JUBILEE DOCK

Wairarapa Daily Times, 29 December 1931, Page 6

JUBILEE DOCK

ARRIVAL IN WELLINGTON.

WELLINGTON, Monday

Completing, its thirteen thousandmile voyage, Wellington’s huge Jubilee dock arrived off Pencarrow a little before 5 o’clock this afternoon. Favourable winds had made easy the final stages of the journey, and the dock, with its two small, powerful attendants, the Z war to Zee and the Witte Zee, swung into Port Nicholson Avith only the slightest of breezes momcntaiily stirring the surface of the harbour. Overhead two aeroplanes from the Rongotai Aerodrome sailed in the haze of a. summer sky. Along the wharves strolled hundreds of people, Avliilo every A r antage point of the neaibj hills had its little group of persons, Avhose imagination Avas stirred by the romance of the long toA\*. The massive bulk of the dock made a striking mark in the harbour seascape. A number of launches and yachts sailed round the dock as it moved slowly in the direction of the mooring site. The ferry steamer Muritai, packed Avith passengers, made the trip to the Heads to accompany the dock up the harbour. The Harboui Board tug, Toia, met the voyagers and escorted them in. On the GoA r ernment steam tender, the Janie Seddon, Averc doctors, officials and guests. The small harbour tug, the Natone, also acted as an escort. An inspection of the creAvs of the dock and tugs by doctors Avas made as the craft came up the harbour. At 7.10 p.m. the huge anchors of the dock Avere dropped several hundred yards from the Jubilee Wharf at Thorndon, Avhere the dock is to be permanently moored. This Avork Avill begin tomorroAV. There Avill be no official ceremony in connection with the dock s airival until it has been actually doliAeied to the Harbour Board by the contractors, Avhich will be about the end of February. It is hoped that it Avill then be possible to have one of the Ncaa Zealand Shipping Company’s liners actually in the dock, so as to enable the function to take place in fitting circumstances on the ship itself. Although they appeared uniformly happy that the end of the long toAV Avas reached, the Dutchmen on the two tugs, the ZAvarte Zee and the Witte Zee, as Avell as those on the- big dock itself, Avere neither excited nor talkative Avhen the dock was travelling sloAvly up. the harbour on the last stages of its journey. Altogether there Avere 18 Dutchmen on the Zwarte Zee, 15 on the Witte Zee, and 10 on the dock, including the three respective skippers, Gaptain B. L. Hart, Captain B. Weltevrede and Captain Jan Van Braat. They had brought the dock 13,627 miles at an average speed of four knots since leaving England on July 15th. The trip Avas a summer one all the Avay, and passed Avithout serious incident.

The police took in charge two stowaways who had travelled from Nelson on the Zwartc Zee. —(P.A.)