Cascade Jetty. Norfolk Island.
S 29° 01.325 E 167° 58.400
58J E 789610 N 6785920
When a ship arrives at Norfolk Island it anchors about one kilometre off shore at either Cascade Bay on the east coast or at Kingston on the south coast. Lighters, manned by the local men, carry goods to the jettys.
Waymark Code: WM6KK4
Location: Norfolk Island
Date Posted: 06/15/2009
Views: 6
Due to Norfolk Island's rugged coastline and the lack of a sheltered anchorage, ships anchor about 1km offshore. Cargo at Norfolk Island is unloaded by the ships derricks into lighters which are then towed ashore by motorised launches.
The Norfolk Island Lighterage Service is a Government Business Enterprise of the Administration of Norfolk Island and provides unloading facilities from ship to shore for cargo and passengers, and provides equipment for sea rescue.
The Lighterage Service operates a fleet of 4 lighters (No.12, No.1, & No.2) and 2 motorised launches (Guppy & Shorts). The lighters are 8m in length and are modelled on whaleboat chasers used earlier in the century. On the jetties a mobile crane with a 16 tonne lifting capacity is used to handle cargo into and out of the lighters. Due to the small size of the lighters standard shipping containers cannot be handled at Norfolk Island. All cargo is handled either as palletised or as unitised breakbulk.
Lighterage operations take place at either Cascade on the northern coastline, and Kingston (Sydney Bay) on the southern coastline, depending on the direction of the wind and swell.
The Cascade jetty is approximately 25 metres in length with a depth alongside of 1 metre at low tide.
The Islanders' fishing boats are launched and retrieved at the Cascade jetty using steel cables and pulley and a pivoting crane jib. It is quite an interesting operation to watch requiring great skill to land the boat safely in the water.
"A light truck towing the boat and trailer is first backed along a stone wharf until the boat is positioned below a pivoting crane jib. Note. No motor is attached to the steel cable hanging in the jib pulley.
The hold down tapes tying the boat down to the trailer, are disconnected and the trailer coupling is unscrewed and lifted off the tow ball of the truck and supported by a dolly wheel.
Four slings are then attached to the rollick mountings on the boat at one end and the rings at the other ends are slipped onto the hook on the end of the steel crane cable. Everyone who is going to sea scrambles aboard the boat and sits down.
The other end of the steel cable is placed over the tow ball of the truck, which is driven forward about half a metre causing the boat to lift up off the trailer rollers a foot or so.
The trailer is pushed out of the way by the truck driver who is standing on the wharf. He then pushes the boat, turning it around 180 degrees. Then pushes it sideways causing the crane to pivot around until the boat and passengers are suspended about eight feet above the water. The boat is positioned so it is adjacent to the side of the wharf and is pointing out to sea. He then climbs into the truck and awaits a signal.
When a suitable wave is seen approaching the island, the outboard motor is started (dry) by a crew member sitting in the rear of the boat and before it can overheat, he gives a shout to the truck driver who swiftly reverses the truck along the wharf a few yards, resulting in the boat being set down with a flop onto the body of the wave.
At the instant the boat lands on the water, another crew-member stands up, disconnects rings at the ends of the slings from the jib hook and promptly sits down. The outboard motor is immediately gunned and the boat powers away from the wharf riding the rebounding wave out to sea. The slings are rolled up and stowed away for reuse when returning to the wharf." from an article on Fishing from Norfolk Island in the South Pacific.
Type of pier: Public
Expenses: Unknown
Parking is available: Yes
Contact information:
Unknown, however try contacting local fisherman and Author: Ian Kenny
PO Box 57
Norfolk Island 2899
Phone/Fax: (6723) 22386
Email: kenny@norfolk.net.nf
Handicap Accessible: Yes
Fishing Regulations: No trawling, long lining, net fishing or fish trapping. Limit of 1 bin (maximum 45 kg) of whole fish, per boat per day (with a maximum of 3 bins per week) of Trumpeter caught during the spawning season (usually December-January, or dates advised by NIFA).
Web site: Not listed
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