Oh my gosh it's OSH!

It's never-ending. If the industry thought that it had seen enough change in the past five years to last it a lifetime, it's time to think again.This month, from out of the blue, has come one of the occupational health and safety issues. The Labour Department now wants to take control of the occupational health and safety requirements contained within section two of the Maritime Transport Act. 

There has been no consultation with our industry. Once it was realised what was going on, the New Zealand Marine Transport Association had less than two weeks to prepare a submission to the review committee. Even the Maritime Safety Authority has been caught unawares. If they had known, they would have been the first to notify the industry.

So, what if it does come under the Labour Department, you might say? What impact will that have on me as a seafarer? The real concerns are that it now adds another authority into the equation if you are unfortunate enough to have an accident.At the moment you may be investigated by the Transport Accident Investigation Commission, who's only role is to determine the cause without ascribing blame, so that the industry may learn. Then we have the Police, and of course the Maritime Safety Authority Accident Investigation Division, who may well, on investigation, seek a prosecution of the master, the owner or crew members.

The Labour Department has a history when investigating industrial accidents of "punish and kill". They seek a prosecution in almost every instance as a matter of course. Once under the Labour Department, masters may lose their responsibilities as master when applying safety measures under the Maritime Transport Act and safe ship management systems into their everyday duties. If maritime was lumped alongside industrial and rail, as proposed, a company might find that a union-appointed safety officer, who could well be a junior deckhand, has the authority to detain or stop a ship from sailing because of either legitimate or some obscure danger to the safety of the ship, its equipment or the seafarers on board.

In short, as a master or owner, just think how you would manage your vessel under the industrial regulations. Take signage, for instance. Your vessel could become festooned with new signs stating "Mind your head", "Watch this step", "This vessel may move without warning", or "Abandoning ship may be hazardous to your health!"  Your machinery space would need to be cocooned in a multitude of guards and grills covering every moving or slightly warm part. 

Speaking of warm, industrial health and safety rules have much to say on working temperatures, and your engine room will undoubtedly exceed acrew's tolerable working temperature. If you don't have full headroom you will not be able to enter the engine space for the simple exercise of checking the engine oil and water or the bilges without opening up the floors to allow the checker to stand up. The galley is another issue. Given the industrial rules for tea rooms and kitchens, none of the galleys on our small ships or charter boats will comply. 

And then there's the issue of catering, particularly on live-aboard charters. Sorry fellas, under the new labour management you will no longer be able to do live-aboards, because your galley and dedicated sleeping accommodation may no longer comply. It's going to be great for the game fishing fleet who work the Kings, the Ranfurly Banks and the like. 

Have I got your attention now? Because if the above is not enough to grab you, then how about compulsory catch-and-landing records and resource levies on all recreational fishing charter boats.

Jet boat qualifications and manning in our lakes and rivers is another issue under review by the MSA. There is a proposal to reduce the pilotage requirements for New Zealand ports to 100 tonnes gross. Big boats - this could effect you. Quality accreditation and the introduction of a Chartermark is an important issue that is being driven by the tourism industry. If your business evolves around tourists, then you need to be part of this quality system. 

Limited Launch Operator, or LLO. Did you know that the MSA is currently reviewing the limits these operators may work in. The proposed changes may potentially disenfranchise all current Commercial Launch Master certificate holders by upgrading the LLO qualification as an equivalent, or CLMs may no longer be able to go to places like the Three Kings as master.

New proposed manning changes in keeping with new operating limits will have a serious impact on the way our game charter fleet goes about its business in the future. Therefore it is important that we as an industry consult with the MSA on the proposed changes and their application to the industry. If you want to be heard, your only national voice is the Marine Transport Association. However, one must ask that given the lack of support the association receives from the wider fishing charterboat section of our industry, why should the association spend their financial members funds preserving business interest of non-financial operators.

Interesting points, on which I will leave you to ponder.

