Tribute website to shipping at the Port of Onehunga, New Zealand

[scousekiwi]

Hi Stephen,

Westport sailed on Sunday at 1210, and will spend a few days in Westport while she is loaded from trucks - they've already commenced decommissioning the silos.

It was originally planned to sell the cement at the Westport railhead in the South Island, but they've opted instead to send it up to the Auckland market. Cue the very last visit of "Westport" to Westport, and a very last voyage north to Onehunga - looks like she'll be in port around 0900 next Monday, July 18.

Saturday's sailing of Milburn Carrier II is very likely to have been the last time we'll see her on the Manukau. With the silos full after her visit, Westport set to be a floating silo with this latest load, and the regular deposits at the Auckland minion from large bulkers, the prospects of MC2 returning with another load from Timaru in the foreseeable future are pretty slim now.

I've loaded up a stack of pics from Saturday's activities on the site - check out the Latest Additions section on the front page of www.ultimatenzsoccer.com/Onehunga :-)

[scousekiwi]

Hi all,

If you're in the vicinity of the Manukau Harbour tomorrow, expect to hear more noise than usual twixt 11am and 1pm.

I received the following message from Holcim's Shipping Manager today: ""Westport" sailed last evening and is on track to cross the bar at 1100 tomorrow (Saturday), alongside 1300 for what will be her final voyage. Jan Eveleens is the Master and I have asked him to sound the horn on her way home. Hopefully the weather plays it part".

This will be the 1104th and final call at Onehunga for "Westport", the last act of a career carrying cement around the NZ coast which spans some 40 years and 4 months, or, if you like, 484 months, or (count them!) 14,729 days. They don't make ships to last this long anymore!

If she sails again, it will either be for new owners or to the shipbreakers yard. Personally, I hope she remains at Onehunga, and becomes a floating restaurant as part of the redevelopment plans for Onehunga Wharf. 

Either way, if you want to witness some NZ maritime history unfolding before your eyes around lunchtime tomorrow, the Manukau Harbour is the place to be. 


Cheers,

JR

[Stephen Chester]

Hi JR
It appears the Westport is due to sail again in the early hours of Sunday 31st to an unknown destination. Do you know if she has been sold, or she is off for yet another load of cement?

[scousekiwi]

Hi Stephen,

I know she won't be sailing when it's approaching low tide!

31 We
0330 0.8
0945 3.9
1551 0.7
2207 4.1

I'll confirm what's happening with Holcim and revert.


Cheers,

JR

[scousekiwi]

Hi Stephen,

She's not sailing on Sunday.

Instead, "Westport" is going into cold lay-up at Onehunga on Tuesday, and being de-manned.

They're looking to sell her as a going concern, hopefully, rather than for scrap.


Cheers,

JR

[Stephen Chester]

"The Port that keeps on giving"   
Ports of Auckland has the Milburn Carrier II due in Onehunga 12.30pm 21 August and sailing again 11.45am  22 August. They have it arriving and departing for Westport. Can't see that being right.

[scousekiwi]

Hi Stephen,

The ports certainly aren't right, but MC2 will be visiting again, carrying a load of cement up from Timaru via Wellington to replenish the silos at Onehunga. Dates this stage are approximate - she's got visits to Lyttelton, Napier and Nelson scheduled before that voyage.

It means Westport will briefly come out of her cold lay-up status to go to anchor overnight, then return when MC2 departs.

It's frustrating that they can't use what appears to be a perfectly good berth on the other side of the ramp at Onehunga to relocate Westport to overnight, but because it hasn't been dredged for so long, they can't take the risk of having her getting stuck alongside the wharf at low tide!

There are two abandoned trawlers berthed in the fishing basin at Onehunga, one of which invariably gets stuck in the sludge when the tide's out. See the attached pic, taken a month ago.


Cheers,

JR

[scousekiwi]

Hi all,

I received the following info today on "La Grande Dame" of the NZ shipping scene:


The vessel M.V. Westport was sold by Holcim NZ and was handed over to the new owners and taken out of New Zealand registry at Onehunga earlier today, new details as per below,

New name

[gwrdave]

FJORDVIK (ex WESTPORT) left Port Taranaki this afternoon for Norway via Papeete and Panama, no doubt stopping there for bunkers. Now registered in Bahamas, Nassau. 3 photos in the photo section.
Dave G

[Brent]

Looks like one last hurrah for Onehunga, Milburn Carrier II ETA 16.10 - reason not staed

[scousekiwi]

Hi Brent,

It's the first of two visits MC2 will make to top up the silos before time is called on my home port. There's also a possibility of Anatoki making a final call before Ports of Auckland hand ownership of Onehunga over to the NZ Transport Agency - see the link below.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11720253


Cheers,

JR