The arrival of Dawn Princess on its ninth visit, last Friday, brought the total number of visits to this harbour by overseas-owned cruise ships since December 23, 1961, to 501.
It was off to a flying start this year for the export log trade.
So it is the start of a new decade and one wonders what surprises it might bring in the shipping world?
Seventy-six years ago today, the Commonwealth and Dominion Line, renamed the Port Line Ltd on November 11, 1937, took delivery of the motor ship Port Chalmers from the Newcastle yard of Swan, Hunter & Wigham, Richardson Ltd.
It was a special occasion for the port last Friday with two record holders in port together.
Over the years the profile and size of vessels visiting Ravensbourne have changed from more modest-sized conventional vessels having their machinery and accommodation located amidships, to considerably larger bulk carriers of the all-aft design.
Following its recent sale to Asian buyers, Knock Nevis, mentioned last week, could find further employment in the Singapore area, as a storage vessel, or may even go to the Indian subcontinent for demolition.
The Singapore-flag tanker Challenge Premier, owned by NYK Bulkships (Asia) Pte Ltd, of Singapore, was back on its second visit last Friday.
Activity scheduled for the Ravensbourne fertiliser berth today centres on two first-time visitors.
After a 15-day visit, the Federal Steam Navigation Company's 10,984gt Durham sailed on January 8, 1965, on its final visit to Port Chalmers.
A contrast in a century of changes in sea travel, plus the changing face of the waterfront at Port Chalmers, were aptly portrayed in two illustrations that recently appeared in the Otago Daily Times.
The cruise ship season opens tomorrow with the arrival of Princess Cruises' Bermuda-registered Star Princess, a former local record holder. Port Otago's cruise ship schedule to April 5, 2010, lists 46 visits by 16 vessels to Port Chalmers and seven by four smaller ships to Dunedin.
When the Japanese-owned container ship Godwit berthed at Port Chalmers on January 29, 1977, to open the then new container berth, it was the first vessel of more than 30,000gt to enter this harbour.
Several months ago, I mentioned the links over the years between this harbour and vessels mostly engaged in the British liner trades that have been named after Auckland.
Last week, while the log ships East Ambition and Mount Rainier were here on their first visits, the tanker Challenge Pioneer was back for the third time.
Sixteen days ago, the log ship Zeus I arrived from Noumea and sailed the following day for Wellington to load more logs.
Time goes by and probably not a lot of attention is given by residents to vessels that have become very familiar to this harbour over the years.
The arrival of the new inshore patrol vessel HMNZS Hawea perpetuates the name of a Lake class frigate that made several local visits up to December 1956.
As one of the many sources for naming ships, the word princess has been favoured as a prefix or suffix by owners of passenger vessels.
International concern has been mounting over the last fortnight as to the whereabouts of the Russian-owned, Maltese-flag Arctic Sea.
