Comments for the year 2018

Email / Date

My father Ronald Havis served on the Ruahene in the 1950s, he was a able bodied seaman.
Whilst looking on your website I saw a picture of him in Wellington at Christmas, it came as a shock to me, do you know when it was taken and is it possible to get copies .
Thank you. Christopher Havis

Christopher.havisatyahoo.co.uk

25.01.18

I'm researching the British ship Empire Windrush and understand that at the time it was lost in the mediterranean, March 1954... it was managed by the NZ shipping company. If that is correct, please can you email me as I am looking to capture records and photographs of the ship just prior to its loss? Many thanks Max Holloway

maxatmaxholloway.com

25.01.18

Hi...where is everybody??

I last contacted this site 2010 and now I'm wondering if anyone remembers these ships which I worked on.
Huntingdon 06/09/68-05/02/69 London round trip then joined her in Liverpool 14/03/69-27/06/69 to London.
Sussex 22/07/69 ex Hull 06/08/69 to London then another trip ex London15/09/69 returning to Hull 11/01/70.
Haparangi 16/02/70 ex Liverpool back to London 19/02/70 then rejoined 05/03/70 from London to Hamburg 31/07/70.
Hertford 15/08/70 ex Falmouth back to London 20/01/71. Then rejoined ex Liverpool 01/02/71 to London 08/02/71.
Hurunui 10/03/71 ex Liverpool returning 05/04/71.
Rakaia ex London 13/05/71 to Hong Kong 25/08/71.
Manapouri ex Avonmouth 11/09/71 to Swansea 01/10/71.
Cumberland ex London round trip 05/10/71- 18/11/71 then again 25/11/71 until 20/09/72.

Then I flew to NZ to work on the Wellington Harbour Board with tugs, launches etc. I moved over to Australia and finished my working life on the oil and gas fields mainly off the NW shelf. This is great site, let's keep it going! Robbie Lee

homeport48atgmail.com

04.02.18

Hi
Have been loving this site for some years now. I'm trying to trace two fellow deck cadets from the MV Otaio (I was on her 1969/70).  Their names are: Carl Rolaston (Roly) and Bruce Hardy. Gary Jones

Gary-jonesmiscathotmail.com

07.02.18

Hi sailed on M.V.Mataura as aeo 1975/76 1 trip to Aussie 2 trips to NZ and I am now constructing a 1:96 scale model of Mataura (5 ft long) and I need to know how many blades her propellor had.

ckingstonatntlworld.com

07.02.18

I, my mother and brother left New Zealand for the UK on the MV Ruahine on the 24th February 1945 departing from Auckland.
I have the passenger lists for this departure.
She went to the UK via Panama and New York, then by convoy across the Atlantic. Somewhere short of Ireland the convoy split in two, half going to Liverpool, which included this ship, the other half going on to Tilbury.
I am interested in finding the arrival date at Liverpool and in tracking down events that occurred on this trip. We know that an oil tanker was sunk by a submarine. I wish to find out whether it was a Japanese submarine in the Pacific or a German one in the Atlantic. I believe the submarine was sunk by one of the convoy ships crashing into it.
Are you able to assist or perhaps if not put me in touch with someone who might? Regards Patrick Longfield

patrickjlatoptusnet.com.au

27.02.18

I have a passenger List in book form from when my Mother brought me to NZ in 1950 London to Wellington If anybody is interested. I will photo copy if for serious interested parties as it has sentimental value for me and my family. David Hall

Editor: Thank you David

dcmjhallatxtra.co.nz

02.03.18

My name is Vivian Holland I signed on the mv Otaki in 1967 as a pantry boy in royal London docks while we were there we had an open day family and friends were invited, later on in the week we were having engine trials when there was an explosion in engine room our cabin being just across engine room entrance. I remember people coming from engine room entrance with clothes blown off them. I had six month trip on her on paying off i remember John Prescott collecting subs for seamans union. I remember the vessel carried a victoria cross in the officers dining saloon I remember the second steward rationing us with the soft soap we used to do dishes put soap in the sink to melt it down. I also served on mv Hereford working by.     

connieastillatgmail.com

06.03.18

Finished an apprenticeship with Mace Engineering. The next day i joint the NSZ shipping co. The next day i joint the M V Hauraki 1970. Worked the NZ coast and left Auckland for the east coast of the U.S.We went from Galveston to Montreal and back down to Savanna.From there to Australia. We changed two liners at sea and lost one set of swinging arms on one of our twin doxford engines.Other engineers where 3rd eng Tom Webster Gary Blyde Keith Heatherington Buggie Joe was from Liverpool and Andy was from Scotland the other names are lost in the space time.The 2nd eng was a Scotsman called Bell and his wife was Australian.
There where two company ships in Napier the Hauraki and the Sussex our third eng had a bet with one of the engineers on the Sussex that we would beat them to Auckland.The Sussex left an hour and a half before us but we beat them into Auckland by an hour and a half.
The bet was a jug of beer per minute whoever was late. We ended up drinking 54 jugs in the bottom bar of a very rough pub in Auckland. It was an experience of a lifetime and i often wonder where my old ship mates are now. If any of them read this by all means contact me.

stephenjharris1atbigpond.com

31.03.18

I bought a budle of letters dated 1920's from a 2refrig. engineer on the S.S. Surrey they are wonderfully interesting to me as my father Robert Lindsay worked on that route in the 1930's I am finding it very difficult to find info about the ship or Mr. Foddy the engineer who was from N.England. An Australian friend suggested it might be of interest  to seek out photos and info ref the ship, Company and Australian photos  and assemble as a short book illustrating the life both with the company and ashore pre WW2. Mr Foddy's descriptions of Australia certainly grabbed my and my friends interest. Ellie Lindsay

elisiffinnsdottiratgmail.com

05.04.18

Sadly, I only did one trip to NZ, after training on the "Vindi" at Sharpness I  Worked by on the Northumberland or Westmorland. Brain is getting a bit fuzzy  Ijoined the Hinakura at KG5 and had a great time with great blokes (BTA) Any one remember Sammy Clatworthy? Pete Bishop? I met an old school friend at the Bar X at the top of Queens street name of  Geoff Betts That was in 1956. Cheers Roger J Smith

Editor: Roger's email doesn't work

11.04.18

Hi I sailed to London on the Rangitane from Auckland on the 30th March 1968

I would like to make contact with any one who was on that voyage.
This month April  2018 is the 50 year anniversary since that sailing

I also have the full passenger list for every section of that voyage cheers Paul Watson

paulwat1942athotmail.com

17.04.18

Google recently made it mandatory to secure web sites. You will now see in the web brower https://www.newzealandshipping.co.nz with a green padlock, this signifies the web site is secured when sending information using the web sites on line forms.

I have updated our web site, the new page for comments is https://www.newzealandshipping.co.nz/shipping/history/comments/index.html

Jeff Shaw