COMMUNICATIONS AND TRANSPORT
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Department is considering further improvements in the provision of navigational aids for ships proceeding to the Kwai Chung berths. The Royal Naval survey vessel Hydra carried out detailed soundings in the main approaches to the port towards the end of the year.
Good bunkering facilities are provided in the port and vessels may be supplied with fuel oil either at the wharves of oil terminals or from a fleet of harbour oil- carriers owned and operated by the major oil companies. Fresh water is similarly available at commercial wharves or from waterboats which service vessels at anchor or at government moorings.
Hong Kong has a long history of shipbuilding and its ship repair facilities are extremely efficient. While the major shipyards are able to build dry cargo vessels, tankers, and general purpose passenger and cargo vessels up to 500 feet in length, their work is now increasingly directed towards ship repairing and major modifica- tions.
Two major shipyards are the Taikoo Dockyard and Engineering Co Ltd and the Hongkong and Whampoa Dock Co Ltd. Both companies have extensive facilities for the repair, maintenance and dry docking or slipping of all class and types of vessels up to 35,000 deadweight tons in the case of bulk oil tankers, or 750 feet in length and 88 feet beam in the case of passenger liners and dry cargo vessels. A new type of facility was introduced to Hong Kong during the year when two floating dry docks commenced operations. The larger of the two, with a capacity of 100,000 tons, is owned by Island Navigation Corporation Ltd and lies west of Tsing Yi Island. The other floating dry dock is capable of lifting 25,000 tons and is situated off Taikoo Dockyard's premises at Quarry Bay. Minor shipyards in Hong Kong, with over 170 slipways, are well equipped to undertake repairs to small vessels and have developed a capacity for the building of specialised craft, particularly pleasure craft and yachts.
Hong Kong continues to play an important role as a centre of recruitment for seamen and over 23,400 seamen, out of a total of 70,723 locally registered men, are serving on board some 1,285 British and foreign flag vessels. The Seamen's Recruiting Office and the Mercantile Marine Office combine to register and supervise the employ- ment of seamen on board vessels of all flags. The Mariner's Club in Kowloon provides recreational and welfare facilities of a high standard for visiting seamen of all nation- alities.
The proximity of Hong Kong to the Portuguese territory of Macau attracts both tourists and residents to Macau. The facilities of the Hong Kong-Macau ferry terminal wharf have been improved and additional alterations are planned to ensure greater ease of passenger processing and movement. The volume of passenger traffic on this route has increased from just over one million in 1962 to 3.75 million in 1972.
Tragedy struck in the port on January 9, 1972 when the former passenger liner Queen Elizabeth, which had been renamed Seawise University, caught fire just five days before renovation work was expected to be completed. The fire spread very rapidly and, despite massive fire-fighting efforts, soon engulfed the liner. In the late afternoon of January 9, attempts to save the vessel were abandoned and on the