Selected Articles from Issue 18

Alaskan Pollution Precedent

Tug Hauls Ports into the Future

Dawn Riley - a figurehead for women's sailing

Alaskan Pollution Precedent
by Ruth Dalley, Fiordland Ecology Holidays

In 1998, Royal Caribbean Cruises was fined $US8 million for illegal fuel dumping and a subsequent cover-up when one of its liners pumped oil, grey water and bilge waste into waters off the coasts of both Puerto Rico and Canada.

The company also pleaded guilty to falsifying records of the discharges and tampering with oil sensors. This fine represented the largest environmental penalty ever imposed on a cruise liner at the time, and was intended to send a message to ship operators that environmental crimes would not go unpunished.

Alaska is exerting greater government controls on shipping movements in its waters, as the cruise ship industry ferried more than half a million people on nearly 600 cruises last year to south-east Alaska alone.

The Governor of Alaska, Troy Knowles, has introduced a bill which requires cruise ships, (along with other vessels), to show that they are capable of responding to oil spills within 48 hours, and that they would bear the cost of cleaning up. They also have to disclose the contents and quantities of their waste and handling procedures. Royal Caribbean Cruises and Holland America LinesÕ whose parent company is Carnival, have both pleaded guilty in the last year or so to charges of illegal fuel dumping in Alaskan waters.

Recently the United States Environmental Protection Agency cited six cruise companies for air pollution violations caused by 13 ships in one summer in Alaska. After a torrent of complaints from residents, notices of air pollution violations were sent out to the cruise companies concerned. It would be great to have the ships hove to outside the fiords and then there would be some money coming into the area. But their argument would be that transferring the passengers would be difficult and possibly unsafe.

We do need restrictions on numbers. On March 1, Cruise New Zealand said that overseas cruise liners made 276 port calls in New Zealand during the summer - a new record and an increase of over 50 on the last season's 180 port calls. This will bring in an estimated 35,000 passengers out of a total of about 300,000 visitors per year

The increase in growth and interest has been attributed to New Zealand's increasing ability to cater to the diverse demands of boutique, ecotourism and traditional cruise tours. First-time vessels to New Zealand included Royal Caribbean Cruises' Legend of the Seas, Song of Flower from Radisson Seven Seas Cruises, and the newly-built Europa and Clipper Odyssey or Clipper Cruises.

Now, in Fiordland, we have reports of the smoke from cruise ships in Milford Sound actually shrouding Mitre Peak in a haze!

The Divisional Manager of Maritime Operations at the Maritime Safety Authority, John Mansell, said Milford Sound was too deep for big ships to anchor, so the average-sized liner had to keep its engines running and bow thrusters on to enable it to manoeuvre during each visit. There are international standards in place for emissions from the ships, but they have not been bought into effect in New Zealand. So much for our clean, green image!

The Southland Regional Council (now named Environment Southland), which is based in Invercargill, is in the final stages of putting together the Regional Coastal Plan for Southland. One of the most contentious sections is on foreign vessels and cruise ships. Submissions were received from a number of shipping companies who were opposed to paying a financial contribution to offset the adverse effects of cruise ships visiting a World Heritage Park. They also wanted access to some of the more remote areas. Cruise ships have to accept responsibility for environmental compliance.

An interesting article appeared in the Southland Times on March 29, 1996 when the issue of levies on visiting ships first arose. To quote Bob Marshall of the NYK Line: 'So if the Southland Regional Council, in its urge to get some money from the process, is getting a little bit punitive, I imagine some ship owners would bypass the area.'

Operators of cruise ships stated clearly that if they were faced with a levy to offset potential adverse effects of their visits they 'would be disappointed to be banned from the area, but might skip the sounds and Paterson Inlet rather than pay a levy.' This does not sound like a responsible attitude to me.

Authorities in Juneau, Alaska, have approved a $US5 per person passenger levy and, as expected, one cruise company has retaliated by threatening to withdraw support from local charities. In the Caribbean, greater pressure is being brought on the cruise ship companies, and the Transport Minister, Ewart Brown, has spoken out against massive cruise ships on environmental and infrastructure grounds.

The outcome of the staff report on the cruise ship section of the Regional Coastal Plan for Southland states: 'Cruise ship intrusions are not compatible with a remote wilderness environment. Therefore the waters available to these vessels as of right are confined to the commonly used waterways where some encounters with other vessels can be expected. '

'There is also concern that such vessels could have a mishap which leads to an oil spill. While such a spill may be of low probability, the potential effects of several hundred gross tonnes of heavy fuel oil spilling into a fiord are very significant.'

