NEW HARBOUR BOARD WILL DECIDE FATE OF TUG KAHANUI

Wanganui Chronicle, 17 October 1950, Page 4

NEW HARBOUR BOARD WILL DECIDE FATE OF TUG KAHANUI

When the former Wellington tug Terawhiti capsized and sank in Port Philip. Melbourne recently, new possibilities were opened up for the Wanganui Harbour Boards’ steam salvage tug Kahanui. Any decision regarding the future of the tug, however, has been deferred by the Harbour Board till after the local body elections in November. The new board will then deeds the vessel's fate.

Before the board at its monthly meeting yesterday was an inquiry from a firm of Sydney shipbrokers asking the board to quote a figure for the sale of the Kahanui, delivered at Wanganui. It was stated that the previous quote was 120,000, but since then an overhaul had become due. The Sydney brokers also stated that they had received an offer from a Melbourne firm for the Kahanui. • The vessel was required as a replacement for the Terewhiti, which sank at Melbourne recently. The chairman Mr E. A. Millward, said that the board had endeavoured in the past to dispose of the Kahanui. Since the inquiry had been received from Sydney he had discussed the question with the managing-secretary, Mr I. Hedditch, and the harbourmaster, Captain R. D. Stewart. It was felt that if the phosphate trade returned to Wanganui as a result ot dredging and improvements in depths, the tug would be required for assisting overseas vessels. The chairman added that he had discussed this question with the Phosphate Commission afid had been told that all the commission’s charters were now Liberty ships of the 10,000ton class. If the facilities were available in the future, the commission would consider sending these ships to Wanganui half loaded. "Captain Stewart feels that if this did come about we would have to have a tug,” said the chairman.

The Hon. W. J. Rogers, M.L.C.. moved that the disposal or otherwise of the tug be referred to the incoming board for consideration. "We have only a few weeks to go in the life of the prsent board," said Mr Rogers. “This is an important matter and it should be left lor the new board to decide." The chairman said he agreed that this was the wiser course for the board to adopt. The Kahanui is a twin-screw vessel of 207 tons gross register and was purchased by the board for £30,000 as a new tug. She was the first vessel to be launched under the Irish Free State flag and was built by the Dublin Dockyard Company. The Kahanui had a rough passage to New Zealand extending over a lengthy period, arriving on April 13, 1927. The tug’s SOO h.p. engines give her a working speed of 111 knots. At present the Kahanui is laid up at the gas wharf.