Another liner in trouble

[Des Taff Jenkins]

A Norwegian Viking Liner has been refused entry to any Australian port, but this time not over Covid but because she has some sort of Fungus on her Hull, she is now laying off Melbourne waiting for a team of divers to come out and clean her Hull off< I can only suspect she picked it up in NZ.
Des

[Doc Vernon]

Yep Des
Just seen that on the News, strange thing isnt it!
But hey! Extra days on Borad for Free! LOL
Cheers

[Des Taff Jenkins]

Hi Vernon.
Snice that release news is that she wasn't allowed into any NZ port either, so my apologies to NZ.
Des

[Allen James Jones]

No problem Des. The problem with the NZ ports of call is that the SW of NZ (Fiordland) is a national park. The waters within this area are unique in that although open to the sea the top 10-15ft of the water is in fact fresh water from the abundance of rain in the area. This creates an underwater micro climate so that stuff like black coral grows in shallow water instead of very deep waters as in the ocean. Since the visit of cruise ships introduced foreign species of snails and various seaweeds have started to degrade this special area. The government decided to impose restrictions on all vessels(including recreational) visiting by setting out minimum standards for hull cleaning. Thus cruise ships with dirty bottoms cannot enter areas of significant natural interest. Just saying.

[Des Taff Jenkins]

Hi Allen.
Thanks for that, I never got to Fiordland when I was on the coast, only as far as Westport and Greymouth on the West coast on the Colliers, I did all the Ports on the East coast.
Unfortunately we are have the same trouble on the Barrier Reef, I can see the cleaning of ships hulls becoming something frequent.
Cheers Des

[happy daze john in oz]

That ship is one of Viking, the company who they are so good.
Different to other cruise ships in many ways.
No kids, no casino, no photographers to bother you, no formal nights and a few other bits.
But expensive for what they offer.

The ship in question, like so many others, was laid up for almost two years.
All other ships managed to clean up, do upgrades etc.

How is it that this one was able to accumulate so much sea debri on it's hull?

Docked her in Melbourne after some form of cleaning, only in for one day.

As to Milford Sound, a truly amazing place, so pristine and wonderous.
The NZ do all they can to keep it that way.

[Keith Tindell]

As you say Milford Sound is beautiful, i spent a couple of nights in Doubtful Sound, much harder to get to by land than Milford Sound, truly magic and remote. My wife had the most wonderful seafood caught by the boat the night before you board, i cannot stand seafood, but a lovely bacon sarnie on board. cannot remember the name of the boat, only 12 passengers, cabins a bit basic, but well worth doing. NZ is a wonderful country, i should have gone there when i had the offer, but then would not have met my lovely wife all those years ago.

[Allen James Jones]

Hi Des. I spent 3 months sailing around Stewart Island and Fiordland in 1992. Built my own steel yacht. The fishermen who operated in the southwest were some of the nicest guys you could meet up with. Do anything for you. Not sure if you picked up Bluff Fishermans Radio whilst you were on the coast. Meri Leask the operator was brilliant. I think she is still going after all these years. Anyway great to have heard from you. By the way did you know an old mate of mine Ken Kinloch. He was Mate on the USS company. Married an Aussie girl and moved to Melbourne. Regards, Allen.

[Bryan Portwig]

viking orionviking orion.jpg

[Des Taff Jenkins]

Hi Allen.
Can't recall the name of your mate. But Bluff fishermen I knew about, every time we were there we would swap tins of paint for sacks of fresh oysters, the best in the world.
Never went to Stewarts Island, My brother used to sail on a scow to Chatham Island with cattle, then he did the last trip around the Horn on the Pamir.
Cheers Des