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Totara

Sourced from www.photoship.co.uk
Built
1957
LR No.
5366019
Gross
855
Net
358
Dimensions
66.45m x 10.49m
Registered
Nelson
First Arrival
9 November 1957
Last Sailing
7 April 1978
Names
Totara
Pacific Bold
Antares
Sygnus
Rihiveli
Years
1957-78
1979-87
1987-90
1990
1991-2000

Built in Westerbroek, she was equipped with one 15 tonne derrick and six 5 tonne winches, enabling a cargo capacity of 1000 tonnes.

She was powered by one 1200hp British Polar diesel, producing a service speed of 10 knots. She had a crew of 19.

Internet-purchased pic

Captain Des Collins, Anchor Shipping's marine superintendent from 1950, supervised the building of "Totara" as a collier, with holds forward of the bridge and lengthy hatches, allowing easy stowage of lengthy and bulky cargoes.

The biggest ship ever built by E.J. Smit & Zoon, on 4 December 1956 she was launched broadside into the canal which linked the yard with the port, which meant there was little room for error.

Taken by Tony Hawkins / Tony Conroy, www.shipspotting.com

Thankfully there wasn't, and she went on to load sodium sulphate at Rotterdam and stores at Dover before ploughing south for Auckland, arriving on 25 May 1957. Six days later, she was in Nelson to commence twenty-one years' service on the New Zealand coast, the last six of which were under Union Shipping's management.

She was operating on the coal run until being transferred to the Nelson - Onehunga run in June 1975, a service she maintained until her final departure from the northern port on 7 April 1978. She was laid up for sale three days later, and changed hands on 14 July, sailing nine days later for Port Alma, Queensland, via New Plymouth - to replace her injured Master.


Served a variety of customers after leaving our shores in 1978, primarily in the Maldives but initially to Singaporean interests which saw her trading to and from New Zealand as "Pacific Bold" (above - internet-purchased pic) from her base in Lae, Papua New Guinea.

She was sold to Mumbai shipbreakers in April 2000 and broken up three months later.

Taken by Chris Howell, www.shipspotting.com

Full House At Onehunga

A shot of "Totara" as "Riviheli" in Colombo, Sri Lanka, August 1993


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