Fate of Westport Dredge

Grey River Argus, 16 April 1948, Page 8

Fate of Westport Dredge

The dredge Rubi Seddon, was the subject' of discussion at yesterday’s meeting of the Westport Harbour advisory committee. A recommendation was received from the Marine Department that it be tied up without overhaul at Westport and no further dredging work be done in the meantime. It was stated by the Secretary of Marine (Mr W. Smith) that the estimated cost of a survey between £30,000 to £40,000 had to be considered against the dredge’s capabilities. It was also recommended that the Secretary of Marine should negotiate through the Harbour Boards’ Association for the chartering of the Rubi Seddon to a board and that the services of the members of its crew, who are not required at Westport be dispensed with but, as far as possible, those men should be retained until found other suitable work.

The engineer-manager of the Marine Department at Westport, Mr A. C. Bascand. said it was considered by the Department after all aspects of dredging discussed by the English engineers, that the Rubi Seddon was not economical for operating further and that the expense in repairing her would not be justified. He added that her hull and boilers were in a bad way and she was a lighter standard than later ships when built 45 years ago. Her operating efficiency was only half that of the Eileen Ward, added Mr Bascand, who said that she would be tied up at Westport and kept in the best order possible in the meantime.

A motion by Mr J. Kilkenny and seconded by Mr F. Connew was carried, recommending that the proposal of the Marine Department be held over pending recipt of the report on harbour improvements at Westport.