EDITORIAL    Maritime New Zealand is the industry's latest corporation

It never ceases to amaze me how fast this government is at spending taxpayer's money on irrelevant matters. Or, in this case, how the government has instructed the Maritime Safety Authority to spend our money. For just over 10 years now, the MSA has spent a huge amount of time and effort establishing itself on the world stage as New Zealand's maritime safety organisation. Its responsibilities include not only New Zealand, but also as far south as the Southern Ocean and Antarctica, and north into the Pacific and the island nations under our maritime jurisdiction. During this time, MSA officials have worked diligently to maintain a professional corporate image and provide the best service they can to the maritime industry. Now, at the instructions of the Minister of Transport, the MSA has had to step away from the mana and kudos it has gained this past decade. From July 1 we will have a new organisation responsible for maritime safety matters in our region. Maritime New Zealand sounds a bit like a safe ship management company. No, sorry, it could be a shipping company. Or maybe it's one of the companies serving the fishing industry. Nothing in the name even gives a hint that it is responsible for providing maritime safety services to the nation. Confused? So am I. At their recent seminar in Auckland, MSA officials were guarded in their response to questions from the floor. When the question of cost was muted, an embarrassed official muttered the figure of $50,000. Rubbish! Anyone in the corporate world will tell you clearly that changing the name of an organisation as large as the Maritime Safety Authority, with its corporate image, clothing, stationary, rules, web sites and everything associated with marketing, will cost far in excess of the mumbled mutters. Suffice to say that we can take it that our employed officials are equally embarrassed. When asked why the word 'Safety' was removed, we were told that, 'It was a non-negotiable instruction from the minister.' The only saving grace in all this is that the New Zealand maritime industry is, by nature, very resilient. And while there will no doubt be some confusion now and in the future, the industry will generally adopt a 'Suck it and see' approach.

Another key issue raised at the Auckland seminar was the continued spiralling costs of safe ship management to small operators, and the inequity of an owner of a vessel under 6m working under a safe operating plan and an owner with a similar vessel just over 6m having to comply and pay significantly different costs. Many operators of small craft under 14m are also questioning the inequity of costs and additional inspections and paperwork when comparing it with land-based transport modes of coaches and heavy transport, who operate under an annual certificate of fitness at far reduced annual costs than are currently being charged against small passenger and working vessels. The subject of recreational vessel registration and licensing of pleasure craft operators was discussed. It would appear that many pleasure craft operators in that moment of urgency confuse the rule of the road at sea with the road code on land. The most common mistake is, 'Which side of the channel do I drive on.' Another key issue where yacht owners are at fault is the use of the combination masthead sailing lantern while displaying the lower navigational lights. As one fisherman pointed out, 'One moment you have a fishing vessel fishing at night. The next thing the offending vessel goes about and we have a trawler by night.' It is confusing. And one wonders why we do not have more have accidents. And yet the MSA, or the MNZ, does not believe that licensing vessel operators or registering vessels will improve safety and reduce accidents and the loss of life. They believe the problem lies with the five percent of boaties who cause most of the problems, but they are at a loss over how to deal with this group. The general feeling at the meeting was that the officials saw the problem as being too hard. And yet they are increasingly imposing greater requirements for compliance on the commercial industry, which by and large maintains an excellent safety record when you consider the number of passengers carried and the tonnage of freight moved each year. In this issue we see the launch of a real man's boat, the Patriarch, from the drawing board of Philip Carey. The owners of ForPlay comment on teething problems during the commissioning of their new boat. And, as always, it is our pleasure to bring you much more news and views of the industry, both near and offshore.

Keith Ingram, Editor
 

Rarely do we see new, large wooden fishing vessels entering service these days. The last one of note was Jack Guard's Polaris, launched in mid-2002. Now the most recent is the 19m Patriarch from skipper, boat designer and builder Philip Carey, a member of the prominent and respected Carey family of the Marlborough Sounds. His brother Jim is known for his wooden boatyard in central Picton, where numerous new vessels designed and built by Carey have been launched.

Patriarch was built in association with another prominent Picton yard, McManaway Marine. Built for Carey-McLean Ltd, Patriarch's intended role will be operating as a tuna troller with value-added on board processing in the albacore fishery and during the off-season as an expedition and general-purpose vessel on the New Zealand coast. We understand that her first major shakedown cruise will be to the Auckland Islands in the Southern Ocean. At 19m, and with a beam of 6m, with a draft of 2m, she is one substantial wooden vessel. Even the keel brings with it 40 years of history, as the solid, one-piece hunk of jarrah, 18m x 400mm x 260mm thick, originally came from Harold Saunder's yard in Paremata, north of Wellington. It was originally intended for a 62ft fishing vessel destined for the Chatham Islands' crayfish fishery during the boom years. Unfortunately, the boom busted in the mid-1960s, and in 1966 the jarrah deadwood was towed down to Jackson's Bay in the Tory Channel near the old whaling station. It remained on the hard until three years ago, when Philip Carey purchased it as the keel for the Patriarch.

