Happenings at The Bundy Port 06 Dec 2011

While waiting for the re-scheduled departure of the "Ocean Victory" today, I decided to have a look at the conditions in the open sea. It was very windy with quite a swell running.

But the best part of the detour occurred when I spotted a loggerhead turtle coming ashore at Oaks Beach at Burnett Heads.  She struggled for a metre or so, then rested, and repeated this routine many times.

Turtle coming ashore at Oaks Beach (Burnett Heads) 06 Dec 2011             ©2011 WoJo12

With a group of people watching from a distance, she eventually got to the wooden steps up to the road. After nearly getting stuck under the railing, she gave up and returned to the sea. Hopefully she'll be back later tonight.

Almost stuck at the steps, Oaks Beach 06 Dec 2011                                           ©2011 WoJo12

Now, back to the original reason for this post. Laden with sugar and consequently much lower in the water, the "Ocean Victory" left the Port of Bundaberg, assisted by the tug "Ballina" late this afternoon.

"Ocean Victory" sailing down the Burnett River 06 Dec 2011                           ©2011 WoJo12

Ocean Victory Stranded In Bundaberg

Well, my post about the sugar ship "Ocean Victory" yesterday has proven to be not accurate, but not my doing. The ship is all loaded up and ready to go, but, alas, there is no pilot available to take the ship back out to sea.

Because of the infrequent visits of ships to our port, the pilot who navigates the ship into the river and to the sugar terminal drives down from Gladstone for the occasion. The Port of Bundaberg is controlled by the Gladstone Ports Corporation. The Harbour-Master for the Port of Bundaberg is also in Gladstone.

So we have the "Ocean Victory" in port until the scheduled departure on 7 Dec 2011, weather permitting.

In the meantime, here is another photo of the ship, swinging off the port anchor.

Ocean Victory for Bundaberg

 

Tug "Wilga" at the entrance to the Burnett River 04 Dec2011          ©2011 WoJo12




Well, after the strong winds in the Wide Bay have subsided sufficiently, today finally saw the arrival in port of the "Ocean Victory" from Yokohama.  Scheduled originally to dock on Friday's daylight high tide, the 169m ship was escorted up the Burnett River by the Tug "Wilga" from Brisbane, and locally-based tug "Ballina".

The "Ocean Victory" entering the Burnett River 04 Dec 2011                                             ©2011 WoJo12

The most technical part of the docking is turning the ship around in the confines of the river. At the swing basin, the ship dropped its port anchor, and then the tugs began the job of swinging the ship about the anchor.

The "Ocean Victory" almost about, while the line boat awaits the mooring lines 04 Dec 2011        ©2011 WOJO12

The final step is to ease the vessel to the Bulk Sugar Terminal, gently pushed by the assisting tugs.

Tug "Ballina" pushing the "Ocean Victory" to the dock, pilot vessel "Kareela" already tied up                      04 Dec 2011                                                                                                                      ©2011 WoJo12

If everything goes according to plan, loading should be finished in time for the ship to leave on tomorrow's daylight high tide.