What happened to the Union Rotorua and Union Rotoriti? I remember seeing them both frequently in Sydney in the late 80's. Does anyone have any good photos of them?
I attended several drydockings of both vessels in Newcastle at the time and I have some info available back home (currently holidaying).
I will try to find out more by mid Sept.
Jan
Union Rotoiti is still in service on the Tasman as Rotoiti operated by CP Ships formerly ANZDL. Union Rotorua was plugged in to provide power to Auckland a few years back during a power crisis. After the stint as a power station she was withdrawn and sold. She was never reengined as the Rotoiti was. I recall the Union Rotorua was sold to Asian interests and is still in service somewhere.
They certainly were frequent visitors to Oz shores, I seem to think that they were still around into the mid/late 90's..but I may be fooling myself...anyone got more information on when their plug was pulled??.
"Rotorua", ex "Union Rotorua", sailed Auckland 13 May 1998 for Indian breakers but put into Singapore where her gas turbines, generators and electrical equipment were removed. She eventually arrived at Alang in tow of "Britoil" on 29 January 1999.
ROTOITI can still be seen at Sydney, although her time left in service must be running out.
Last time I saw her at Lyttelton about a year ago, (she doesn't call here anymore) she had a black hull with blue funnel and a black top, with a large white "A" on the blue.
Now registered in Nassau if I remember correctly.
In April 2005, CP Ships announced that they were to re-brand all its services under the CP Ships name and retire all the individual brand names by the end of the year. ANZDL was one of these and as a result, ROTOITI was renamed CP ROTOITI at Auckland on 13 August.
Hereby a photo which had been hanging on the wall (this particular actual one!!!) in the USSCO building in Melbourne, late 70's and 80's.
Actually this same picture was used in every Union Office in OZ and NZ.
An interesting fact perhaps not generally known about the UNION ROTORUA is that she went to Singapore after her delivery on 5 October 1976 to have stabilizers fitted. She arrived there on 15 October going into Dock at Jurong Shipyard later the same day. She undocked on 31 October, underwent sea trials and sailed at 0110 on the 1 November. Her return trip was thwarted with problems and she diverted to Brisbane after a oil leak developed in the stern tube/propeller area on the 10 November. She was docked at Brisbane for repairs which lasted a week, after which she sailed for Sydney to take on her first cargo.
Interesting story indeed, as far as I know both had them fitted. I even took photos when we applied the coatings as that was a bit tricky.
Photos....??where are they? Probably at the tip.
I will check whether Kasper still got some, we have to go through his photo albums, so waiting for a rainy day (don't say that should not take long as I live in Melbourne.......thought just rub this in before you come with statements of this kind)
Jan
thanks.true hope they are not in a tip.but wellington martime museum still has them the archives.and might have been passed to the new zealand archives now.that was 5 years ago mind you.
i am scanning a small plan that union company put out and the rotoiti.showing were the stabiliser fins are and stuff will be on the site in 5 mins (*))
Drydocking in Newcastle at the State Dockyard (later Forgacs) in 1980.
Photos by courtesy of Kasper W. , at the time resident engineer of USSCo.
On one of the photos you can see that they would have problems drawing the tailshaft for which purpose they hired a barge as a form of extension to the floating dock.
nice photos to..do you ever drydocked the australian trader 1985-1997?who would have photos of her in dry dock.i have lots of her on the water just asking.
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