A lashing from westerly winds this year at Port Whanganui has meant moving the pilot boat Wanganui upstream to a more sheltered berth at Taupo Quay, along with a barge.
The 17.5 metre vessel was built in 1968 for the Launceston Port Company in Tasmania, 15km upstream from the river mouth. When it was launched, its top speed of 11 knots was deemed too slow; the company wanted something faster.
“There was a Tasmanian operating a tug and barge service in Whanganui at the time,” said Port Whanganui harbourmaster John Blaikie, who organised to buy the Wanganui in 1997. “We had a wooden pilot boat called the Strathallan but it couldn’t be used as a tug boat for pushing or pulling.
“Wanganui has a steel hull and can be used as a tug boat with a 3-ton bollard pull. We’ve pulled a barge, fully laden with 600 tons, against the tide, to the city wharf from the river entrance.
“It wasn’t built as a tug, but it has a dual function. No ships would come to the port now if we didn’t have it there. The masters need a bit of comfort if they need to berth, the pilot boat is big enough to push them,” he said.
