for timber. Conditions on Saturday provided a severe test for the port. The ship entered the harbour on a full tide in a strong westerly wind, with gusts of up to 50 miles an hour. She was towed by a launch through the narrow Stella, passage toward her berth at the railway wharf. The launch kept her steady against the strong wind, and as the ship approached the wharf, where a small crowd of onlookers was waiting, both anchors were dropped, and she .was swung around with the help of the launch. One mishap marred the berthing of the ship. The towline caught , against the skylight of the launch as the ship began to swing. It then freed itself, and struck the owner of the launch, Mr Arthur Walling, of Tauranga, across the face, throwing him into the water. A rope was lowered over the side and Mr Whiling was quickly hauled aboard. He suffered minor cuts. '

The captain of the James Cook was able to bring the vessel into port without the help of a pilot.