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WINE STORAGE - B WAREHOUSE. SHEERNESS
This small warehouse for the storage of wine in fibreglass tanks (classified by the trade as
vats) came into operation in 1969.
The Staffestein tanks are cylindrical in shape, approximately 20-feet in height and 6-feet in
diameter, and are supported off the ground by eight iron pegs. The tanks are slightly opaque and
hold some 4,900 galls, of wine. Although all the tanks appear to be of the same dimensions there
is a slight variation in storage capacity.
At present there are ten tanks installed in two incomplete rows, with a gantry running
between the rows to give access to the top of the tanks. When the rows are completed there will
be sixteen tanks on either side of the building.
In addition to the draw-off taps and access covers, there is a stainless steel pipe, called
a 'rousing' pipe, fitted perpendicularly to each tank. Connections can be made from the top and
bottom of the tank to the pipe so as to allow the wine to circulate or 'rouse', as it is known.
The tanks when new had first to be 'pickled' with wine before being used for storage.
Subsequently, when each is emptied the tank is washed and steamed before refilling. No
detergents or sterilizing agents are ever used.
The tanks will be used ultimately to hold wine pumped direct from ship, although at present
wine (e.g. sherry) from butts is pumped into the tanks for storage, and later from the tanks to
road bowsers for transportation to a London bottling plant. Wine at present is only being held in
these tanks for about a month on average.
This saves a considerable amount of space, cost in renting stowage for barrels of wine, and
also time in filling a road bowser. Previously a bowser was filled by pumping out a number of
required barrels.
CONTAINER TRAFFIC
As was expected this form of cargo transportation continued to expand dramatically again
during 1969.
The container terminals operating by the end of 1968 at Tilbury all increased their throughput
during the year and some additional international trades were attracted to the terminals.
Unfortunately, the dock workers refused to work on the new Overseas Container Terminal at
39 Berth, Tilbury, which was scheduled to become operational in May. This fact, no doubt, caused
the deferred development of three other similar berths. These four berths did not therefore
contribute in any way to the Container workings at Tilbury during 1969.
Despite this fact, the total number of imported containers carried by the major operators
rose from 19,500 in 1968 to over 45,000 in 1969. (See Tables I and II). Although none from
Australia was imported direct through 39 Berth when the new service was introduced in May, an
enormous number of these were, in fact, handled through 43 berth. These containers were transhipped
from the Continent by small continental feeder ships which were not affected by the ban
imposed by the Tilbury dockworkers. A separate report on the operation of 43 Berth follows.
The year saw the arrival of further new purpose-built container tonnage to the operational
berths. The number of these arrivals reported in the 1968 Annual Report (557) increased to 944,.
(see Tables I and II) and whether large or small they all had the same common factor, a very
short stay in port.
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