M.V. Oranjemund

[Michael Alexander]

Just scanned....at Port Nolloth

[Michael Alexander]

The notice in 1975 of the launching of the boat ....from the Bulletin...

[Andre Coetzee]

There used to be a ship Called Oranjemund, that belonged to CDM/ De Beers in the seventies that was used for bringing the fuel to the mine. From town it was possible to see a diamond shaped beacon on the tailings dump in the mine. It had a light in it as well.
Further, closer to the beach, was another simular beacon. The ship used these beacons to line up with the buoy at sea and so found the pipe to connect to pump the fuel (diesel and petrol)  to shore. That was why the fuel prise used to be less than other towns around. The ship also brought spares etc to Port Nolloth where CDM had a store from where it was trucked to town.
Is the tank farm still sort of south west of town just inside the mining area? If my memory servse me right it had a capacity of 5 million litre. There was also an incident where a couple of would be diamond thieves wanted to blow up the tank farm as a diversion while they went for the recovery. The plan was leaked and foiled. I will try to get more info on that when I speak to my father again.

[Michael Alexander]

The Tank farm has been removed, the diamonds under it were worth more..... Now SHeena charges us more for our fuel...... 

[barb (Fry)]

just found this if it's still of interest.
I have seen this ship docked in Cape Town


http://www.unicornshipping.co.za/1976.htm
and
M.V. ORANJEMUND : According to Brian Ingpen's column in the Cape Times of 19
April, M.V. Oranjemund was handed over to her new Greek owners on 13 April to
provide a bunkering service in the Persian Gulf and Somalia. The new owners have
chosen the name Zambezi for their ship.