Offshore Thursday oil tanker Golden Resolution enroute from Adelaide, and Orcstella, an asphalt/Bitmen tanker in from Singapore, both sailing under the flag of Hong Kong, were Kwinana bound.
Strategic Venture, Belmar and CK Bluebell were anchored at sea with other bulk carriers Sotka and KN Forest.
Kaya – welcome to them all!
They will be bobbing about our seas for the next few days, some leaving before the forecast weather on Saturday, and others safely at anchor in Gage Road or Kwinana.
Earlier in the week we had two ROROs berthed in our Inner Harbour! That’s right folks, two! Galaxy Ace and NOCC Atlantic. A sight to behold indeed, one of many our ever-efficient port delivers every day, including the day a few months back when Victoria Quay was awash with Teslas, a day my editor recalls as a spectacular sight.
Just now we have a fleet of small vans and SUV, which are about as sexy as bamboo underpants, or as Gruen likes to call them, edible undies for Pandas.
Still, signs something is on the move – usually the weather and Saturday forecasts 45 mph northwesterly winds with a lot of rain.
But such is the capacity of our port, which injects more than half a billion dollars into the economy each year and provides thousands of jobs. Will they execute the ShoreTension cables we recently wrote about? Marine response vessels are on the ready.
What a big inner harbour we do have and with lovely conditions earlier in the week – blue skies, a white northern sun and zero breeze – idyllic conditions for berthing two massive vessels at once, not to mention the other massive vessels alongside and the tugs boats and leisure craft zipping about in between.
We wish all our mariners safe travels always.
The safe rescue of MV Portland Bay off Botany Bay this week illustrates the professionalism and skill of Australia’s mariners involved in dangerous rescue missions in truly atrocious conditions, as explained by Port of New South Wales CEO, Captain Philip Holliday.
MV Portland Bay. File photo. Credit Marine Traffic
Indeed, towing a drifting cargo ship in 8m swells and 30 knot winds would have been challenging. A 170-metre steel ship, three tug boats and their crews executing dangerous manoeuvres to protect vessels coming into harbour. Absolute hats off to all involved. She had no cargo. “Protecting people and the environment,” was first and foremost for Captain Holliday and Port of New South Wales.
Happy belated Fremantle Ports!
Fremantle Ports turned 125 this year, on International Star Wars Day, 4 May. The port’s CEO and Harbour Master both celebrated their one-year anniversaries within weeks of each other recently as well. Aside from weather, safety, security, customs and Covid (that dastardly c word we all abhor), our port injects $680 million into the local economy each year and provides thousands of jobs. That’s a big ship to steer indeed! Safety first.
Vale Rodney Keith Dyer – As the step-daughter of the late Rod Dyer I would like to make this brief tribute. Rod’s great, great grandfather was Lionel Samson who arrived on the Calista at Cockburn Sound soon after Captain Stirling in 1829. Their family business is the oldest in Western Australia, celebrating 200 years in 2029. Lionel Samson and Sadliers Group is still going strong. The archive and office is on Cliff Street Fremantle. We all pay our respects to an inspiring leader and vigorous supporter of community. His family and business are well known Fremantle entities, descendants instrumental in the development of Fremantle, Perth and Western Australia. RIP dear Rodney, a lover of the sea. He is survived by six step-children; 12 grandchildren and his widow, June.
Safe travels.
* By PA Sinclair, our Shipping Correspondent
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