Keith Ingram
Editor

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Hyperbaric tank saves stricken divers
by Surgeon Lieutenant Paul Tervit RNZN,RNZN Hyperbaric Medical Officer

Photographs by Sergeant Sarah Jardine, Naval Base Photographic Unit

With an average of over 200 calls a year, of which about 50 are for severe decompression illness, the Slark Hyperbaric Unit, or SHU, is one of the busiest hyperbaric recompression units in the southern hemisphere for treating diving-related injuries. With the increasing popularity of recreational scuba diving in this country, this is unlikely to change.

The unit, which is attached to the Royal New Zealand Navy Hospital, has provided specialist advice, treatment and training in diving and hyperbaric medicine since it was officially opened in 1990.

Named after a retired Royal New Zealand Navy Surgeon, Commodore Tony Slark, a pioneer in diving medicine research, the SHU brings over 40 years of diving and hyperbaric medicine knowledge and experience to New Zealand's diving community. It is the North Island's only accredited facility for treating diving-related illnesses and injuries such as decompression illness, or DCI, popularly known as "the bends".

The Navy operates the SHU in partnership with Christchurch Hospital's own Hyperbaric Unit, and it is also associated with the New Zealand Underwater Association, through which it provides national, and often Pacific-wide, advice and treatment via the NZUA-funded Diver Emergency Service.

Often mistaken as the "Des" phone, after ex-Navy Surgeon Commander Professor Des Gorman, a world authority and widely published expert on decompression illness, the Diver Emergency Service offers immediate advice from doctors specialised in diving and hyperbaric medicine via a continually manned toll-free number (0800 4 DES 111 or 09 445 8454).

Headed by Surgeon Commander Alison Drewry, a consultant specialist in occupational medicine, with military and civilian doctors trained in diving medicine, the DES phone number provides unique and unprecedented access to specialist medical knowledge for the public in general, and to the medical community specifically. The SHU is also associated with the international Divers Alert Network, and is its North Island regional headquarters.

Navies world-wide have a long tradition with diving, and with the advancement of diving and hyperbaric medicine in particular. The SHU is no exception. The unit has trained doctors and nurses in hyperbaric medicine for more than 10 years, which has resulted in a national network of diving medicine expertise.

Each year the unit runs a diving medicine course for medical practitioners, which is an initial training requirement for the Diploma of Diving and Hyperbaric Medicine. This has given divers easy access to recognised diving physicians for their recreational or commercial diving medical needs.

As the SHU is a strategic asset of the Navy, and provides support for the Navy's operational dive team, the SHU is unlikely to succumb to the obvious restructuring of the Defence Force, and is expected to continue to provide this valuable service to New Zealand's recreational and commercial diving community.

New Zealand trains, on average, 7000 new divers a year, and New Zealanders undertake more than 250,000 dives annually. In the twelve months ending mid-2000, 14 divers died from drowning or decompression illness, and another 400 or more were injured. Per head of diving population, this is close to six times that of Australia, and more that 24 times that of the United States of America. By far the most common cause is inexperience. Equipment failures are rarely associated with a diving-related accident.

Horizontal chamber

The hyperbaric chamber at the SHU is a twin-locked horizontal multi-place chamber which can be independently operated from a free-standing control console. It is configured with a NATO flange docking system designed to receive portable recompression chambers, such as the one operated by the Navy's operational dive team.

Built in Australia in accordance with AS1210 Australian safety standards, the chamber utilises compressed air supplied by two Bauer rotary screw compressors, each driven by a 75Kw (100hp) electric motor. Each compressor is capable of supplying a nominal 13.6 cubic metres of air per minute at a pressure of 9 bar (130psi).

The chamber can treat up to six seated divers simultaneously, or two prone, with an accompanying diving attendant. Although certified to pressures equivalent to a depth in excess of 75m seawater, many of the treatments for DCI only require recompression to depths equivalent to 18m, or to 30m for more severe cases. There are protocols for 50m treatment but they are rarely used.

After the acute referral to the Navy Hospital, often via helicopter or pressurised aircraft, recompression treatments for DCI can last in excess of six hours, but eight hours is not uncommon for more severe cases.

After their recompression treatment, divers are admitted to our fully-equipped Navy Hospital for observation, and are continually monitored and reviewed, as re-treatments are often indicated for any ongoing residual symptoms.

