New Moorings at Makatea
p. 60 · Read in the full issue
A DVICE from Tahiti is that the Bank Line vessel Teilbank made a call at Makatea in September to re-lay the deep moorings, which hau been dragged by another vessel when caught in a squall.
The Makatea mooring is in about 200 fathoms on a steep sloping bottom. The huge buoy which supports the chain and
wire is held from being dragged seaward by two other buoyed chains each secured ashore at widely separated points on the shallow bay.
Ships make fast to the main buoy by means of a bridle and a quick tripping safety device which permits the ship to re lease instantly in the event of a sudden onshore wind endangering her.
It sometimes happens that the mooring
is dragged and the French Phosphatt Company has to obtain the services o one of the BPC’s specially equipped vessels, or fit out a vessel with a bo* extension and heavy-lift winch to perfon the task of taking aboard the spare moon ings which are always held at Papeete and to lay them at Makatea 130 mile away.
Lowering the enormously heavy anr valuable chain is a dangerous tasl Sometimes the winch loses control anr the chain screams out and all is los< This has happened at Makatea in tbl past.
On completion of the task, Teilbam loaded phosphate for a South America) port—first to go to that Continent froi Makatea for years.