NAPIER HARBOUR.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 403, 12 January 1909, Page 6

NAPIER HARBOUR.

; ' (BI TBLEGEiPB.—SFECtAL COUItESPONUKNT.I Napier, January 14. • '; An event, of considerable,- advertising value to the"port of Napier occurred this morning;, when the wool ship, Clan Sutherland, of; the Scale's Line,.-. moored v at- tho -Breakwater Wharf. Wool ,has. hitherto -been exported from. Napier by means of. a class ■of light craft, which indulge in lightering; to-the Home liners lying out in the bay. Shipping companies have, refused to! allow their big cargo-, boats to-come up to tho wharf at -the breakwater 'on the ground' that ,the-facilities for' berthing are -not adequate. The Clan Sutherland has. been the first of: her kind' to avail; herself of . .the wharfage offered, which in her'case has' been proved to'be .'sufficient. When visited .by a press representative' this morning, Captain S/'A;- Jones/' the'"- master, said <•that his boat is' ;2820"tons gross'arid 1794' n«jt ■' register. ' She is 320-feet'overall, and drew 22 feet. .' ■

! I'ldid not have the'slightest difficulty'-in berthing," 1 said the captain, "and,'as you see,-'the ; boat is ; quite -steady and' firm; I am fully satisfied I • would have no scruples in- coming in with a boat '50 feet longer." It is poihted.out by Mr; J. P. Kenny,- secretary 'of the Harbour Board,. that ■ the Manuka, the' largest regular steamer- in : the coastal service that avails < herself of ' the wharf, is 369 feet long; . The Clan Sutherland commenced loading 800 bales of wool this morning,; and-opera-, tions progressed without a .hitch, By. .shipping ' direct the. charterers save' roughly Is. per bale,' the cost of. lightering, and' thus the saving on the small shipment of 800 bales is about £40. ' ' The Glasgow Wharf is ' at present being rebuilt in ferro concrete, and pending its completion shipping companies have thought it necessary, to make arrangements that.the ordinary coastal steamers should anchor under the lee of tho breakwater, and be' lightered. This course was deemed necessary by the shipping companies on the ground that berthago at the Breakwater Wharf was dangerous for other • than' small -craft. The Convincing illustration to-day should, be the means of altering these arrangements, so ■ that the" extra cost of lighterage should be obviated. As a souvenir of . the occasion, Mr.- J. Vigor Brown, chairman of the Napier Harbour Board, this morning presented Captain Jones with a gold watoh to hand to hia wife at home. ■■■ .