The use of Milford Sound, and other areas as stated in the policy, is a discretionary activity provided that: where use is deemed appropriate, a sum of $20 per passenger per visit is paid by the vessel operator as a financial contribution to offset the adverse effects of the vessel's use of internal waters.'

A future trend in the cruise market is that their passengers want to go to more exotic and adventuresome places. It is important to achieve the 'Wow' factor, and maybe this is why recently a small cruise ship actually anchored in a prohibited area in Doubtful Sound with the intention of taking their passengers ashore to see the rare Fiordland crested penguin on one of the small islands.

At that time of the year the penguins were ashore to moult and were under significant stress, so the impact of over 100 people going ashore to see them doesn't bear thinking about. According to DOC, no cruise ship operator has permission to take passengers ashore in Doubtful Sound. Is this just the start of what we are to expect from the smaller cruise ships?

At a meeting held at the Southland Regional Council Chambers on November 13, 1998, Bev Abbott from the New Zealand Tourism Board and Dr Richard Wade, vice president environmental health programmes of P & O Shipping, suggested that no price tag could restore Fiordland. Environmental damage could be devastating, and no compensation or restoring mechanisms could do anything. Even after acknowledging this, some of the cruise ships that are coming into Fiordland show they have little respect for the environment and for other operators.

Do we have to accept the intrusion of these vessels just because this is what the cruise ship tourist wants? Do we have to accept the potential and now very real threats to our environment and wildlife because of cruise ship tourist demands and possible expectations? I certainly hope not.

The 1999/2000 season has already seen approximately 30 cruise ships visit Fiordland. It is incredible how difficult it is to get a firm figure even after inquiring from a number of authorities. The tourist dollar should not put our environment in jeopardy. Wilderness and remoteness are becoming increasingly rare, so maybe the time has come for the cruise ship operators to be made more aware of the needs of the environment, and to be responsible enough to make decisions that are reflected in their environmental policies.

I realise that cruise ship operating companies are audited to make sure they comply with national and international standards, but the smoke issue alone confirms that these standards are not addressing the very basic issues of air pollution. 

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Tug Hauls Ports into the Future  by Mark Barrett-Boyes

A few hours on Waipapa, Ports of Auckland's newest tug, is a feeling unlike being on board any other sea-going vessel. There is the sensation of immense power, especially torque, combined with the nimbleness and manoeuvrability of a jet boat. That comes from her two 2200hp diesels and her two azimuth propellers, which spin through 360 degrees and allow the Waipapa to turn in her own length.

'The arrival of Waipapa is the way of the future. Our philosophy is that you don't need traditional sea-going vessels for harbour towage activities,' says Will Harvey, Ports of Auckland's General Manager, Port Services. 'Here in Auckland you never have to travel more than three-quarters of a mile to start operations.'

He says Waipapa presents a platform of power, is extremely versatile and easy to operate, while also being competitive and cost-effective. 'All this, together with lower manning requirements, points to a new direction for tug operations in this country.' He says the international trend towards bigger ships will hold Ports of Auckland in good stead in the future.

 Waipapa, said to be the southern hemisphere's most technologically advanced tug boat, entered service on March 6, and up until April 19 she had completed 273 jobs.

Her name, chosen by the Ngati Whatua kaumatua, means 'the waters of the flats', after a stream which flowed down what is now Stanley Street to Mechanics Bay, where Ports of Auckland is located. She was launched on January 6 by Lady Carter, the wife of the port's chairman, Sir Richard Carter.

 Waipapa is modeled on state-of-the-art tugs designed by Robert Allan Ltd, a naval architecture firm based in Vancouver, British Columbia, for operation at the port, but adjusted slightly for New Zealand conditions.

A considerable amount of evaluation and market research was underaken before the decision was made on the best design, said Harvey. 'We carried out an extensive international search for tug boats that would meet our requirements.' The port finally decided on the new-generation 17m Tiger Class tugs that operate out of Vancouver, but altered to suit New Zealand's conditions, including the addition of a slightly longer waterline.'  That longer length also moves the centre of pressure to an almost ideal spot so the stern is quick to come around.