After successful treatment, divers are discharged home, and are advised not to dive, fly or ascend to altitudes greater than 300m for one month as part of their rehabilitation. Ongoing review and fillip of divers injured from decompression illness is considered an important part of the medical service provided by the SHU.

Decompression illness has long been considered one of the first recognised occupational illnesses, and hyperbaric recompression treatment has a long-established association with its treatment. Over the last 120 years, the science of hyperbaric medicine has changed dramatically, and there are now a number of other medical conditions which have been scientifically proven to respond to hyperbaric oxygen treatment (HBOT). These include carbon monoxide poisoning, gas gangrene, certain wounds as are often found in diabetics, severe skin infections, including the flesh-eating disease necrotising fascitis, bone infections (osteomyelitis), and the restoration of tissue injury resulting from radiotherapy.

HBOT has been used to preserve skin grafts, aid in the healing of severe thermal burns and treat brain abscesses. Most patients are referred via hospital-based consultants, and are rarely self-referred, though the unit is happy to answer inquires from the public.

The SHU promotes the application of accepted academic practice, participates in national and international scientific meetings, and has a strong association with the South Pacific Underwater Medical Society. Recognised as practising evidence-based medicine, the SHU rarely treats patients for which there has not been an established benefit.

The Navy's SHU looks forward to continuing to provide a service to our active diving community, and in providing high quality medical care. For further information, call the DES phone, 0800 4 DES 111.

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On a recent trip to Adelaide Vivienne and I had the good fortune to visit Kangaroo Island, off the coast of South Australia. Like many of our own coastal islands it has its own dedicated ferry service. The company, Kangaroo Island SeaLink Pty Limited, operates two ships from Cape Jervis, a 1hr 45min drive from Adelaide, to Penneshaw. SeaLink provides the whole package from freight to tourists, and is now regarded the main lifeline for the island. The company operates a fleet of luxury coaches on the Adelaide to Port Jervis service and a tourist coach service around the island. Three return trips operate daily during the winter season of June 1 to August 31, otherwise there are six return trips per day. A separate mail delivery and bus service on the island is run by a local operator who meets all ferries and scheduled flights.

At 155km long and 55km wide (eight times the land area of Singapore), Kangaroo Island is the third largest island off the Australian mainland, after Tasmania and Melville Island. Kangaroo Island has only existed for 12,000 years, when rising sea levels separated it from the mainland, isolating the original Aboriginal inhabitants.

They died out around 2250 BC, and so it was uninhabited when it was discovered in 1802 by the English explorer Matthew Flinders. Even today almost half the island has never been cleared of its virgin native vegetation. With one third of the island conserved as national or conservation parks, the island is ideal for seeing native wildlife in their natural habitat. About 30 species of animals, 250 of birds and 850 species of plants are found on the island.

Tourism is becoming a major contributor to the local economy, with a wide range of accommodation, from luxury, five-star hotels and motels to budget backpackers' lodges. Many people stay overnight, spending the morning on a half-day tour before catching the ferry back to Cape Jervis. It is in this market that SeaLink is the cornerstone in providing access and promoting the natural qualities of the island to entice visitors.

For a day trip, expect a long day, as you depart Adelaide at 0600 hours and return to your hotel at around 2230 hours. Once aboard the coach, the friendly driver quickly breaks into a scenic commentary pointing out items of interest, including a useless snippet of information about the problems of wild olives. These trees grow in plague proportions throughout South Australia, as they are propagated by birds from the established olive groves. Olive trees are spread out across the countryside, not unlike our New Zealand broom or gorse.

Our arrival at Port Jervis coincides with the arrival of the ferry from the island. The flagship Sealion 2000 has just been withdrawn from service for her annual survey, and so we are to travel on the older freight boat Island Navigator.

While the Sealion 2000 is the principal tourist vessel, she also carries cars and coaches, whereas the Island Navigator normally carries heavy freight, fertiliser, livestock, fuel and other supplies. The Sealion does the trip in 45 minutes. Built and delivered in 2000, she is 49.9m in length with a beam of 16m and a draft of 2.5m. Her maximum speed is around 16 knots. She carries 354 passengers with aircraft lounge-style seating and up to 60 cars, or 42 cars and four coaches and is fully air-conditioned with a cafe and a licensed bar.

