Shipping—January                                                                                    

Some of the ships seen from 7 to 19 January:

7 January
JAICO's Happinui, a fish factory ship (length 68m, width 11m; built 1987; New Zealand flag) owned by JAICO Limited, based in Timaru; according to New Zealand Business Directory, and companyhub.nz the ultimate holding company is Juahm Industries Co., Ltd. based in Busan, Korea.
__________________
8 January
The research vessel and yacht Pangaea Ocean Explorer made today's Otago Daily Times.  Ruby Forest's article "Billionaire's superyacht makes stop in Dunedin" states, "The 58m yacht is owned by Australian businessman Andrew Forrest, executive chairman and former chief executive of global metal mining company Fortescue."   One focus of Forrest's Minderoo Foundation is protecting ocean biodiversity and habitats.
_________________
12 January
RV Kaharoa which served as a research vessel for the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) for more than four decades, was retired in April 2025 when RV Kaharoa II came onstream.  See: Kirsten Thomas.  "RV Kaharoa: The end of an era for NIWA's "Little Ship That Can."  Boating New Zealand, 23 April 2025.  A group in Dunedin has acquire the vessel and is in the process of starting a new marine services business (Kaharoa Marine Services).  Among other measures, they are working with Maritime NZ to change the registration from research to commercial (this would allow fewer crew, three rather than six).  They may also add a towing port for salvage work.
Port Otago's dredging plant includes New Era (trailing suction hopper dredge), Hapuka and TR Healy (split hopper barges), and Takutai (backhoe dredge).  In addition, in December 2024 Port Otago and Napier Port announced "a joint venture to build and purchase a $36 million state-of-the-art trailing suction hopper dredge from Dutch shipbuilders Damen Shipyards."  The new 59m dredge is expected to come onstream in late 2026.
Backhoe dredge Takutai (Maori for coastline) and, in the background, residences across the Upper Harbour.
Note the zodiac boats.
Le Soleal (length 142.1m, beam 18m) is part of the French luxury cruise line Compagnie du Ponant.  Fincantieri, based in Trieste, delivered the ship in 2013.  It describes Le Soleal as "an ultra-luxury cruise ship resembling a mega yacht. Thanks to her compact size, she can reach exclusive destinations inaccessible to larger vessels. She has obtained the 'Ice Class' certification for navigation in polar areas, the 'Clean Ship' certification for reduced environmental impact, and the 'Comfort Class' certification for low noise levels. The ship has 132 passenger cabins and 74 crew cabins, hosting a maximum 400 people on board (>).  Mata Utu, where Le Soleal is registered, is situated on Wallis Island and is the capital of the French overseas collectivity of Wallis and Futuna.
_________________
13 January
Blue skies in the morning, views from the number 18 bus across the Harbour.
Torm Beatrice (length 183m, beam 32m).  The ship arrived at the oil jetty from Tauranga the day before.
Fishing vessel Happinui (JAICO).
Mid-day, views from Polaris II between Taiaroa Head and Port Chalmers. Torm Beatrice heading out of the Harbour.  
Late afternoon overcast weather, view from the number 18 bus across the Harbour.  The Sealord fishing vessels FV Rehua (length 66m, beam 14m, gross tonnage 2483, fish hold capacity 660 tonnes) and FV Ocean Dawn (length 64.5m, beam 13m, gross tonnage 1707, fish hold capacity 560 tonnes) both concentrate on Hoki and Ling.  Sealord "specialises in deepwater fishing, seafood processing and aquaculture."  The company, which is 50-percent owned by global seafood company Nissui Corporation and 50-percent owned by Māori through Moana New Zealand, employs about 1,550 people in New Zealand.
_________________
15 January
View across the Harbour from the number 18 bus of Aurora Expeditions' Douglas Mawson at the T/U Berth  The Douglas Mawson (length 104m, beam 18m) is a new ship, built in 2025.  Aurora Expeditions' small expedition ships carry "a maximum of 130 passengers onboard our Expeditions and 154 passengers on our Small Ship Cruises."  Note the distinctive Ulstein X-Bow®.  Ulstein's websites lists nine advantages of the inverted bow: efficient power, whisper-quiet operations, optimised rest periods, steady pitching, splash-free journeys, gentle wave entry, minimal slamming, smooth accelerations, and consistent speed maintenance.  The ship left on 17 January for Enderby Island in the New Zealand subantarctic.
_________________
16 January
Three fish factory ships were berthed in the Upper Harbour: the Happinui now at the Leith Berth (out of view), the Sainte Rose at the oil jetty, and the Rehua at X/Y Berth.
Sealord's FV Rehua arrived under somewhat unusual circumstances as a net had become entangled in its propeller and it had to be towed into port by its sister ship the FV Ocean Dawn (see above).  Once it was in port, divers were able to sort it out.  Ships like this can be at sea for six weeks and go as far as the Chatham Islands.  In the second photo, the worker is winching up a pallet of boxes to pack the fish in.
Sainte Rose (length 61m, beam 13m) owned by Pêche Avenir SA, built in 2022, and sailing under the flag of Reunion.  Pêche Avenir's website notes they are "pioneers of French toothfish fishing in Antarctic waters" and says the company is "the only French ship owner operating in the southernmost waters of the planet."  According to the website, "Our selective methods and strict quota management ensure resource preservation for future generations, while delivering a product of exceptional quality."   Pêche Avenir has an "unwavering commitment to certified sustainability MSC."  The Marine Stewardship Council is "an international non-profit on a mission to end overfishing and restore fish stocks for future generations."
_________________
19 January
Sainte Rose viewed from Portsmouth Drive.
Chang Hang Hong Tu (oil products tanker, length 185m, beam 32m, built in 2008, Chinese flag) arrives at the fuel jetty and is maneuvered into position.  Its previous stop was at Bluff.
back >

Shipping—March >
Shipping—February >
Shipping—January >
Shipping—December >