LARGE CARGO

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26672, 19 January 1948, Page 4

LARGE CARGO

ASHBURTON ARRIVES AT DUNEDIN PROBLEM OF CONGESTION Making her first voyage to New Zealand, the motor ship Ashburton arrived at Dunedin yesterday to unload 3000 tons of cargo from Liverpool A vessel of striking appearance, the Ashburton, which was built in 1946, is smaller than the majority of overseas freighters to enter the Port ol Otago, her gross tonnage being 5000. In a race against time to. reach .New Zealand before the expiry date of 1947 import licences—December 31— the Ship reached Lyttelton on December 30 She had left the Mersey on November 17, after having quickly loaded 5810 tons of merchandise, and travelling via Panama, she maintained an average speed of 12. J knots during the voyage to this country. The Ashburton was launched at the yards of W. Denny Bros., Dumbarton, in July, 1946. and her dimensions are: Length. 416 feet; beam. 56.2 feet, depth. 24 8 feet. She is flush-decked, with a cruiser stern, and her single screw is driven by a six-cylinder BurmeisterWain engine. Her crew of 45. which is commanded by Captain F. W. Mould, is accommodated in single and doubleberth cabins, fitted with all modern amenities. Owned by the Australind Steam Shipping Company. London, the Ashburton is the third vessel of that company to visit Dunedin in the past two rhonths, the others being the Australind and the ArmadaleTwelve railway trucks, about 50 motor cars, machinery and salt are the outstanding items in the 3000 tons of general cargo to be discharged at this port.

The unloading of such a large cargo will add further complications to the problem of-, congestion in the wharf sheds. Already one shed on the waterfront at the Kitchener street wharf, is crammed with goods. T and it seems probable that the V, W and X sheds Bt Victoria wharf, into which the Ashburton’s cargo will flow, will also be congested. Disruption in the handling of the Ashburton’s cargo will pose more problems later in the week, when other oveiseas vessels are scheduled to arrive.