The second and third tugs will be completed in April and June. The second tug will join the Waipapa on the Waitemata Harbour, and the third will be stationed at North Tugz at Marsden Point. This third tug will be fitted with specialist equipment for fighting oil fires, including two remote-controlled cannons mounted on top of the bridge which can apply 1200 cubic metres of foam and water an hour. The tugs will offer a high standard of protection to the refinery and the vessels that call there.

The task of the Waipapa's crew on this grey weekday afternoon, just before Easter, is to berth a large car-carrying vessel, the Kiwi Breeze, incidentally one of three to sail into Auckland that week to keep up with New Zealanders' insatiable demand for personal transport.

Unlike 75 percent of the ships which berth at Auckland, the Kiwi Breeze will not need to be turned around, and can go front-first into her berth at Jellicoe Wharf.

Today we are joining the Daldy to bring her in, with Waipapa pushing firmly on the port quarter while the Daldy pulls for'ard. On board are Chris Wood as skipper and training officer, with Graeme Parker at the helm and Graham Brooks on the winches, plus two other staff members undergoing training.

The crew members will become multi-skilled so they can swap tasks as necessary, with one man controlling the steering, the other the winches. 'The aim is to have the winch man on deck as little as possible for safety reasons,' says Wood. Crews work a 12-hour shift from 0500 hours to 1700 hours, or 1700 to 0500 hours on a four days on, two days off roster.

'We're looking forward to learning the extra skills,' says Graham Brooks. 'It'll make the job more interesting.'

Rather than sending several senior tugboat staff to Vancouver, Ports of Auckland brought an experienced skipper from Vancouver to Auckland for several weeks to train four experienced staff, including Wood.

They are now training the others so eventually there will be a pool of 12 who will be equally adept at skipper/pilothouse or deckhand/winch hand duties. Skipper training is done in two sections: first comes practise in running free, general manoeuvring, running alongside ships and personnel transfer. Once confidence and skills are built up, the trainees move into more specialised tug control.

Three skippers are currently studying for their Engineer Local Ship ticket in order for them to be fully qualified. 'Several of us already have engineering tickets, but mine, for instance, only qualifies me for engines up to 1000hp,' says Wood. Others, such as Brooks, are studying for their Commercial Launch Master or CLM ticket.

The berthing of the Kiwi Breeze is completely routine, apart from a couple of times when the crew remark on Waipapa's power and maneuverability, such as her ability to push square on.

The new tug allows skippers to position themselves faster, and once initial training is completed, only two will be needed to handle vessels of any size, says Wood. At the moment the biggest ships require three tugs.

 Waipapa is constructed in steel to Lloyd's Register classification, and displaces 338 tonnes. She has an uncluttered layout above and below decks which is spartan, yet functional, with easy access to all areas.

The wheelhouse is remarkably open and sunny, with 360 degree visibility. The two angled funnels seem more like oversized exhaust pipes and make little impact on the view. The helmsman stands between two ranks of controls to operate the vessel, and most of his time is spent adjusting the two nozzles which control the drive units and engine power.

There is space to stand outside the controls, while the port and starboard doors are placed half-way along the wheelhouse sides. A sophisticated on-board safety system is heavily 'alarmed' to inform the crew of any problems. At the aft end of the wheelhouse is a settee and table, a captain's chair and a small galley.

To cope with the extra flare built into many ships, the Waipapa's radio mast drops down about 45 degrees so she can tuck into a ship with a highly flared hull. 'We wanted the mast to be able to lie horizontally, but this was as low as they could go,' says Wood.

Originally the Waipapa was not going to have any accommodation, but the smaller crew quarters mean the tug is advantageously compact.

The main item of deck equipment is the hydraulic towing winch, made by Northport Engineering to a design from Marine Industrial Design, with a 12 tonne dynamic pull and a 120 tonne brake load. The winch has a capacity for 100m of 80mm synthetic rope.

Waipapa has a 50 tonne bollard pull and is powered by two Caterpillar 3516 EUI diesels producing 2200hp each in their D rating, coupled to twin Ulstein Aquamaster 1650H omnidirectional drive, or azimuthing, units which deliver a bollard pull of 50 tonnes and a speed of 12 knots. The 1650, made by Ulstein Maritime of British Columbia, is believed to be the most popular tug propulsion system in North America. The company worked closely with Northport to achieve the optimum arrangement for the tugs. Each 1650H is rated in this application for 1570kW and is arranged with a 2184mm diameter, four-bladed nibral propeller turning in a high-performance nozzle. These nozzles, which are similar to the Nautican design, provide higher thrust in the bollard condition whole lowering drag during free running. The nozzle is attached to the lower gearbox housing using a five-blade stator arrangement. The blades are hydrodynamically contoured to provide a pre-swirl effect, enhancing propeller efficiency.

