Bon Voyage To Uninvited But Favourite Tourist Sight

Newcastle Herald

Thursday July 26, 2007

GR

THOUSANDS of sightseers are expected to storm into Newcastle this morning and line the harbour foreshore to bid a fond farewell to the wounded coal carrier Pasha Bulker.

The big red-hulled bulk carrier was forced onto Nobbys Beach by gale force winds and big sea during the wild storm that hit the Hunter on June 8.

Newcastle's central business district was gridlocked as sightseers, some from as far away as Melbourne, travelled to the region to get a glimpse of the 40,000 tonne coal carrier high and dry on Newcastle's iconic surfing beach.

Following a major salvage effort, the Pasha Bulker was eventually refloated on July 2 and taken out to sea for a damage assessment by divers before the ship was allowed to enter the Port of Newcastle for emergency repairs.

Today its dramatic entry into the pages of Newcastle's long maritime history will reach a final chapter when the Pasha Bulker is towed past Nobbys headland by five tugs at 11am, with a thunderous salute from the guns at Fort Scratchley.

The 2300-tonne Japanese tug Koyo Maru, which arrived in the port yesterday, will tow the vessel back to Japan where it will undergo major repairs. Sightseers should be able to get a good view of the operations from Stockton and Newcastle foreshore as well as vantage points along the coastline.

A Newcastle Port Corporation spokesman said it was expected the Koyo Maru would leave the port at 9.30am and head to an anchorage point off the Newcastle coastline.

Once positioned, five tugs would haul the Pasha Bulker from its berth at Newcastle Basin and escort the vessel out of the harbour to the "hook-up" position off the coast.

NSW Ports Minister Joe Tripodi said the Koyo Maru would then connect to the Pasha Bulker for the voyage back to Japan.

"The Pasha will be met by the Koyo Maru and a complex rigging operation will take place before Newcastle's favourite tourist attraction says goodbye to Nobbys," Mr Tripodi said. "The timing of the departure depends on how long the rigging operation takes, as well as weather and sea conditions."

Lewis's View, Page 8

Cemetery saturated, Page 13

© 2007 Newcastle Herald

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