Bass Reefer

Yes did a few day trips (sorry night trips) on her back in the McCain's days. BHP were managing her then. She did a runner to Singapore via Townsville taking a Geelong based container fork with her as it was thought to be part of the ships cargo gear. Cost Sea Containers a fortune to dismantle it and ship it back from Singapore.

I think she worked on the NZ coast for a short period during the late 1980s?
Regards
Emmanuel

Tom, she cost every operator on Bass Strait a fortune as she screwed the freight rates so they didn't recover for years. The rate war she started at McCain's bidding may have been instrumental in making the Union SS Co quit the trade.
Emmanuel, I don't know if she worked in NZ but the other Burke's ship of the period, John Burke, ended up as Southern Motu running out of, IRCC, Napier. I have some pics of her loading sheep at Waitangi (sp), Chatham Islands in 2003. I'll post them when they eventually surface.
Cheers
Frank

I came back to Darwin from East Timor in May 2000 on the the Coral Trader. I have a few excellent photo's of the battalions M113A1 APC's being loaded at a temporary wharf just north of Dili.

It was rough as guts and of the 20 odd army blokes on board, not many were well!

Dodgy isn't the word. Sailer on her as Mate for the last 6 months of her life as Bass Reefer. To get in the West Channel we had to pump out all of number 2 DB as soon as she was through the heads which resulted in loss of GM. A couple of times didn't think she would come back to upright as she passed through the West Channel dogs leg.~ian