OIL HULK SECURED

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 9, Issue 60, 8 April 1946, Page 5

OIL HULK SECURED

HARBOUR BOARD'S PURCHASE (

USE" AS, A BREAKWATER < Residents of Whakatane will'. v shonity, Become- used ton the prese ence of the old brigantine 'Warn- - ganui' in; the harbour.. The old : sailer,- well known enough in. herday; has Been used for many years by the Northern: Steamr ship. Company as on. oil hulk. £m , the: Auckland harbour,, and was under offer to the Whakatane Harbour- Board for the sum of £SO- At last Friday's: meeting the | Board decided to accept the vessel at. the figure and; to instruct •- the engineer to go into the ques- e tion of utilising it as a breakwater in pursuance of the Board's protection: scheme.

The 'Wanganui' is described as si ■; steeL hulled ship; approximately 100 feet long which the Northern Com-','v pangr offered to-deliver at Whakatane '. aa the figure; named. The offer caused considerable comment, and Har- > boucmaster (Opt Carey), described it as most reasonable and well wor- ..j thy of the Board's interest. ,\ The chairman (Mr W. R. Boon) considered the prospect, of the old; vessel being- sunk as a blockade at; ;the entrance of one of the Heads channels an excellent one. Groyning work he: pointed out, was inevitable for the Board and the small outlay'; on the, vessel would make its pur- , chase a very sound proposition. The Engineer mentioned that the | hull could be used in several places., to very good effect. It'could be sunk, oyer the place selected on a calm)?; day and if. promptly filled and secur- < ed the chances of it moving werelf: very remote.

It was agreed to purchase the ves-| sel and to secure her at the wharf j pending the ehoice of a suitable site for sinking her.