Construction started in McManaway's boatshed in January 2003, when her lines were lofted from drawings out onto the boatyard floor, where the frames were cut and positioned. The hull was constructed upside down in the traditional method. Some 15cu m of clean macrocarpa went into the vessel, along with over 600 sheets of 12mm marine ply, 25,000 stainless steel screws, many litres of resin, and all the other ingredients needed to bring a real man's workboat to fruition. The frames and stringers are laminated from clean macrocarpa, and the hull sheathing consists of three 12mm marine ply sheets resined and glassed over.

The deck sheathing is two sheets of 20mm marine ply, glued and screwed together, and the superstructure is frames and single sheathing, glassed over. The vessel has been designed and built to sustain a crew at sea for up to 30 days. Starting for'ard, in the main cabin in front of the wheelhouse, is the master's cabin to port. It has a separate shower, which may be used if there are women on board. A large and functional galley is to starboard. For'ard in the forepeak are two v-berth settees and a large mess room table, which has been designed to fold away quickly in a triple action to enable emergency access from the bunkroom below. Access to the lower fo'c'sle accommodation, where there are six more berths in three cabins, is via a steep stairway with a quarter spiral turn. The for'ard companionway is to starboard, leading to the galley. This large access way also provides internal access up to the fully enclosed wheelhouse.

The helmstation and controls are positioned to port, and there is a further door behind the helmstation, giving access out onto the large, wide side decks for'ard or the aft deck. The conning position has been designed so that all the navigational aids and electronics are positioned either in front of or to starboard of the skipper's operating position. This is to ensure that he is frequently looking to his give-way committed side, says Philip Carey. There is a large built-in and comfortable helm chair with a chart table behind. The wheelhouse has for'ard facing windows and a large eyebrow to afford the watch keeper good protection from glare and weather, and provides excellent 300-degree vision. The watch keeper has to move to see astern but this is no great hardship.

The vessel is fitted out with a full suite of electronics, including a dead man alarm. The package, provided by Advance Trident, includes of a JERK JMA-5106 6kW radar, a Weimar SS395 scanning sonar and a Simrad AP35 autopilot. It was installed and commissioned by Peter Halifax of Electronic Solutions from Nelson. The SS395, said to be the latest high-frequency sonar from Weimar, has full 360 degree scanning and a 180 degree vertical slice. The sonar features a simple pistol grip hand controller for easy control of on-screen menus. It also allows for a compact installation on crowded instrument consoles. The sonar gives an underwater picture similar to a radar picture above the water. While the set was chosen primarily to search for tuna and other pelagic fish, it is also useful for navigating the poorly charted areas that Patriarch will access from time to time. The JMA-5106 radar is a 6kW set with a range of 72 miles. It has a separate LCD display, and the keyboard is easy to use, with a jog dial and trackball, and separate controls for tuning, sea clutter, rain clutter and gain. These can all be set in automatic for ease of control if desired. The colour display can be configured for true multi-coloured echoes, or contrasting yellow on blue for easy viewing. It can be upgraded to take an automatic tracking aid to allow the skipper to plot the course and speed of radar targets on screen. The AP35 autopilot has many different settings for different applications. For example, work mode operates the autopilot with a different set of parameters to allow steering when towing or at low-speed operation, with increased rudder response. There are also several different turn modes such as U-turn, or continuous turn with adjustable radius. Information and course changes can be read on the display simply by rotating the course control dial.

Aesthetically, the wheelhouse is set further aft than we would have expected for a traditional fishing vessel. However, given Patriarch's role as both a fishing and a workboat vessel in the 200-mile economic zone, the wheelhouse has been positioned to give the best comfort in a seaway to the crew and the watch keeper. Moving aft out the starboard companionway door, the main head and shower is positioned at the rear of the wheelhouse. We then find we are on the expansive aft work deck. In the centre of this space is a large fish room hatch, with a smaller crew access hatch for when the crew need to work in the freezer room. Access for freshly caught and bled albacore is via another small product chute, which leads directly into slurry bins in the fish room. The fish room is a large, 70cu m space for processing and stowing both chilled and frozen products. A standard international container refrigeration unit provides the refrigeration you would find on the end of any 20ft freezer container. This whole unit had to be installed very early in the construction phase, but proves to be a very cost-effective means of chilling a fish room to minus 20 degrees. Moving aft is another medium-sized hatch with a workbench and bait station, above which is access to the lazaretto.

Down in the lazaretto we find a 22cu ft chest freezer for domestic food supplies, and in the wings two large stainless steel water tanks of 1500 litres each which were converted from beer tanks. These tanks have also been built into the Patriarch. There is more storage space in the lazaretto for dry goods and packaging for the processing side of the fishing activities. As with traditional workboats, a single hardwood bollard or bit is positioned on each quarter, one on either side of the wheelhouse on the breast, and a further one for'ard for securing berthing lines, etc. A towing post in the work deck area can be added, should the need arise. Moving for'ard, access to the engineroom is via a door on the aft screen of the superstructure. A short flight of stairs takes you down to the engineroom plates.