The Island Navigator was built in 1988 for the East-West Samoa Shipping Company. Unfortunately, the company failed shortly after the ship was delivered, and on repossession she lay idle in the Brisbane River for two years. In 1990 SeaLink purchased her, and after a short refit she started on the Kangaroo Island service.

The ship is 38m by 13.7m with a loaded draft of 2.4m. She is manned by a crew of four and carries 196 passengers or up to 170 tonnes of freight. She has a service speed of about 14 knots, and the passage of some 16 nautical miles normally takes about an 1hr 10mins, depending on the wind and tide.

Unfortunately, we strike conditions where the weather is coming straight out of the Southern Ocean, with 30 knot winds assisting a good wave chop on a solid Southern Ocean swell sending spray crashing over the ferry. Whilst watching the ferry approach Vivienne decides that taking a Paihia bomber was a must. Paihia Bombers are the fantastic seasick capsules only available from the Paihia Pharmacy in the Bay of Islands. In hindsight, this was a good move as she can now vouch that the capsules last all day. I still have the hand-grip marks on my thigh to prove that the return voyage later that evening was worse than the morning crossing.

The turnaround time is very smart, as the tractor units are backed on and coupled to the B-train rigs and driven ashore. The loaded truck-and-trailer or B-train rigs waiting to go to Kangaroo Island are then backed on and chained down as the tractor unit is removed. To ensure that the load is not carried on the trailer unit's jack legs, and for added security, large frames are positioned under the turntable plate to carry the added weight. The front is then chained down under tension.

As our skipper, Gordon Foster, tells us "Whether it is livestock or manure, we cannot run the risk of a load shift at any time. As we invariably remove the tractor units, the safety of the ship depends on the total security of these loads."

On arrival at Penneshaw, a small, Cornish-style village with a white sandy beach offering excellent swimming and spectacular views back to the main land, we immediately board a coach for our full-day tour of the island with tour guide Michael Clark.

As we head towards American River, Michael tells us how it derived its name from the American sealers who sailed into this area in 1803 and set up a shore side seal camp. American River is the perfect place for fishing, birdwatching and coming alive at night with nocturnal animals.

The islands offshore waters provide excellent diving. Some of the 50 shipwrecks around the coast are accessible to divers. The island also has great potential for fishing, from a jetty, the beach, inshore or deep sea fishing charters. A crayfishing fleet is also based here. One of the island's secrets is the uncrowded surf breaks, which often produce quality waves for experienced surfers.

The traditional industries are wool, cereal crops and fishing, but many islanders have diversified away from wool into eucalyptus oil, honey from the world's only pure strain of the placid Ligurian bee, marron (freshwater crayfish), and sheep milk yoghurt and cheeses. There are now about 100 hectares of vineyards, as the maritime environment allows for a long ripening time, and the island is a recognised wine region.

In comparison with New Zealand, where our offshore islands are so dramatically different from what you see on the mainland, Kangaroo Island's vegetation is only markedly different, with the eucalyptus and other natives and scrub-like trees being healthier and more dense than those in South Australia. The problems of grasses and fire risk do not appear to be at the same level as further north in Australia. The climate in June is similar to the top of the South Island, with cold nights but pleasant days.

Although many of the animals are nocturnal, we see Kangaroo Island kangaroos, the Tammar wallaby, the brushtail possum and the short beaked echnida. Australian sea lions and New Zealand fur seals breed along the south coast, and little fairy penguins (similar to our blue penguins) are found around the coastline.

After an interesting drive, we arrive at the Seal Bay Conservation Park, where a ranger gives us a talk about the colony and then we head for the beach to see some of these rare Australian sea lions resting. We are told to keep at least 6m away from them, as they may become aggressive if threatened. A snoozing seal has taken over one of the flights of steps on the viewing platform form, so we have to go the long way round.

