Testing the on board crane
Bow ramp open – note the 100mm sill
plenty of recreational boating, the harbour is largely regarded as
the poor cousin. It is because of the popularity of recreational
boating, along with the steady number of lives lost and the
on-going commercial activity in its waters, that this harbour
still places a large responsibility on the Harbourmaster's office
and water safety agencies like Coastguard and Maritime New
Zealand to maintain a management and safety presence.
The City of Sails holds no peer in the world of recreational
boating per capita and the Waitemata Harbour and Hauraki
Gulf are the greatest boaties' haven of them all. The Gulf is the
location for New Zealand's America's Cup challenge and the
habitat for varied marine life, including a resident population of
marine mammals – the common and bottlenose dolphins and the
rare and endemic brydes whales. Home also to a vibrant fishery,
the Gulf is the jewel in Auckland's crown.
All this adds up to a constant workload for the harbourmaster
and his small team of maritime officers.
The harbourmaster operates a number of vessels with three
RHIB patrol craft and a small workboat, and it is the latest
addition to these craft, the new 12.5m motorized barge, that we
are interested in today.
The launching and commissioning of this vessel was as a
direct result of the Rena grounding on Astrolabe Reef in the
Bay of Plenty. Post Rena, the Auckland Council reviewed its
risk management in the marine environment, from which two
initiatives have come.
NZS
MARINE
CRANE
PARTNER
OFFERING A COMPREHENSIVE RANGE
OF KNUCKLEBOOM & STIFF BOOM
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APPLICATIONS FROM MUSSEL
FARMING TO EXPLORATION
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WORLD LEADING EXPERIENCE
VIP.S93
PROVEN SOLUTIONS 2.3 TO 180 M/T
STRONG, ECONOMIC & FLEXIBLE
NATIONWIDE PARTS & SERVICE
TALK TO THE PALFINGER EXPERTS:
0800 725 346
www.skipper.co.nz
PALFINGER.CO.NZ
September/October 2013 Professional Skipper 19
