The only specialised marine publication in Oceania that focuses on the maritime industry, from super yachts to small craft to large commercial ships, including coastal shipping, tugs, tow boats, barges, ferries, tourist, sport-fishing craft, je
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Deckhand Don Henwood (centre) instructing sea cadets rope handling on the aft winch where they sat as the cost of shifting and remounting them was deemed too great. Given her outstanding history, the William C Daldy, like the other ships featured here, is today in remarkable condition for her age. Working in the harsh marine environment exacts a tough toll and with every passing year the costs of maintaining these ships in service will continue to climb. Most of all, it would be remiss of me to not mention the people, the dedicated engineers and deck crew, all of whom contribute a huge number of hours so we can all enjoy and participate in a bygone era of the maritime heritage – the age of steam. All of these ships are national ■ treasures, treasures we can no longer afford to lose. LOA 126ft Beam 32ft Draft 15ft Bollard pull 17 tons Speed 13 knots Registered tonnage 346 tons Bunkered dead weight 570 tons Steaming crew 12 minimum (15) Owner The Tug William C Daldy Preservation Society Inc TOTAL MARINE: • Wharves • Jetty and Marina Construction and Repair • Marine Towing • Pile Driving and Drilling • Salvage • Barge and Tug Hire VIP.S71 spec's drum horizontal winch aft, for working the large towing lines that could consist of wire rope and also the smaller berthing lines. Finally, the galley is equipped with a steam powered urn for making tea. Amongst her many achievements during her 41 years as a port working tug, it is interesting to note that it was the William C Daldy that towed the four masted square rigged Pamir into Auckland in August 1948, and later out to sea in September. This was the last time a true sailing ship of trade with no automotive power visited Auckland. The William C Daldy's main claim to fame was in 1958 during the construction of Auckland's Harbour Bridge, when one of the main central spans was caught during a spring storm in winds of 40 knots plus, while it was being manoeuvred into position by the contractor, the late Harry Julian, one of Auckland's colourful waterfront characters. Fearing a breakaway from the contractor's tugs which were unable to hold the span securely in the increasing winds, the William C Daldy, already on standby, was instructed to attached a tow line to the souwest corner of the barge supporting the 1500 tonne, 580 feet long section, teetering a 100 feet above the harbour. She then sustained an on-load pull that lasted 24 hours, until the storm front finally passed over Auckland. During this time she remained on station for 36 hours, this feat alone earned accolades for the William C Daldy and endeared her to the public who saw her as being the tug that saved the harbour bridge. Balancing the books in the name and shame and funny incidents department, the only serious accident in her career was in February 1975 when she was involved in a collision with the Blue Star Line vessel Fremantle Star. The collision put a sizeable dent in the 8400-ton Fremantle Star and put the tug out of action for nearly five weeks. The chief stoker had the luckiest escape of all: after stoking the boilers he had just gone on deck for a breath of fresh air when the accident happened, "If I'd stayed down there a minute longer, I'd have had one of the fire doors open, and I'd have been swamped in red hot clinker." The stokehold was waist deep in halfburnt coal which travelled furiously from the furnaces just after the collision. The first thoughts of the crew were to get the fires out as quickly as possible to avoid any danger of a boiler explosion. An engine-room telegraph failure had caused the collision and the ship's master Captain Albert Moku Moku could only watch helplessly as the tug ploughed towards the freighter at an estimated five knots. What amazed crew members is that none of the steam pipes were fractured by the force of the collision, due to the fact that they were made of heavy copper and were able to stretch under strain. Otherwise anybody caught within the "line of fire" would have been scalded to death. As it was, the 40-year-old steam tug, which was then the Auckland Harbour Board's oldest tug, looked a mess. The force of a collision pushed the three ton rope fender on the bow deep into the hull buckling plates up to four feet back from the bow. Down in the engine room the two big boilers, about 35 tons each, had moved six inches on their mountings and yet amazingly remained intact. A legacy that can still be seen today as the boilers were refastened TOTAL FLOATS: Design, Supply and Installation of all Floating Structures: Marinas – Commercial and Private Wharf Pontoons Phone 09 379 9752 • Fax 09 379 9751 www.totalmarineservices.co.nz NZ WORKBOAT REVIEW 2013 9