ShipSpotting.com Forum
Shipspotters all over the world => Shipping News and information => Topic started by: scousekiwi on April 20, 2016, 12:35:23 PM
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Hi all,
I recently set up a tribute website to shipping at the Port of Onehunga, which is due to close to freight operations in roughly two months' time. :-(
There's a wee bit of tweaking and a few additions to be made to it at present, but the bulk of the site is complete.
Enjoy! :-)
http://www.ultimatenzsoccer.com/Onehunga/
Cheers,
JR
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Hi folks,
Just to update you on when shipping will be shutting up shop at Onehunga.
The final sailing is due to take place in around six weeks' time, circa June 15.
Cheers,
JR
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http://www.ultimatenzsoccer.com/Onehunga/the_milestone_call.htm
Cheers,
JR
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Final Call For Shipping At Onehunga
by Jeremy Ruane
There was barely a soul around when "Milburn Carrier II" cast off her lines for the final time at Onehunga on Queen's Birthday Monday morning, and quietly commenced her last journey down the Manukau Harbour.
The biggest ship to ever visit the Port in its history completed her 942nd and last call at Onehunga on the weekend, arriving on Sunday morning to discharge the penultimate load of cement into Holcim's silos.
Her departure was the first of three which will take place over the next eight to ten days, after which shipping at the Port of Onehunga will be consigned to the past.
As "MC2" reached Laingholm, she passed "Anatoki", both vessels marking the last time ships will pass in the Manukau with ceremonial blasts of their horns.
The tiny bulk freighter continued on to berth at 11.30am with a cargo of gravel from Greymouth, which she will be discharging over the next forty hours before leaving Onehunga for the 21st and final time at 10am on Wednesday.
It is somewhat fitting that the final ship to call at Onehunga will be the most frequent visitor in the entire history of shipping at the Port.
Her final arrival and departure times are not yet confirmed, but based on her present movements, you can expect to see "Westport" making her 1101st and last visit to Onehunga around about 5pm on Monday, June 13, departing for the very last time at approximately 3pm the next day.
When she sets sail, "Westport" will bring down the curtain on roughly 180 years of shipping activity on the Manukau Harbour, about which more information can be found at www.ultimatenzsoccer.com/Onehunga
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Hi all,
Final movements are scheduled this coming weekend.
Milburn Carrier II - arr 0815 Friday, dep 0730 Saturday. Call # 943
Westport - arr 0900 Saturday, dep 0645 Sunday. Call # 1101
Rather poetic that as the sun rises, the sun will be setting on shipping and freight operations at the Port of Onehunga.
The Port will continue to serve as an important base for the fishing industry, while LPG carriers will continue to make the occasional visit to the LPG Marine Terminal, located in the waters south of the airport.
But Westport's departure on Sunday morning will bring down the curtain on roughly 180 years of shipping activity on the Manukau Harbour. :-(
The most recent port closures in New Zealand were at Oamaru, in 1974, and Raglan, in 1981.
Cheers,
JR
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Hi all,
Received the below media release from Holcim today ...
Cheers,
JR
Holcim New Zealand shipping changes
Holcim New Zealand has operated bulk cement ships around the New Zealand coast for many years. The ships transport locally manufactured cement in bulk, from Westport to other port depots around the country. The cement is then distributed by cement tanker directly to customers.
In August 2013 Holcim New Zealand announced it would be building two new cement terminals in Timaru and Auckland and sourcing cement from overseas, to ensure cement supply to customers after the 58 year old Holcim Westport cement plant closed. The Westport cement plant which is at the end of its economic life is closing on 30 June 2016. The new Timaru terminal has been operational since January 2016 and the Auckland terminal is currently being commissioned.
Holcim operates two vessels of which one
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Hi all,
www.ultimatenzsoccer.com/Onehunga now includes all the footage and pics from the final day of shipping activity at the Port of Onehunga.
Anyone wishing to make contributions to the site, please feel free to do so.
Cheers,
JR
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It doesn't look like Onehunga wants to close any time soon. The Westport sailed again for Westport and is due back with cement on 29 June. The Milburn Carrier II is due from Westport again on 8 July. ;D
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Hi Stephen,
Think of it as the gift which keeps on giving! :-)
Westport's "unretirement" only came to my attention late on Friday night.
She's gone back down to her home port for the very last load of cement produced at the Cape Foulwind works, and to play a part in Holcim's farewell ceremonies, given this marks the end of Holcim's production activities at Westport. The original plan was for MCII to take this load on.
Westport will be back up here at sunrise on Friday, according to my contact at Holcim. And this time, she will be definitely be retiring. When / if she sails from Onehunga again, it will be for new owners.
MCII will be laden with cement from Timaru to fill the silos when she arrives. This will serve as emergency stock should there be a delay with the bulk carriers coming from Japan with stocks for the new silo at Bledisloe.
It may be necessary for MCII to make a couple more such visits in the months to come. It's very much a play-it-by-ear situation at the moment.
Cheers,
JR
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Thanks for that. When Holcim finally finish at Onehunga, has provision been made at Auckland for cement top up from Timaru, with cement carriers, if shipments from Japan are late?
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I imagine such contingency plans are in place, Stephen. :-)
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Hi JR,
We had a conversation not long ago about the CALM which grounded off Cape Egmont, we display a photo of the CALM ashore before re-floating. Compensaton being paid due to lighthose failure. Thought it maybe of some interest to you.
Dave
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Hi Dave,
You don't get much more high and dry than that, that's for sure! Well and truly becalmed! (Groan! Sorry, couldn't resist!) :-)
There's a very good account of it in Gavin McLean's book "Canterbury Coasters". Fortunate to get away with that one, methinks.
Thanks,
JR
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Hi all,
The final day of shipping at Onehunga ... or so we thought.
Six days after retiring, "Westport" was back on duty, heading to her home port for the final time to pick up the final load of cement produced at the Westport plant before returning to Onehunga once more, berthing this morning at 0940 - see pic below. :-)
There will be at least a couple more movements. "Westport" will head out to the Big Bay anchorage circa 11 July to make way for "Milburn Carrier II", which will bring north a full load of cement from the Timaru silo to fill the silos at Onehunga.
When she sails, "Westport" will return to the cement berth and remain there as a floating silo, discharging the last of the Westport-produced cement on as 'as required' basis.
Cheers,
JR
(http://)
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"MV Westport" left Onehunga again, and is heading back to Westport arriving 1500 11 July. She is due to sail again Saturday 16 July. Don't know where she is headed, but assume she will have a load of cement.
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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 :-)
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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. ;D
Cheers,
JR
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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?
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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
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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
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"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.
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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
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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
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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
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Looks like one last hurrah for Onehunga, Milburn Carrier II ETA 16.10 - reason not staed
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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