The visitors to this harbour that are products of China's expanding shipbuilding industry have increased steadily over the past few years.
Another influx of Chinese-built maiden-callers started last week with the arrival of Nord Houston.
By the end of the month three others, Angeles, Hansa Altenburg and Phoenix Nereid, are also expected.
After discharging bulk cargo at Ravensbourne, Nord Houston moved down to Port Chalmers to load a small consignment of logs before departing yesterday. This 20,924gt, 32,389dwt, 13.7-knot vessel has only been in service since February 24, 2011.
It was built by the Jiangmen Nantong yard at Quangdong and is another of the Silver Lake type bulk/lumber carriers built there.
Silver Lake, which has made several local calls, was the first ship completed by the yard in June 2008. The ship is owned by Norden Shipping Singapore Pte Ltd, part of the D/S Norden A/S group of Copenhagen. Denmark's oldest shipping company, it was founded on February 11, 1871.
Today, the group operates more than 100 dry-cargo vessels and 40 tankers. Norden colours have been seen here from time to time over the past 57 years.
In port today is an even newer log ship, Phoenix Nereid. This smaller 18,465gt, 29,100dwt, vessel has a service speed of 14.2 knots. It has an interesting background for it is owned by the Nakanishi Marine Corporation SA, of Panama. Managed by the Nakanishi Marine Company Ltd of Osaka, it is operated by Eastern Car Liner Ltd, founded at Tokyo in May, 1977.
There is also a link between the owning interests and the facility in China where it was built by the Yangzhou Nakanishi Shipbuilding Company. Sounds like another of China's emerging yards for the vessel was laid down as Yard No 007 on May 28, 2010, launched on June 21, 2011, and delivered on October 17.
Angeles, making its debut on Maersk's Tanjung Pelepas link, has been in service since April 26, 2010. The 32,901gt, 2750 TEU vessel is a sister ship to the 2009-built Algarrobo which has made four visits here, on the same run, since September.
Both ships were built by the Yangfan shipyard at Zhousan.
They fly the Liberian flag and represent the NSC Shipping group of Hamburg.
Also sailing under the same flag for Leonhardt and Blumberg, of Hamburg, is the 18,358gt Hansa Altenburg. Commissioned on March 14, 2011, the ship is the fourth 1740 TEU sister ship from the fleet to call here since August.
The other three are Hansa Coburg, Meersburg and Salzburg.
They were built at the Guangzhou Wenchong shipyard and have been employed on charter on CMA CGM's Anzex service. The newcomer replaces Hansa Coburg, now on charter to Hainan Pan Ocean for up to six months on a daily rate of $NZ8000.
Up to mid-1996, the export apple season attracted an assortment of specialised fully refrigerated vessels, reefers.
Yesterday, there was a reminder of those times when Atlantic Reefer berthed at Leith St wharf to load palletised apples.
Of interest, too, is that this Willemstad-registered vessel is the first sailing under the flag code CUW, denoting Curacao, to call here.
The ship is fitted with 16,423cu m of insulated space in its five holds that are served by four cranes.
The 10,991gt vessel was designed to operate at 21 knots and has carried this name since it went into service on October 28, 1998, under the Cypriot flag. It later had a stint on the Panamanian register before transferring to Curacao five years ago.
The vessel, built at Kochi by the Shin Kochi shipyard and now owned by the Atlantic Reefer Shipping Co BV, operates for the Seatrade interests of Groningen.
Founded in 1951 and better-known as Seatrade since 1973, its Seatrade Reefer Chartering arm employs about 130 vessels.
