SOUTH PORT SUPPORTING SOUTHLAND

Transcription

1 January 2007 Vol. 27 No. 1 Published by South Port NZ Ltd

2 SOUTH PORT SUPPORTING SOUTHLAND Children s Health Camps were introduced to New Zealand in They were prompted by evidence of poor health in New Zealand children with the most serious concerns being tuberculosis and malnutrition, problems which modern day New Zealanders might have difficulty in associating with this country. Happy Campers Beach volleyball at Omaui. The Omaui Camp lies in an idyllic setting. Originally called Sunshine Camps the term Health Camps was in use by 1934 when the southernmost such camp was established at Omaui. Its setting is idyllic, surrounded by native bush on an elevated three hectare site overlooking the New River Estuary between Invercargill and Bluff. As modern medicines overcame tuberculosis and general nutrition improved, the need for Children s Health Camps decreased and the Omaui camp closed. It then became a holiday camp site before being bequeathed to the YMCA Charitable Trust which owns and operates the camp for use by schools and other community groups. Young people attending courses at the Omaui camp are taught life skills including leadership, self confidence and self reliance. Activities include bush walks, kayaking and fishing on the nearby estuary, abseiling, various sports and participation in such life support activities as first aid and firefighting. Courses last from a couple of days to a couple of weeks. South Port is committed to supporting the well being of Southlanders and is a major sponsor of the Omaui Camp. With the support of South Port and other community groups the YMCA continues to upgrade the Omaui site and enhance its appearance through such activities as the planting of native flora. OLD PILOT BOATS NEVER DIE - THEY JUST LOSE THEIR WAY Front cover: South Port s mobile cranes being used to discharge turbine blades for the Meridian Energy White Hill Wind Farm from the Dutch vessel Elandsgracht, the first of several in this fleet to discharge wind farm parts. See pages 6 and 7 for more on the wind farm equipment imported through Bluff. The Bluff Portsider is compiled by South Port N.Z. Ltd P.O. Box 1, Bluff. TFN (03) Fax (03) reception@southport.co.nz Website Mr M. O Connor, Chief Executive Edited by Capt. D. A. Edge Production by Craigs Design & Print Former Wellington pilot cutter Arahina lying outside the former Bluff pilot launch Awarua 2

3 SOUTHERN ADVENTURE B e i n g N e w Z e a l a n d s southernmost major port means that most vessels with business in the Southern Ocean or Antarctica take their departure from Bluff. Once again Heritage Expeditions have based the adventure type cruise ship Professor Khromov, which is marketed as Spirit of Enderby, in Bluff for its summer season of cruises to Antarctica and the sub-antarctic islands. So familiar has she become that the comings and goings of the ship are simply routine for the port, but for those heading south aboard her it is the adventure of a lifetime. Sailing south on her first cruise of the season, the Professor Khromov departs Bluff. SOUTHERN RESEARCH Bluff lies on the edge of the Deep South Basin and the news that oil exploration rights there were coming up for tender saw increased activity at the port. The most obvious sign of this was the presence in Bluff of the seismic research vessel Pacific Titan, one of the large fleet operated by Swire Pacific Offshore, which made several calls here. Tenders for exploration permits close with Crown Minerals in March and successful parties should be advised by mid-year - then the real work starts. The seismic research vessel Pacific Titan in Bluff. SOUTHERN FISHERY The waters from New Zealand down to Antarctica possess are rich in fish species and bring fishing vessels of many nations into Bluff to discharge their catches into the South Port Cold Stores. Among recent visitors was the South African fishing vessel Ross Mar which came in to discharge and replenish stores. Given the amount of rain this summer has brought throughout New Zealand some may see it as appropriate that a vessel from the Rainbow Nation should visit us. The Ross Mar heads for the Antarctic fishery. 3

4 BLUFF on PACIFIC TE Chemical tankers in Bluff. The Stolt Australia has completed discharging her cargo of sulphuric acid and the Stolt Lily is nearing completion loading tallow. Pacific Terminals office complex, boiler and pump can hold 1,000 t Road tankers discharging tallow at the Pacific Terminals facility. Multi-purpose/Molasses tanks being installed by South Port s mobile crane. The very first article in the very first issue of The Bluff PortSider was entitled Bluff Tallow Complex Opened. That issue was dated August 1980 and the ensuing twenty-seven years have seen the tank farm on the Island Harbour become much more than just a tallow storage facility. Originally the complex had ten tanks with a capacity of 4,775 tonnes; today it contains fourteen tanks capable of holding 7,255 tonnes of tallow and 3,000 tonnes of molasses, with Pacific Terminals also overseeing the operation of the Ballance Agri-Nutrients sulphuric acid tank which has a capacity of 12,000 tonnes. Other bulk liquids may also be handled. As tallow requires heating before it can be pumped all the specialised tallow tanks are insulated as are the loading lines to berths 3 and 3a. Heating is electrical but a boiler is located under the Pacific Terminals office to allow steam cleaning of tanks and tank containers. When it was opened in 1980 by Awarua Member of Parliament Rex Austin the complex was a joint venture between the Southland Harbour Board and New Zealand Portside Storage 4

