KOKAKO NEW BUNKER BARGE FOR WELLINGTON

Once Master’s get the Pilot exemptions it is planned the vessel will be self-reliant on itself tying up and letting go.

At present a specialised gangway is getting fabricated so the vessel can be alongside at Burnham wharf and gangway deployed (weather permitting) and an AB would go ashore to take the lines. As Wellington wind all lines will be bitts at this stage.

The Destine arrived in Wellington from Singapore at 0930 on Saturday 2 September.

BY PAT HARCUS AB (6591) WELLINGTON BRANCH DELEGATE

On 31 August the first crew of the new Wellington bunker ship Kokako (formerly Destine) met at the Atura Hotel in Thorndon for a seminar and induction prior to joining the vessel.

Company officials gave an overall explanation of the operation that Silver Fern Shipping, ASP Shipping and BP wanted to achieve.

Firstly, they explained the operation was here for a five year contract with 2 year x 2 year extension.

First up the vessel will load 3500 cubes of diesel as the vessel is constrained by its draft to berth at Burnham Wharf as its home berth. The vessel is 6500 tonnes and 92 meters in length.

At present they have one contract with Strait Shipping and are looking to build additional clients on top of this, especially with the oncoming cruise season about to kick off.

Kokako will initially only carry diesel till March when they will then receive Low Sulphur Biofuel which is 24% cooking oil.

After lunch, officials from Seaview Terminal, Centreport, and other outside support came and explained their part of the venture. Centreport will be providing pilots, tugs and linesman until the Masters acquire their Wellington Harbour exemptions.

At this point in time, the vessel will only work in the Wellington Harbour limits, and as time goes on this could also include both Nelson and Lyttelton ports.

The crew numbers are Master, Mate, Second Mate, Chief Engineer, Second Engineer, 3 AB’s one being the cook but who assists in tie ups, let goes and bunkering duties.

Note MLC inspector queried the AB cook status and came back next day and informed us that 9 crew or over on vessel would require a cook.

Crew went on board for a look around at 1400, then went back to the hotel, and we returned the following day for more familiarising as the Indonesian delivery crew were still on board.

We went to Briscoes to purchase new linen for first crew and all sorts of new galley utensils. New mattresses had been ordered also.

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On Monday, Quay Marine came on board as Surveyors, they found wastage on pipe rack brackets and all steam valves had to be overhauled.

Scaffolds came on board for the name change which took three days. In days gone by ABs would have rigged stages and carried out the task. Quay Marine then carried out the name change from Destine to Kokako.

On Friday 8 August, New Zealand crew were denied entry to the vessel and had to wait on the wharf.

After two hours the authorities permitted us to board the vessel but only to the messroom, as there were problems with the hand over paperwork. We left the vessel after signing indemnity papers.

I went up the road to purchase food items to get us started until a ship’s provedore was organized. The weekly food allowance for the total ships compliment is $1500 per week without cleaning gear and bottled water.

The vessel out on deck is in a clean state as she had just come out of dry dock and had had a cosmetic coating.

The accommodation wasn’t in the best state, so the company organised professional cleaners to come on board. The cleaners were asked to do the decks but said they don’t do that, so it was over to us to get the vessel up to a liveable standard, much the same as when we joined the Maersk vessels recently.

Silver Fern have been around long enough to know the New Zealand standards required when taking over a vessel, and for them not to have the vessel inspected before leaving Singapore by any one of the three unions involved is shameful.

The Master who went to Singapore said he mentioned a few things to be done especially broken and missing bathroom tiles to be repaired but nothing was done.

There’s fifteen bunks on the crew deck, being doubles sharing bathrooms, and two singles. We will have our own cabin without sharing a bathroom so no claim on accommodation allowance. Apart from that, the galley wasn’t in bad shape, but we had to throw a lot of equipment out.

Overall, we believe the Kokako will get better, plus a positive is six MUNZ jobs have been created, and another New Zealand coastal vessel manned by New Zealanders.

MUNZ members will stay on course and do our best to make Kokako a success for now and for future members. Hopefully down the track this company will employ trainees.