Keeping Port Nelson Open

Without a doubt the most familiar vessel around Port Nelson is the harbour board's dredge, Teaman Bay. Day after day, residents of the Tahuna and port hills see the big grab splashing into the water and emerging with a load of rubble and mud. She's been doing this now for just on 11 years, and in that time she's taken over 800,000 tons of seabed from the harbour and its entrance and dumped it further out in the bay. She's a hard-worked vessel and a very necessary one if Port Nelson is to continue to be used as a port for overseas vessels.

We've all seen her at a distance, but to give you some idea of her work at closer range, we went aboard for an afternoon to obtain for you a better idea of how she operates. Above. the Tasman Bay, as we've all seen her and at right. the grab deposits its catch into her big hoppers.

Water swirls in as the rubble drops through the hopper doors. These are opened by depressing the plungers seen at centre top of the pic

Alex Ferguson, relieving master, at the helm

Down in the gleaming engine room, Ted Dicker awaits the order to set the vessel in motion

Well-loaded down, the Tasman Bay sails into her namesake while Bill Rowlings braves spray to get rid of unwanted rocks on her deck.

Previous article Issue contents Next article

The Nelson Photo News

No 35 : September 14, 1963

Keeping Port Nelson Open