PORT OF BLUFF.

Southland Times, Issue 21362, 7 April 1931, Page 2

PORT OF BLUFF.

ARRIVED. —Monday, April 6. — Wainui s.s. (Capt. J. Brisco) 1,633 tons from Wellington at 4.45 p.m. VESSELS IN PORT. Opihi s.s. Wainui s.s. EXPECTED ARRIVALS. Paua, Wellington, April 9. Calm, Lyttelton, April 11. Waikouaiti, Dunedin, April 13. Rangitane, , April 13. Paua, Wellington, April 19. Mahia, Dunedin, April 20. Tongariro, New Plymouth, April 27. Remuera, Port Chalmers, April 30. PROJECTED DEPARTURES. Opihi, Dunedin, to-day. Wainui, Melbourne, to-day. Paua, Dunedin, April 9. Calm, Dunedin, April 11. Waikouaiti, Sydney, April 13. Rangitane, , April 16. Paua, Dunedin, April 19. Mahia, , April 22. Tongariro, Timaru, April 30. Remuera, May 4. INWARD CARGO ON HAND. Cathay, ex Waikouaiti, in B shed (D. and Co.) City of Dieppe, ex Calm, unclaimed in B shed (J. G. W.) Commissaire Rainel, ex Waikouaiti, in B shed (J. G. W.) Hobson’s Bay, ex Waikouaiti, in B shed (U. S. S.). Kitano Maru,- ex Waikouaiti, in B shed (J. G. W.) Kyokkoh Maru, ex Waikouaiti, in B shed (U. S. S.) . Mooltan, ex Waikouaiti, in B shed (D. and Co.) Narkunda, ex Waikouaiti, in B shed (D. and Co.) . . _ Nieuw Zeeland, ex Waikouaiti, in B shed ~(& 8. S.).

Ormiston, ex Waikouaiti, in B shed (U. S. S.) Orungal, ex Waikouaiti, in B shed (U. S. S.) Rangitane, ex Calm, in B shed (N. Z. S.) Tainui; ex Kaimai, in B shed (N. M. A.). Tanda, ex Waikouaiti, in B shed (U. S. S.) . (p. and Co.): Dalgety and -Company. (Hend.l: Henderson and Company. (H.L.T.): H. L. Tapley and Company. ' (J.G.W.): J. O. Ward and Company. (N.M.A.): National Mortgage and Agency Company. (N.Z.S.): New Zealand Shipping Company. (0.5. C. Oreti Shipping Company. (U.S.S.):. Union Steam Ship Company. - .’. GENERAL NOTES. The Tamatea arrived from Stewart Island at 5.30 p.m. yesterday.’ She sails for the Island-again at 10.15 aim. to day and returns’ this evening to catch the 6.18 train for-Invercargill. The Union Co’s intercolonial freighter Wainui reached Bluff yesterday afternoon from-Wellington. She loads for Australian ports and leaves this afternoon for Melbourne direct. The Union Co’s collier Opihi, which has been in Bluff over the holidays, completes discharge to-day, sailing afterwards for Dunedin. The Northern Company’s steamer Clansman has been removed to an anchorage in Auckland Harbour, where she is to remain for an indefinite period. The vessel broke her tail shaft off Cape Brett on March 14, and she had to be towed to Auckland by the tug Lyttelton. The accident hastened the Clansman’s withdrawal from the Russel and northern ports passenger service, it having been the company's intention to abandon the service owing to the slackness of trade. The furniture and fittings of the Clansman have been dismantled, nearly every article of value which was detachable has been taken on shore. The Clansman has now joined the Rarawa and Ngapuhi, favourite passenger steamers before the extension of the railway system and the improvement of roads diverted traffic from the sea.

Increased shipping activities which are expected in the spring will diminish the exceptionally large number of its vessels which the Union Steam Ship Company has laid up at present, it is hoped (a Christchurch Sun reporter was told). Out of the company’s fleet of 54, some 18 boats are lying idle, at Auckland, Wellington, Dunedin, and in Australia—two in the latter instance. For the most part these boats are colliers or general cargo steamers, but two passenger liners are included, the Maheno, laid up at Dunedin, and the Maunganui, at Auckland. The movement of grain just now is helping to relieve the slackness, and the rise in wool assists the company’s belief that spring will bring better times for the shipping world.