On either side are two very large wing fuel tanks holding 5000 litres apiece. Above the tanks to port, positioned well above the waterline, are banks of batteries for the engine, the house and emergencies. In the centre is the engine, a Series 60 MUTE Detroit diesel developing 350hp at 1200rpm. Tucked away behind the engineroom ladder is the John Deere genet. The external end of the container refrigeration unit to the fish room can be seen on the aft engineroom bulkhead. During our inspection I was intrigued to see the exhaust system rising in a high reverse U, then disappear down through a large seacock out through the bottom of the hull. On enquiring, I was told that this was the third vessel in which McManaway had installed such an exhaust system, which discharges below the waterline as deep as is practicable under the hull. This is a relatively new concept that is proving to have remarkable results. This configuration has several advantages, says Philip Carey. First there is no muffler, or long exhaust piping. There is lower back pressure on the engine, and it is quieter and more efficient. The exhaust system consists of five stainless steel bends, a seacock and skin fittings. 'Externally, on the hull, we built a leading edge shield to create a venturi effect when the vessel is under way. At idle, it just rumbles and burbles underneath,' he said. And he was right. When the engine was flashed up it burbled below, although fumes were detected to be rising off the water when the Patriarch was stationary. This could annoy some folks, although we understand the theory and benefits of such a system.

Unfortunately, as can happen with the completion of any vessel, at the time of launching, Patriarch still requires final internal decorating and fitout. On the plus side, it is much easier for the finishing painters, upholsterers and electronic technicians to access the vessel when she is sitting alongside a landing, or in this case a small work barge adjacent to the slip, rather than trying to clamber up and down steep ladders. We are sure that once she is finished, Patriarch's interiors will match the quality of the finish of her exterior. This final fitout will also include rigging tuna poles, line haulers and other gear associated with the albacore tuna fishery. When questioned about ballast, Philip Carey said Patriarch has been designed to maintain her trim and lines fully laden with ice, fuel and water. Fish product is designed to replace this weight as these wet stores are consumed. Even in a light-ship mode, her inherent stability has been designed to cope with anticipated offshore sea conditions. Patriarch performed during sea trials as expected, with a top speed of 12.2 knots over ground when adjusted for tidal movement. She is expected to comfortably maintain her anticipated nine-knot service speed when fully laden.
 

OCEAN LAW The Perils of Sewage Discharge By Marty Logan

The writer recently appeared for a commercial fishing company which was convicted of unlawfully discharging sewage from one of its vessels into Lyttelton Harbour in contravention of the provisions of the Resource Management Act.

As far as the court and counsel could tell, this was the first conviction of its type in New Zealand. It serves to highlight the increasing attention focussed on sewage discharge from vessels. If their vessels do not have suitable sewerage holding tanks, skippers need to be alert to the restrictions on discharging sewage into the sea. The facts of the particular case I appeared on were relatively simple. The vessel was an older-style commercial trawler which did not have sewerage tanks on board, so the crew used portable toilets when the vessel was in port. The vessel moved to a bunkering wharf shortly before leaving for sea, and due to a last-minute change in berthage and personnel, she was left without portable toilet facilities while bunkering. The crew used the on-board toilets and there was a discharge direct from the vessel into the harbour which was noticed by Canterbury Regional Council staff.

The vessel operator was charged under sections 15B(1) and 338(1B)(A) of the Resource Management Act with discharging a contaminant to water in the coastal marine area. Evidence presented by the prosecution showed that not only is a discharge of raw sewage a danger to health, but it is also offensive to Maori cultural values. The discharge was relatively small, and the judge indicated that the normal fine would be in the region of $1000. In this case the defendant was fined slightly higher as it was a second discharge offence. The regional council alleged that the defendant had failed to take all reasonable steps to avoid the contamination by not fitting sewerage holding tanks.

It was pointed out that Fullers Ferries had recently fitted its fleet with such tanks. This raised the issue of whether at least one regional council was in effect insisting that all vessels operating within its jurisdiction install holding tanks. Ultimately this submission was not accepted by the court, but it was accepted that those who operate vessels without such holding tanks need to be especially vigilant about discharges, and bear the risk of prosecution, even if the spill is inadvertent.

The fact that central and regional governments are increasingly concerned with these types of discharges is reflected in the Resource Management (Marine Pollution) Regulations which came into force in 2001. These deal with dumping and discharging waste from vessels. These regulations provide that no person may discharge sewage into the coastal marine area from a ship unless the discharge occurs:

¥ more than 500m (0.27 miles) seaward from mean high water springs
¥ more than 500m from a marine farm
¥ in water depths greater than 5m
¥ more than 200m (0.108 miles) from a marine reserve, and
¥ more than 500m from a mataitai.

The recent prosecution, and the comments of the judge, show that regional councils take these discharges seriously, and will enforce the Resource Management Act and the regulations where they have proof of offending.