Eight down and two to go, with Maersk Damascus joining the seven other 2002-built, 4100teu vessels that have left the New Zealand trade since the end of 2006.
The ship which made its last visit on July 22 was phased out of the Tanjung Pelepas service when it arrived at Singapore last week.
It is being replaced with a vessel that is joining the fleet of the Malaysia International Shipping Co (MISC) with a mouthful of a name, Bunga Raya Dua Belas.
The ship had called here in 2006-07 as Maersk Duncan.
In an arrangement between Maersk and MISC, Maersk Damascus had been calling here since 2008, with MISC funnel markings.
The sixth of the seven Samsung-built, Offen-owned, Albatross class vessels to be delivered, it entered service as P&O Nedlloyd Palliser.
Its first visit on its maiden voyage on October 26, 2002, was followed by 17 more under that name, then a further 39 as Maersk Damascus from 2006.
Great Dream, another newcomer to the log trade, is the fourth vessel to have loaded logs at the Leith wharf, Dunedin, this year.
Like English Bay which loaded logs at Dunedin last month, it also moved down to Port Chalmers at the weekend to take on more cargo.
However, a few days earlier, second-time visitor Global Arrow departed from the log berth on August 2.
This date has special significance for it was on that day in 1969 that the export log trade from the Beach St berth was inaugurated with the departure of Kyoto Maru with a full cargo for Japan.
It should also be remembered that 10 years earlier the ageing Norwegian-owned general cargo vessel Marie Bakke left from Dunedin on July 25 with a full cargo of logs.
Destined for Japan, it was the first such cargo to leave here and was handled locally by Tapley Swift Shipping Agencies.
Since then a further seven consignments have been loaded in the upper harbour.
Great Dreams' move down to Port Chalmers on Saturday brings the lower harbour's tally to 535 visits over the past 41 years, plus one by Shinsho Maru in January, 1962.
When alterations to the end of the Beach St berth were being carried out in 1996-97, some vessels were loaded at the multipurpose berth.
While these ships originally carried their cargoes to Japan, other markets that opened up saw logs being exported to South Korea, India, China, the Philippines and, for a period, to North America.
The first three shipments in 1969 were followed by another 115 up to the end of 1980.
But things tapered off as the market declined with only three loadings in 1982 and 1986 and four in 1981 and 1983-85.
The market gradually recovered and peaked with 25 calls in 2000 and 21 in 2001.
Over the next seven years, visits varied from 11-19 vessels.
Last year, it had shot up again to 23.
But Great Dreams has already eclipsed this figure with 24 visits to Port Chalmers so far this year.
Today, as in the past, not as many log ships load their entire cargo here.
They may only be here for a day or so, having already loaded elsewhere then moving on to another port to complete their loading programme.
To date, 339 vessels have been involved with this trade, including 20 that have also carried more than one name.
The ships have increased in size, with more in the 17,000gt-20,000gt, 28,000dwt-34,000dwt range.
And more modern tonnage keeps appearing with 11 of this year's visitors having been built over the past six years.
The 14-knot Great Dream falls into these categories as a 19,829gt, 33,745dwt vessel completed in June 2004, by the Oshima Shipbuilding Co at Yokosuka.
It is registered at Hong Kong to the ownership of White Oak Shipping SA, and is managed by the Cido Shipping (HK) Co Ltd, a South Korean concern that moved its headquarters to Hong Kong in August, 2004.
