Log carriers exhibit versatility

It was off to a flying start this year for the export log trade.

The Malaysian-flag Alam Senang berthed on New Year's Day and departed three days later.

Last year, Portland Bay was the first of these vessels to arrive - as late as March 11.

However, by the end of the year loadings had been handled by 23 vessels, the highest number since 2000, when 25 shipments were loaded.

Of last year's visitors, 21, including Alam Senang, were newcomers to the trade.

Another two had been here before for logs, but under different names. But this type of vessel is not confined to carrying logs, for in the past, three had called to discharge Chinese cement at Dunedin, or Port Chalmers.

A further two had been seen here before, with one discharging phosphate at Ravensbourne and the other loading scrap metal at Dunedin.

Of the three vessels that loaded woodchips, two had not been here before.

And of 14 other bulk carriers that berthed, 13 were on first visits. One of those that made a brief visit to Port Chalmers on January 18 to unload its deck cargo was Maritime Coaction.

It was not the usual type of cargo associated with this type of vessel, but 18 second-hand, large wind turbine components, the first cargo of its kind to have been handled locally. Turning to container ship activity, 13 new names appeared, including two one-off visits by renamed ships.

Maersk Detroit became the largest container ship and the longest visitor to the port last month.

And Spirit of Endurance, which inaugurated a new weekly coastal service on November 15, 2008, stopped calling here after its 36th call on July 21.

In February, the two long-serving vessels in the Japanese trade, NYK's Hakone and Mitsui-OSK's MOL Wellington, were withdrawn from the run.

Their replacement vessels were the chartered ACX Diamond and JPO Leo.

After each making three visits, they stopped calling here in June following decisions by the operators to stop calling at Port Chalmers.

Perhaps they may return in the future, for it is not the first time this has happened. Both lines withdrew from calling here in June 1996, but were both back by December 2000.

Following Hakone's last visit on February 1, the NYK connection has continued.

The line's former Asuka was in port 10 days later under new ownership as Amadea and was followed two days later by Asuka II, formerly Crystal Harmony.

But while NYK markings may have deserted the lower harbour, their presence was noticed in the 30 upper harbour tanker visits last year.

While the coastal tanker Kakariki accounted for 12 visits and Torea six, the remainder were all by foreign-owned vessels with six displaying NYK colours.

The latest of these to call and the final of last year's newcomers was Bright Pacific on December 29.

Owned by Merit Raiser S.

A. and registered at Panama, the 28,823gt, 48,694dwt tanker was delivered on December 13, 2004, by the Iwagi Shipbuilding Company.

The only other products from this yard that have been seen here were NYK's Challenge Passage, a sister ship of Bright Pacific.

It had only been in service for seven months when it arrived on November 3, 2005.

And Grace, a 1993-built reefer of 8609gt, berthed at Dunedin on September 26, 2000, to load fish.

Our so-called summer would not have been a pleasant experience when passengers on the cruise ships Sun Princess and Silver Whisper struck miserable days last week.

Perhaps there might be an improvement in the weather for visits to the lower harbour by Dawn Princess, Diamond Princess, Nautica and Rhapsody of the Seas over the next few days.

And today, the 5218gt smaller expedition-type cruise ship, Clipper Odyssey, chalks up a record when it makes its 60th visit to Dunedin since December 29, 1999.

Before that, the vessel had made two visits to Dunedin earlier in the year under its former name Oceanic Odyssey.