After a stroll up the beach we head off to the Hanson Bay Wilderness Protection Area for a koala walk. Here we learn that we shouldn't call these marsupials koala bears, as they are not a bear. Kangaroo Island has a large population of koalas, and as part of the management program the National Parks and Wildlife (similar to DOC) have had to either catch and transfer some of these animals to recolonise areas of the mainland, or sterilise them and release them back into the wild on the island. Sterilised koalas carry an identity tag which basically says "I can bonk for free!" However, we didn't see any of these smiling tag-carrying critters. We see plenty of other koala's, once we suss out how to look for them. Spotting koala is like looking for a large bird's nest in the trees. Spot a clump and on second look, yes, we have a koala snuggled up in a fork of a tree. Normally they choose to sleep during the day, but we are lucky enough to see them actively feeding, which is unusual as they are most active at night.

Our tour includes a two course BBQ lunch at the Kaiwarra Food Barn and by this time we are ready to eat a horse and chase the rider. It is a great feed and well recommended with hot soup and bread, followed by the BBQ and fresh salads, just what is needed on a chilly day. A small shop also sells crafts, local eucalyptus oil and honey from the ligurian bee which is quite dark with its own unique sweet taste.

After lunch we drive to Flinders Chase National Park, where many species of wildlife live among the thick eucalyptus scrub. At the southern end of the park we climb the Remarkable Rocks, a cluster of granite boulders, sculptured by the weather and perched on a granite dome rising steeply from the ocean. We then head to Admiral's Arch. A long board walk from the Cape Du Couedic lighthouse leads to a spectacular natural arch formed by erosion from the pounding sea. This is home for a colony of New Zealand fur seals who frolic in the water with pups laying ashore waiting for mother to return to feed them. They are notably unlike their Aussie cousins which maintain very clean habits ashore, with no notable objectionable smell. These Kiwi fur seals are the same as here at home - bloody smelly! This draws some friendly banter from the Australian tourists who are travelling with us.

The South Coast also has Little Sahara, an area of spectacular sand dunes, surrounded by bush. Walk over the first ridge and a second, higher dune and further ridges confront you.

After an entertaining day with Michael, it is now time for us to head back towards Penneshaw and the ferry, stopping on the way at Rocky River for afternoon tea where cheeky magpies pinched your cake if your were too slow and kangaroos nudged you for food. At Cygnet River we stop at the airport to drop off those returning back to the mainland by air, and to transfer the people going onto Kingscote for a longer stay.

Kingscote is the island's largest town and South Australia's first formal settlement. Established in 1836, it was challenged by a shortage of water and suitable building material. The formal settlement, which peaked at 300 people and 42 dwellings and structures, was to last less than four years. Some persistent individuals stayed on and formed the basis of a community which prides itself on a strong sense of independence. Kingscote is now the islands capital, a delightful town of about 1500 people. Water for the township now comes from a new $3.5 million desalination plant. The water is so pure that some of the salts are left in to give it some taste.

The island's future is secure, and tourism will remain an important part of its future development. But this development must be managed to ensure that the impact of eco-tourism is in harmony with the natural surroundings - its flora and fauna. National Parks and Wildlife have a very supportive attitude towards ensuring the public have a reasonable access to their national parks and takes a leadership role in managing the impacts of visitors on the natural environment.

The small island community is also actively working to manage this tourism growth to ensure that it is done in a sustainable manner through a project called the Tourism Optimisation Management Model.

Tourism and its impact is carefully monitored to help people decide on the type of activity that should occur on the island, and the impact of growth in hotels, motels, lodges and other accommodation.

It is all about creating opportunities for tourism, where the locals can work together to consider how much change is acceptable as a result of this growth. And into the future it will be SeaLink which will play a pivotal part in the islands future growth and economy.

See www.sealink.com.au  or www.tourkangarooisland.com.au  

An increasing body of international research now confirms that moderate fatigue has almost identical effects on human performance as moderate levels of intoxication.

One recent study indicates that a person simply awake for 20 hours Ð without an existing sleep debt or having worked during this period Ð may exhibit the same characteristics and predisposition to making mistakes as if they had a blood alcohol level of 0.1 percent.

This is made significantly worse when sleep is fragmented, sleep quality is poor because of movement, noise, the time of the day is unusual or the work involved is stressful and intense. Does this sound anything like an industry you know?

