The influx of newcomers recorded in recent weeks has not abated.
For in addition to the tankers Shimanami Sunshine and STX Ace 12 I mentioned last week, two more tankers, LD Cosmos and Britto, are scheduled to make their first calls.
Also on initial appearances, both for logs, are Albert Oldendorff and Nord Singapore, plus the container ship Maersk Dabou.
The latter vessel, in port last week, joins sister ships Maersk Danville, Maersk Dunbar and Bunga Raya Dua Belas (ex Maersk Duncan) on the weekly Tanjung Pelepas service.
All are 41,359gt, 4132teu owned by the Oltmann group, built in 2005.
Maersk Dabou entered service in July 2005 as P&O Nedlloyd Cardenas.
Shortly after, it was renamed JPO Cancer then Maersk Dabou.
In March 2006, it began 18 months of trading as Seattle Express before becoming Maersk Dabou once more.
DL Cosmos and Britto are interesting 183m-long, 14.9-knot sisters built by one of South Korea's newer shipyards.
Both were built at Tongyong by the SPP Plant and Shipbuilding Co Ltd, a yard affiliated to the SPP Shipbuilding Co.
The latter was established in 2002 as Dong Yang Shipbuilding Co, but changed its name in January 2006.
SPP Plant started operations in October 2005 and delivered its first ship in 2007.
Youngest of the pair, the 30,006gt, 49,999dwt Britto, laid down on October 18, 2008, was launched on February 26, 2009, and entered service on May 21, 2009.
It sails under the flag of Panama, is owned by Britto Shipping Co and is managed by the DL Shipping Co of Busan.
DL Cosmos is managed by the same company.
Keel-laying of this 29.990gt, 49,995dwt tanker took place on February 22, 2007, launching on May 24, and delivery on September 12, 2007.
This vessel, registered to the ownership of the Daelim Corp of Busan, has Jeju (Cheju) as its port of registry.
It is the first South Korean flag tanker to discharge petroleum products at Dunedin.
The only other tanker that called here flying this flag was the 3372gt, 1972-built Bum Chin.
It berthed at Dunedin on January 14, 1977, to load bulk tallow.
On June 25, Dunedin had a visit by the 24,066gt, Chinese-built, Danish-flag tanker Nord Swan.
It was owned by Norden Steam Ship Co of Copenhagen, which was founded in 1871 and is Denmark's oldest shipping company operating on the international scene.
Norient displayed on the tanker's hull identified it as being part of a product tanker pool set up in November 2004 by Norden and Interorient Navigation Co of Limassol.
Headquartered at Copenhagen it began operations on January 1, 2005.
This partnership has since expanded into larger vessels and also diversified into Panama-type bulk carriers and handy-size vessels such as Nord Singapore.
This 19,831gt, 32,114dwt ship berthed at Port Chalmers yesterday.
Registered at Hong Kong, it is owned by White Amaryllis Marine S.
A. and managed by Norden Tankers and Bulkers Singapore Pte Ltd.
Completed by Hakodate Dock Co on March 12, 2008, the 14.4-knot vessel was laid down on June 28, 2006, and launched on January 21, 2008.
Albert Oldendorff will load part of its cargo of logs at Leith wharf before moving down to the Beach St berth.
It is another Liberian-flag unit from the Egon Oldendorff fleet of Lubeck.
This 19,883gt, 31,647dwt vessel has been in service since July, 2004.
Sister ships Cathrin Oldendorff loaded logs both at Dunedin and Port Chalmers last month, and Lucas Oldendorff, logs in the lower harbour in March.
All three were built by Saiki Heavy Industries.
Albert Oldendorff will be the eighth vessel to load logs at Dunedin since last April and the third to take on more cargo at Port Chalmers.
It will bring the Beach St log ship tally this year to 34 arrivals.