According to officers of the British motor ship Springbank, recently discharging phosphate at Auckland, the new cantilever jetty at Nauru Island has so far been used only for loading the British Phosphate Commission’s own steamer, the Nauru Chief. The. jetty .was built at a very high cost, with the idea of reducing the time necessary for loading to a minimum. Loading at Nauru is sometimes a very prolonged business, for at the first sign of rough weather from the west a ship has to cast off from the buoys, and put to sea. There was an occasion a couple of years ago when a ship ran short of provisions when drifting off the island, and the captain was compelled to kill a turkey that had been shipped as a Christmas present for one of the company’s officials stationed at the island. ■‘'Esses Toe” writes as-follows in a recent issue of the Auckland Star: “The splendid behaviour of the Union Company’s Tofua in a hurricane during her last Island trip prompted one'of the ship’s company to describe her as the best sea boat in the fleet. Allow me to confirm this well-deserved encomium, writing not as a saloon passenger, but as one of the ‘other ranks,’ who made the journey to England by her. Converted during the war into a troopship, the Tofua was certainly not the last word in luxuriousness so far as the rank and file were concerned. Space was limited, and there was not a superabundance of comfort in the sleeping accommodation in the holds, but when rough weather was encountered we had reason to be thankful, for the despised 'banana box’ (known as such on account of having been engaged in the Island fruit trade) proved herself a great sailing boat. We were somewhat envious of the more spacious accommodation of the Willochra, which sailed with us, until we met with heavy seas —then our opinions were altered. Whereas our companion rolled and tossed in a most uncomfortable fashion, our less pre-, tentious boat appeared to ride the waves like a gull. That experience taught me that appearances are not everything when it is a case of going down to the sea in ships.” Four years ago, when the British motor ship Springbank was only a few months off the stocks, she was ordered to Nauru Island to load phosphate for Australia. On that occasion the ship’s company played the phosphate company’s Soccer eleven and defeated them. The win of the sailors was a surprise, as the island team had won all their other matches against visiting steamers. Apparently, the reverse rankled, for when the Springbank returned to the island to load the cargo that she recently discharged at the King’s wharf, Auckland, the phosphate officials said' that they would very much like another match, as the Springbank’s eleven was the only .combination which had beaten them. The match, however, did not come off, and the island side have still to avenge their defeat! “It was probably just as well for the name of the ship that the game was not played, as we don’t boast an eleven anywhere near as good as that which played four years, ago,” said one of the officers to a Star reporter. The arrivals of trading ships' at Wellington during last year constituted a new record for the port, and were as follows: From the United Kingdom direct, 52 steamers with a net tonnage of 367,661 tons; via coastal ports, 107 steamers with a net tonnage of 673,596 tons. From Australia direct, 83 steamers with a net tonnage of 273,661 tons; via coastal ports, 39 steamers with a net tonnage of 122,660 tons. From, New Zealand coastal ports, 2464 steamers with a net tonnage of 1,621,247 tons, and 224 sailing vessels with a net tonnage of 16,690 tons. From other British possessions direct, 7 steamers with a net tonnage of 30,352 tons; via coastal ports, 28 steamers with a net tonnage of 110,292 ions. From foreign ports direct, 46 steamers with a net tonnage of 170,355 tons; via coastal ports, 104 steamers with a net tonnage of 453,296 tons. The total number of steamers, was 2930, with a net tonnage of 3,823,120 tons, and 224 sailing vessels with a net tonnage of 16,690 tons; making the total number of trading vessels 3154 with a net tonnage of 3,839,810 tons, an increase over the previous year of 109 vessels with an increase in net tonnage of 195,423 tons. There were also eleven warships from New Zealand coastal ports with a displacement of 17,540 tons, and 133 fishing vessels with a net tonnage of 9692 tons, making the grand total of arrivals 3294 vessels with a net tonnage and displacement tonnage of 3,867,042 tons. A very fast coastal trip was made by the New Zealand Shipping Company’s big motor liner Rangitane which arrived at Lyttelton on Friday afternoon after a passage of 44 hours from Auckland, and which is due at Bluff next week. The Rangitane left the wharf at Auckland at 3.6 p.m. on Wednesday, and was alongside the wharf at LytteL ton at 1.30 on Friday afternoon. The actual time from full-speed at Auckland to stop in the stream at Lyttelton was 44 hours, the trip being accomplished at an average of 15.25 knots. The Rangitane had fine weather until off Cape Palliser, and then ran into a gale which lasted for six hours. Owing to Captain McKellar being taken ill before the Rangitane sailed from London, Captain E. Holland, of the Remuera, brought the vessel out. Captain McKellar is bringing out the Reinuera, which Is due at Wellington on April 19, and the two masters will exchange commands while in New Zealand. WITHIN WIRELESS RANGE. The following vessels were. within range of the undermentioned wireless stations yesterday :— Auckland: Tofua, Voco, Waikawa, Kalingo, Tymeric, Mahia, Ventura, Karctu, Nucula. Yarraville, Middlesex, Philias. Wellington: Maori, Wahinc, Taqjahine, Rangitata, Maimoa, Niagara, Cornwall, .Tekoa, Sort Brisbane.

Awarua: Monowai, Karepo, Wainui, New Zealand. Chatham Islands: Nil. TELEGRAPHED REPORTS. COASTAL AND OVERSEAS. Auckland, April 6. Arrived: Aorangi 6.35 a.m. from Sydney; Ranella 7.15 a.m. from Balik Papan. Wellington, April 6. Arrived: Awahou 2.15 a.m. from Waikokopu; Makura 5 a.m. from San Francisco; Marama 7.20 a.m. from Sydney; Iris 9 a.m. from Bass Strait. Sailed: Vigrid 11 a.m. for Lyttelton; Wahine 7.50 p.m. for Lyttelton. Lyttelton, April 6. Sailed: New Zealand 7.50 a.m. for Dunedin; Maori 7.10 p.m. from Wellington. Dunedin, April 6. Arrived: Mahana 4.45 p.m. from Suva. Sydney, April 6. Arrived: Ulimaroa 10 a.m. from Auckland.