Not to put too fine a point on things, a significant number of people in our industry are routinely operating in a state equivalent to being permanently drunk. This is not just simply because of the total hours worked. The problem is much greater because of the environment many work in and the working pattern during the trip.

However, these factors are hard to measure, with the result that fatigue is significantly under-reported in many accidents. Detailed research in other transport sectors and in the maritime industries of other countries suggest that fatigue may be the primary factor in up to 30 percent of all accidents.

Although at one time such suggestions could be considered a little Òout thereÓ, it is time to acknowledge that a very real problem exists. The fatigue problem gets little serious attention from those in a position to encourage change. It seems irrefutable that some of those mariners who have had accidents and incurred the wrath of the courts and the Maritime Safety Authority could well have been operating with a level of chronic fatigue that made such an accident if not inevitable, then at least predictable.

In such cases, surely the real guilt lies with those who either knowingly or by omission allowed such people to operate. Perhaps it is time for skippers, owners and regulators to accept that the research is overwhelming and not some spacey, New Age theory.

We throw the book at those who operate while drunk. Why are we not addressing the more serious and larger problem of those who are allowed to operate while fatigued?

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Crossing bars

Two recent incidents at Westport, a grounding and a capsize, showed up four fallacies when crossing bars:

• the experienced skipper - it makes no matter if you are a first-timer or have 40 years experience
• the boat is a good bar boat - all types have capsized
• visiting boats are the ones that capsize - locals feature equally with visitors in the statistics, and
• the bar is dangerous - only in certain circumstances.

The four fallacies are excuses. Clearly it is the people who decide to cross a bar when conditions suggest caution or danger. Decisions are often made with no planned approach, an ill-prepared boat and no reference to Marine Notice 02/2000.

The draft code of practice covers:

• the safe ships manual to include harbour-specific information
• an introductory statement as per the Sea Tow Limited manual relating to bar crossings
• the Master is always responsible for the safety of his vessel
• the Harbourmaster is responsible for safety within his harbour
• gathering of information and initial assessment of conditions on the bar
• consultation with the Harbourmaster of passage - a 'yes' or 'no' decision
• the nature of the vessel
• weather conditions, including port limitations and characteristics
• radio communication
• contingency plans
• bar signals
• managing bar hazards in the safe ship management manual
• the presence of breaking waves or swells, and
• merging the guidelines with Marine Notice 02/2000.

David Stapleton, Manager, Port of Greymouth, indicated that Greymouth had requested tenders on monitoring systems. The National Institute for Water and Atmospheric Research had offered a tender costing $80,000 to establish the system and $29,000 to run it. The main issue was funding, but provision was being made for this. A fishing master from Nelson, Ian Boote, said bar conditions could change rapidly, so it was not always necessary to close a bar for eight hours. Such a system could reduce the time skippers spent at sea waiting for the harbour to reopen.

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An early maritime entrepreneur
by Baden Pascoe

When we think of entrepreneurs, we think of them as a product of modern times. But no, they are not.

There have been few successful entrepreneurs in the maritime industries, and even fewer who have made a successful living from their seafaring passion. I can immediately call to mind one person in my time who has achieved this on a large scale, and we all know of him: Sir Peter Blake.

The sea is a very unstable environment on which to base a business. The weather, high set-up costs and ongoing maintenance often work against a successful outcome. Speak to anyone who makes their living out of or on the sea, and they will bear witness to these facts.

However, one of those who succeeded was Captain W R "Skipper" Patterson, who was born in Onehunga in 1878. In my view he was one of New Zealand's pioneer maritime entrepreneurs. He started out as a farm boy who was drawn to the sea at an early age. He seemed to have a natural ability to work with the sea and choose the right type of vessels to carry out the required tasks.

He was "street wise" when he chose the designer and builder of his boats. All three he commissioned still exist. The Eva was launched in 1904, the Lady Eva in 1913 and the Rakanui in 1926. All three craft have played a large and vital part in the coastal shipping trade in Auckland and north Auckland. More importantly, Skipper Patterson had a passion for what he did, and he became a highly respected man in the Whangarei area. Before he died in 1958 at the age of 80 he gifted land at Manganese Point on Whangarei Harbour to the boating fraternity of New Zealand. Many still go there regularly today for picnics.

