MOVING THE PONTOON

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Volume 59, Issue 101, 31 May 1930, Page 5

MOVING THE PONTOON

WELL OVER TOWARDS PARKE ISLAND. DIFFICULTIES OF TRANSFER. The efforts that are being made by the Napier Harbour Board to transfer the portion of the suction dredge Apiti -from the Tutaekuri river, alongside Napier South, to the South Pond at Port Ahuriri, where it is proposed to concentrate on filling in the pond, lias heen proceeding steadily during the past week. The machinerv has been dismantled and is to he carted to the South Pond and there re-erected to the pontoon portion of the dredge. The greatest difficultv in connection with the transfer, liowever, is being met in connection with floating th" pontoon down the river to the embankment bridge, under which it is to pass Tlie spectacle was witnessed this morning of the pontoon haviug reached a position in tlie inner harbour lagoon half way between Parke Islaud on the one siele and^tlie concrete bridge on the Taradale roa'd on the other. It is stated that those engaged in tlie transfer operations were unahle to float the pontoon down tho old channei of the river owing to the fact that it has practicallv silted up and in consequence tliey have had to resort to finding a channel well over towarck Parke Island and manoeuvre tlie pontoon thro-ugh the mud hanks of the mner harbour. This is no easv tasjr and is heing watched with eonsidcrable interest.