The engine room is very spacious, particularly as there is no generator. Two banks of cross-linked batteries provide the necessary electrical grunt. The 3516 diesels, which displace 69 litres each, are extensively used in tugs throughout the world. Each has a bore of 170mm and stroke of 190mm, and has a V16 configuration. Combustion is controlled by Dual Advanced Diesel Engine Management II modules with electronically controlled unit injectors - hence the EUI - which is said to provide exceptional reliability and economy.

The engines were tested on a dynanometer after they arrived in New Zealand to ensure they were producing the required output. Goughs Cat in New Zealand assisted Northport Engineering in selecting the engines.

The diesels are easily accessible and are notable for the huge cylindrical silencers which hang above them. They are effective, as the loudest noise in the wheelhouse when at full revs is a throaty purr, plus a prominent whistle from the 30 knot winds blowing through the superstructure while we are on board. There is a single fire hydrant, but the port is understood to be considering a transportable, self-contained unit for fire-fighting. The gearbox is like a big outboard, and the clutch is part of the unit, instead of being attached to the diesels.

The drives are independently adjustable and turn 360 degrees. This is especially useful in a confined space such as Westhaven Marina, when the propellers can be driven up to 25 percent power while turned in toward each other, keeping them on station with minimal wash, whereas if they were turned out, they would churn up the water.  Waipapa has a service speed of 12 knots, but that wash restricts the Waipawa to about 8-9 knots in the inner harbour to avoid upsetting leisure boats.

The two bunk rooms are specified as 'Operator One and Operator Two' says Graham, his eyes indicating his reaction to the new terminology. Originally the idea was not to have any accommodation, but the crew's mess in between is currently well used at night by crew members on training. A door on one side leads to a toilet and washbasin, while there is a shower on the opposite side.

'The end result is a vessel that not only cost less to build but also to operate,' said John Hutchinson, Northport Engineering's Group Marketing Manager. 'They will set a new standard for efficiency and long-term cost savings, while introducing a new way of manning tugs in New Zealand.'

Will Harvey says the tugs will enhance the port's performance in a fiercely competitive market through constant improvement in customer service and long-term cost savings.' The entire structure of the marine services operation is being reviewed with specific focus on our cost structure and service delivery. Our intention, once it is proved that savings are being delivered from these new tug operations, is to look at sharing the savings with our customers, which will definitely make our operations more competitive.'

At about $5 million, each vessel is said to cost much less than a conventional tug to build. Northport Engineering is believed to be talking to several potential customers both in New Zealand and overseas, including Port Chalmers, regarding new contracts.

Ports of Auckland's chairman, Sir Richard Carter, says the tug project is bringing significant economic benefits to the Northland region, with Northland Port taking on more than 40 boatbuilding employees. North Tugz, Ports of Auckland's dedicated Northland marine services operation at Marsden Point, has taken on 14 extra local staff.

'As a further contribution to the advancement of the industry, we are developing specific, structured training programmes with the New Zealand Maritime School at the Manukau Institute of Technology. These programmes will produce the highly trained and multi-skilled crew required to operate the new tugs,' Sir Richard said. 'We are confident that these vessels will enhance our performance in a fiercely competitive market through constant improvement in customer service and long-term cost savings.'

'They will provide the technology and power that we require in a tug with the trend towards bigger ships.'

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Dawn Riley - a figurehead for women's sailing by Dee Pigneguy

During the Great Age of Sail, when women were considered unlucky to have aboard a ship, seamen chose as figureheads their naked bodies, or at least their upper parts, to calm storms at sea.

In this new Space Age of sail, figureheads have not completely disappeared. Dawn Riley is reshaping that concept. As the figurehead for America True, she may attract attention and admiration, but make no mistake about it, she leads with responsibility and authority.

