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
Issue link: https://viewer.e-digitaleditions.com/i/48969
WATERWAYS – Waterfront Business In brief… Kayaker had no lifejacket Wellington Police say it is "highly unlikely" a kayaker who went missing on Wellington Harbour would have survived nearly 48 hours in the water. Cameron Millar, aged 19, who was from Hamilton, and his partner tipped overboard from their kayaks while heading towards Ward Island, off Eastbourne, on August 10. His partner swam ashore and raised the alarm at about 1800. Millar's kayak, backpack and paddle were found later but his body had not yet been recovered as of August 21. The Wellington Police maritime unit's Lady Liz IV and a Police diving squad had searched where Millar was last seen. "We know Millar and his companion were not wearing lifejackets," said Police search and rescue acting Sergeant Anthony Harmer. Ship strike killed rare whale Extensive external bruising and ruptured intestines indicated a rare Bryde's whale was hit by a ship and died on September 9, according to marine mammal scientist Dr Rochelle Constantine of the University of Auckland. A Great Barrier Air pilot saw the 12m baleen whale floating dead in the Hauraki Gulf and called the Department of Conservation. A fishing boat retrieved the whale and towed it to the north of the Coromandel Peninsula, where a necropsy was performed on September 12. The team, led by Massey University veterinary pathologist Stuart Hunter, found 15 fractured vertebrae and broken ribs. It was clear the most likely cause was a large vessel, said Hunter. North Korean boats in protected waters The New Zealand government is campaigning to put two North Korean ships caught illegally fishing in a protected marine area off the coast of Antarctica on an international blacklist. Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully has confirmed a patrolling New Zealand Air Force Orion found the Xiong Nu Baru 33 and the Sima Qian Baru 22 fishing in a Ross Sea area administered by the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources in February. Both vessels were on the organisation's illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) blacklist, and one was using deep-sea gillnets, which are banned in the area. McCully said the discovery was a "grave concern" he would raise with the North Korean government. Ferry returns with a new lease on life ANYONE FAMILIAR WITH the Interisland ferry Aratere might have blinked twice on seeing her again after she resumed services across Cook Strait on October 1 following a $52 million refit in Singapore. While she was at the Sembawang Shipyard she was cut in half and a new mid-section added to extend her overall length by 30m. The five-month refit also included a new bow, a new stern profile, new generators and a total refurbishment of her interior. The Aratere sailed into Wellington Harbour on September 23 on the final leg of her journey back from Singapore a month later than scheduled, due to delays following electronic problems during her sea trials. The extension increases the Aratere's capacity by about 30 percent for rail freight, trucks and cars and increases the number of passengers she can carry from 360 to 600. New public facilities include the Aratere Plus lounge, food and beverage outlets and facilities for commercial drivers. Interislander's general manager, Thomas Davis, said the extension was an effective way to create more urgently needed capacity. "This is a major project for KiwiRail's turnaround plan, increasing capacity for rail between Auckland and Christchurch." ANCHOR COMPANY SOLD TO CANADIANS THE CANADIAN CHAIN manufacturer Canada Metal Pacific of Vancouver has bought the embattled New Zealand anchor manufacturer Rocna. CMP has taken over the manufacturing licence and key Rocna personnel are being retained to assist with the transition and to support ongoing activities. Canada Metal Pacific produces CMP chain, Martyr™ marine anodes, Octopus™ marine autopilot drive systems and Intellisteer remote steering systems. The sale follows the release of a Rocna anchor recall notice by the United States marine retailer West Marine, one of the largest distributors of the anchors. The recall was for Rocna anchors sold since 2010, due to the metal in the shank being below that specified in the anchor's RINA certification. One of the difficulties is there are no distinguishing marks to identify anchors outside the specification. That in turn has led to a blanket recall. The number of anchors affected varies from Rocna's view that only eight have been returned with bent shanks over the lifetime of the business, to an estimate by the magazine Practical Sailor that 4000 anchors were manufactured below the specified strength of 800mpa. "In our experience, a shank's tensile strength was an important selling point for Rocna, and RINA standards are not the last word on shaft strength," the magazine said. Rocna disputes the claim. CMP says it hopes to rebuild Rocna's reputation and has offered to replace any defective Rocna ground tackle anywhere in the world It is assuming quality control at its factories in Ningbo, China and Vancouver, Canada to restore confidence in the RINA classification process. Whaling body short of funds FINANCIAL PRESSURE MAY force a Japanese whale research organisation to close if it doesn't receive a government bailout very quickly, says Peter Bethune of Earthrace Conservation. "The Institute for Cetacean Research, the organisation that carries out lethal whaling research programmes on behalf of Japan, is facing financial ruin." Bethune 50 Professional Skipper November/December 2011 said he had received information showing the ICR recently requested the Japanese government pay out over US$40 million to keep it in business. Bethune says the demand for whale meat is slowly declining, and Japanese consumers are also concerned about the high level of mercury and other pollutants found in most whale meat.