5 FOCUS RMINALS In among the tanks. rooms in the shadow of the number 3 tank which onnes of tallow. Limited with Pacific Terminals taking over in Pacific Terminals is part of the Australian Gardner Smith Group, founded in 1920 and soon to become one of Australia s major tallow exporters. In those days tallow was transported by sea in casks but more recently many cargo liners were fitted with heated vegetable oil tanks allowing edible oils and tallow to be carried in bulk, generally being loaded from road tankers. When deep sea tankers began transporting tallow and vegetable oils in large consignments the need for specialised shore facilities became obvious and Pacific Terminals opened its first dedicated tallow terminal at Coode Island, Melbourne, in In 1978 the company began expanding into the vegetable oils business in addition to its traditional tallow exports. Today Gardner Smith has a world-wide presence in the production, transportation, storage and supply of vegetable oils such as palm, soybean, canola, sunflower, safflower linseed and coconut oils. It is also Australasia s largest exporter of tallow and Pacific Terminals has facilities in New Zealand at Auckland, Napier, Timaru and, of course, Bluff. The pump control room is immaculately maintained. Insulated pipework between pumproom and tanks. 5

6 THE WIND FARM SHIPS LELIEGRACHT Apart from the embed rings delivered by the Tasman Provider all the wind farm equipment was delivered by vessels of the Dutch Spliethoff company. Second of its ships to arrive from Esbjerg with a deck cargo of turbine blades was the Leliegracht. Once again both South Port s mobile cranes were used to discharge the deck cargo. EDISONGRACHT It seemed entirely appropriate that a ship bringing in equipment for a wind farm which will generate electricity should bear the name of the inventor of the electric light bulb. The Edisongracht had a deck cargo of turbine towers, each comprising three sections which, when erected, will support the turbine blades and generators. She is seen being swung by the South Port tugs Hauroko and Monowai. EDAMGRACHT Last of the wind farm ships to discharge in Bluff was the Edamgracht. She brought the last of the generators bound for White Hill and also had a part cargo of steel to discharge here. Although extremely heavy the generators are quite compact and only South Port s Liebherr mobile crane was required to discharge them. 6

7 WIND FARM EQUIPMENT DISCHARGED The great length of the main section of the turbine towers is shown in this photograph of one being shifted from shipside to the storage area on the Island Harbour. When assembled the turbine towers are sixty-seven metres high, most of the height being contained in this section. The first towers have now been erected at the Meridian Energy White Hill site. STORED Between being discharged from the wind farm ships and being transported to Meridian Energy s wind farm site at White Hill all the components were stored on the Island Harbour. Fortunately there is plenty of storage space available as the size of the tower sections in particular would challenge the space available at most ports. This photograph shows tower sections stored in the shadows of the South Port cranes. TRANSPORTED Quite apart from the required crane capacity, plenty of storage space and good road access were two of the main requirements when selecting a port for importing the wind farm components through and Bluff scored highly in both. Transporting the heavy generator units required plenty of rubber on the road and a quick count of the load-distributing wheels in this photograph will require more than one set of fingers and toes. Heavy haulage specialists TRANZCARR were responsible for transporting all components. 7

8 8 FRATELLI D AMATO S.p.A. Fratelli D Amato funnel colours Since 1870 the D Amato family has been engaged in maritime transport and the company they founded is now one of Italy s major shipowners. Present owner Luigi D Amato represents the fourth generation to control the family owned shipping company Fratelli D Amato S.p.A., with the fifth generation in training and the sixth waiting in the wings. Established in the small port town of Torre del Greco, a little south east of Naples, for most of its existence the company was quite small, owning just one or two coastal or Mediterranean traders. In this respect it was typical of many family owned shipping companies that proliferated in the region, most of which subsequently vanished without trace. In that respect the D Amato family company was anything but typical. Not that the company s trading pattern through the 1950 s and 60 s gave any indication of the expansion to come; in 1960 the company was trading three elderly steamers of modest size, the largest and newest being the Giuseppe D Amato completed in 1929 with a deadweight of 5,300 tons. A larger and newer motor vessel joined the fleet about 1972 and for One of the few Italian flag vessels to visit Bluff in recent years, the F. D. Laura D Amato. Umberto D Amato inbound for Tiwai Smelter with alumina. most of the 1970 s the Maddalena was the company s only ship. In 1978, however, a sign of the company s future direction was the purchase of the bulk carrier Donatella, which was initially renamed Peppino D Amato but this was soon changed to Umberto D Amato. At over 28,000 deadweight tons she may well be the biggest ship ever registered in the little port of Torre del Greco, the ships today being registered in nearby Naples. With the move into bulk carriers the company entered a period of expansion, particularly in the Panamax sector. Larger ships were operated, generally purchased second-hand, but the company s core business became the Panamax dry bulk carrier. As opportunity presented itself the company also chartered in bulk carriers and the chartered fleet now outnumbers that which is owned. Around forty Panamax class bulk carriers are chartered by the company, among them the Nordweser which in December 2001 became the biggest ship to visit Bluff, a record she still holds. Nine similar ships are either owned by or under construction for the company and in the last few years the company has also moved into the Handy size bulk carrier market. Nor have the liquid bulk trades been neglected with seven chemical and product tankers and two Aframax crude oil carriers trading or under construction. In addition the company has gone into partnership with the Scerni Group of Genoa to form Dolphin Tankers which has invested over $350 million in construction of tankers. Further diversification has seen the company invest in four offshore platform supply vessels to be built in Ravenna, the first of which, the FD Invincible, has already been delivered. These are based on the UT755L design but are to a higher specification with more powerful engines and thrusters and a high precision underwater acoustic positioning system giving the vessels greater flexibility in employment. Considering the elderly fleet of steamers the company operated in the 1960 s many may have hoped, but few could have believed, that Fratelli D Amato was poised to become one of Italy s biggest shipping companies. Not many of the traditional old shipping companies are still in business and Fratelli D Amato must be one of the very few to have been around longer than South Port and its forebears, 18 January 1877 being the date when the first meeting was held of the original Bluff Harbour Board.