Dawn, who began sailing with her family from an early age, has in just three decades sailed across some pretty special start lines. She was a member of the winning America's Cup team America3 in 1992; skipper of Heineken's all-women Whitbread Around the World Challenge in 1993-94; team captain of America3, the all-women's America's Cup team in 1995; a crew member of the maxi-yacht Morning Glory in the Sydney-to-Hobart Race in 1996; and now, in 2000, as Chief Executive Officer of America True, she is the first woman to manage an America's Cup sailing team.

Dawn and her historic all-women America's Cup team in 1995 sailed through the cup barrier into a world of wealth, politics and intrigue which had been populated by men, for the first time in 145 years.

Although she loved sailing, she never really planned to make sailing her career. From the moment of that first solo race she was hooked on four words ÒI want to race, which set her off on the path of asking how to go sailing. She questioned sail makers, boat workers and crew. She found boat owners and offered to crew, she kept in touch, asking calculated questions, always planning to get them involved in her goals, and eventually she'd end up going sailing. She sailed on coastal races, races to the Bahamas, 300-mile and 600-mile races, as well as delivering boats up and down the coast and to the Caribbean.

Being a woman, she stood out from the predominantly male crowd, and invariably heard the comment 'My God, a woman. How'd she get here?' So Dawn would reply, 'I got here because I love to sail. When can I go sailing with you?'

She put herself through college with a summer boating job. Wanting a real job after graduating, she went to New York, only to find there were no advertising jobs for her. Eventually she agreed to go back to Florida and work full-time with her old boating employer. She liked the job and found that she had acquired lots of skills. She believed in pulling her weight, doing a job to the absolute best of her ability, leading by example and getting involved, all of which helped build her self-confidence and skills. She wasn't afraid of dirty work, and never compared her work with others, believing everyone pushed themselves at their own rate.

A friend convinced her that the Whitbread Race was something she just had to try. Finally accepting that it was safe and the organisers weren't a bunch of 'wing nuts', she sent over her resume.

Whitbread racing involves pushing a boat as fast as you can, and for Dawn this means thinking about the risks until you are mentally prepared, not dwelling on them. There are backup systems for everything - safety equipment, mast splicing kits, sewing machines, EPIRBS, liferafts and even a doctor - but if someone gets hurt and you have to detour, you are out of the race. Safety is critical every day on a Whitbread yacht, and for this reason crew training is focused on preventing mistakes.

Dawn found the lack of privacy while ocean racing was not an issue. It wasn't as if she travelled with her jewellery box and make-up kit, and if she needed to use the toilet, the transom was always available.

For Dawn the America's Cup challenge is about being part of a team, and once you are in competition there is no thought given to the question of gender, you are just a person doing your job. America True's crew selection was just like any other professional sport, you pay your own way, get there and if you can shine in a tight situation you get noticed. Although it's not an easy process, she felt their revolutionary 'open tryouts' provided an opportunity to get the right person for each job, regardless of gender.

Success on the water is only part of the overall America True campaign. Sponsorship and public relations help to realise missions which include True Youth, co-ed sailing and winning the America's Cup. It may be easier to sell these messages with Dawn as the 'hero', but the reality is that no matter what the job - office manager, legal consultant, sailor or PR person - she's leading from the front regardless of how small the team, building upon and selling the success of America True in order to realise a vision shared by her team, as well as her sponsors. Ask here where she wants to be in five year's time, and she will tell you that hopefully they have won the America's Cup and are organising the defence.

Sponsorship of America True allowed NASA's Lewis Research Centre to move out of their usual spatial environment and look at problems in a different way. Many components of a spaceship are to be found on sail boats - carbon fibre, loads and aerodynamics. To help with the design of America True, they concentrated on computational fluid dynamics, working out the way fluids flow over surfaces and putting the results into computer code.

Dawn will readily admit that it was difficult to break into professional sailing, but it is a career that has provided many rewards outside of winning cups and trophies now packed away in a box in a room she grew up in.

Sailing events provided challenges, fun and adventure, the variety of countries provided travel opportunities, and the sport in which 75 percent of the people she deals with are men, provided plenty of opportunities to find a partner.

All her life Dawn has concentrated on doing what she loves - sailing, while treating every experience as an education and an opportunity to learn. As a young girl she wanted to be an America's Cup sailor, and never noticed that there were no role models. She was so busy sailing that she just assumed that other women did it.

Today she hopes the path she forged for herself will help young women sailors see that there is no special path for women. It's the same path the guys use. You just have to go ahead and do it, while not accepting any boundaries.

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