It is just over 27 years ago since the 2169gt, Wellington-registered Tarihiko made its first visit to Dunedin on June 2, 1984, to deliver the second shipment of cargo to the new lpg terminal. The first shipment arrived in the tanks of Coral Gas on February 12, 1984.
Tarihiko, built in Troon, Scotland, by Ferguson-Ailsa Ltd, and completed in February 1984, made over 230 visits to Dunedin. After arriving here for the last time on January 4, 1999, it was laid up awaiting a buyer.
It was eventually sold to the Knud I. Larsen group, and was taken over on July 8, 1999. Registered at Singapore as Kilgas Centurion, this familiar visitor departed for Singapore two days later. It was later renamed Sigas Centurion, but since March 2010 has flown the flag of St Kitts and Nevis as Angas.
Since Tarihiko was withdrawn, there have been 300 shipments brought here by 21 vessels flying the flags of 10 nations. The latest to join the list, last week, was St Lucia, the first Singapore-flag lpg vessel to berth since the departure of the former Tarihiko.
This newcomer is a 4253gt, 13.5-knot vessel owned by St Lucia Shipping (Pte) Ltd, and managed and operated by Epic Shipping Management (Pte) Ltd, both of Singapore.
St Lucia and a sister ship named St Vincent were both built by the Sasaki shipyard in Kinoe, Japan. Last week's visitor was laid down on July 27, 2007. It was launched the following year on January 10, and handed over on April 10.
Vessels that have turned up here from time to time to load scrap metal for overseas are sometimes new ones such as Papua and POS Brave, lower harbour visitors in December 2003 and September 2004, respectively.
And this week Vega Venus, another new vessel, will take on scrap at Dunedin.
This visitor hails from the fleet of Vega Reederei Friedrich Dauber, of Hamburg. Its 9957gt, 1118teu, Chinese-built container ship Vega Gotland was a regular visitor to Port Chalmers, with 85 visits from August 2, 2006, to December 27, 2010.
Vega Venus is another product of China's shipbuilding industry.
It is one of four ordered by the Hamburg company from the Fujian Mawei Shipbuilding Company in Fuzhou. All will the fly the Liberian flag and will be operated by Norden A/S Dampskibs of Denmark.
Vega Venus was laid down on September 8, 2008, launched on December 26, 2010, and completed on March 25. Typical of handy-size bulk/lumber carriers that call here, it is a 19,994gt, 31,754dwt vessel fitted with four 30-tonne-capacity cranes and has a service speed of 13.7 knots.
Newcomer Crown Princess, due at Ravensbourne this week, is a 30,046gt, 52,347dwt bulk carrier, completed by the Tsuneishi yard in Numakuma, Japan on June 30, 2005.
Built for Greek interests, the bulk carrier entered service as Irika and has been trading under its present name for the past four years. Registered at Panama, it is owned by a Marshall Islands company, Crown Marine SA, but is managed and operated by the Piraeus-based Capital Ship Management Corp.
Calling for the first time this week, MSC Sabrina is a 35,598gt, 3074teu vessel that has been trading under this name since 1998. Built by the Daewoo yard Okpo, South Korea, the ship entered service in March 1989, and until bought by Mediterranean Shipping traded as Hanjin Oakland.
Making its first visit to the upper harbour this week, Hope Star will be the eighth vessel to load logs at Leith wharf so far this year. It made its first visit last February to load logs at Beach St.