Skipper's seafaring life began after his first job on a Whangarei farm, working for Robert Mair. Robert frequently took his 19-year-old employee fishing on Whangarei Harbour. It did not take him long to decide what he wanted to do for the rest of his life. He was fascinated by the sea, and the craft that worked the coastline in the northern regions of New Zealand.

His first boat was Sunbeam, a well-known 24ft mullet boat, and a very successful longliner. He soon purchased another 24ft mullet boat, Lupe, and scaled up his commercial fishing operation. The Lupe may have been fitted with a marine engine, or an "oil" engine, as they were called in those days. Skipper must have been a well-rounded and practical boating person, because he managed and maintained machinery very well.

During 1904, Skipper realised that the northern regions of New Zealand were developing rapidly. Farming, milling and the aggregate industries were starting to boom. Many of the communities developing around the areas which were involved in these industries had no roads, and the sea was the only means of transport and access.

Many of the ports could only be served by the Northern Line or shipping that required deepwater ports. Skipper knew instinctively the type of vessel required for the job. He took out a bank loan and travelled to Auckland to speak with a Mr Bailey and a Mr Lowe. From the discussion a specification was written up, and approximately six months later the Eva was launched. She was approximately 50ft long, with a shallow draft, a straight stem and a counter stern. She had a concaved tunnel to house the propeller to allow her to navigate very shallow waters.

I have been unable to find out what she was powered by, but the engine may have been a Widdop or Bolinder. I know she had a two or three-cylinder Kelvin in the 1920s and 30s. An interesting point was that the Eva was launched on the day of the birth of his first child, his son, Robert Patterson. Eva was his wife's christian name. The Eva ran out of the town basin and served Limestone Island and many other bays around the mouth of Whangarei Harbour.

Another arm of Skipper's business was taking picnic parties to Manganese Point, as the Eva was surveyed to carry passengers. Skipper Patterson purchased the point in 1913.

The year 1913 must have been a busy time for Skipper, as once again he travelled to Auckland to talk with his trusted friends, Bailey and Lowe. He now wanted to work the coastline and required a larger vessel. In mid-1913 the Lady Eva slid down the slipway of the famous boat yard. (Her story is in the June/July issue of NZ Professional Skipper.)

Eva remained in the Patterson fleet for many years and was later handed on to Robert, who started out in the coastal trading business in 1941.

Family ties in the Patterson family were strong, and during this period Skipper acted as agent for his brother, Arthur, who was the New Zealand importer of Big Tree motor spirit. Arthur was the inventor and maker of the Patterson Gas Converter, which used coal to create gas-powered motor vehicles. By this time Skipper provided not only a coastal transport service but also coal and other useful items for farmers and local business people.

Skipper kept on developing his business and became reasonable wealthy. His family enjoyed a comfortable lifestyle, including a holiday home at Ngungaru. He was a very respected person in the business community and from what I have been told he based his life on true Christian values. He was a people person and he loved the Whangarei town basin. He was elected to the Whangarei Harbour Board, and acted as Harbourmaster for many years.

In 1926 Skipper had his "dream" launch built. Once again Bailey and Lowe carried out all the necessary work. The brief this time was for a deep draft vessel so he and his family could cruise the coast of New Zealand. She was 50ft long and was powered by two Widdop semi-diesel engines, which allowed her to cruise at 8 knots. She cost 4000 pounds, and as she went down the slipway she was christened the Rakanui. This vessel was regarded as the most modern large coastal launch in New Zealand.

Skipper was looking for a new challenge in his mid-life, and he loved being around boats. The Patterson family and a few close friends decided to travel to Dunedin on the Rakanui to a large, international trade fair. They were away from their home port for eight or nine weeks and travelled 2000 nautical miles. Skipper and the family were very pleased with all aspects of the Rakanui, and all the crew members enjoyed the voyage.

I have yet to find out how Skipper occupied the latter years of his life, and I am keep to learn more about this remarkable man, who lived an interesting and well balanced family life, combining his love of the sea with his strong family ties.