DUTCH TUGS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21538, 9 January 1932, Page 15

DUTCH TUGS

THE HOMEWARD VOYAGE PREPARATIONS FOR DEPARTURE. ( Special to Daily Times.) WELLINGTON, January 8. The Zwarte Zee and the Witte Zee, the two Dutch tugs which brought the Jubilee dock to Wellington, have taken in bunker coal in preparation for the first stage of their long journey back to Rotterdam or their winter stations, whichever may be decided upon. Usually the Zwarte Zee is stationed at Queenstown and the Witte Zee at Corunna (Spain). The present arrangement is that the Witce Zee shall leave Wellington at 2 p.m. to-morrow, and the Zwarte Zee, which is having slight repairs to her engines, either on Sunday or Monday. Both will proceed to Newcastle and will then separate, the Zwarte Zee going round the north of Australia and the Witte Zee round the south. They will probably meet again at Batavia. Captain B. T. Hart, master of the Zwarte Zee, gave a brief talk from 2YA last evening. He described the long voyage from Newcastle-on-Tyne, and said that the tow was not very much different from others that had been undertaken by Smits International Towing Company. On behalf of the crews of the tugs, Captain T. Hart expressed thanks for the reception accorded them by the people of Wellington. He said that they had all been deeply impressed with the warm-hearted welcome.

The strengthening of the dock’s permanent moorings is in progress, and a diver is working from the Harbour Board’s pile punt.