another year of shipping began.

The car vessel Clover Ace arrived in Hamilton on Tuesday from Phillipsburg, New Jersey and discharged 29 cars and 40 packages. The 654-foot, Japanese-registered vessel sailed yesterday for Nassau.

Her agents were Harnett and Richardson Ltd.

The container ships Bermuda Islander , Somers Isles , and Oleander all arrived in Hamilton and again set sail this week.

The Bermuda Islander , handled by Meyer Agencies Ltd., arrived in Hamilton one day early on Monday. She discharged 51 containers, seven of them refrigerated, and sailed Tuesday for Salem, New Jersey.

The Somers Isles , also handled by Meyer, arrived in Hamilton on Sunday and sailed on Monday for Florida. She discharged 48 containers, five of them refrigerated, 15 bundles of steel and wire mesh, 13 bundles of lumber, and two bundles of pipe.

The Oleander , the largest container ship serving Bermuda, arrived in Hamilton on Saturday and sailed Tuesday for Port Elizabeth, New Jersey. She discharged 110 containers, 19 of them refrigerated, three cars, a large air conditioning unit, and a transformer for the Bermuda Electric Light Co. Ltd.

Local agents for the Oleander are Container Ship Management Ltd.

Unloading of both the Somers Isles and the Oleander was disrupted by a labour row at the docks which involved working hours and the Bermuda Industrial Union.

On Saturday, the Cypriot-registered tanker Kapitan Pomerants dropped anchor at Five Fathom Hole and discharged Russian crew member Mr. Vladimir Akulich, who was suffering from acute appendicitis.

The 678-foot ship, which carried a load of gas oil from Spain, continued on for Philadelphia. Mr. Akulich is expected to leave King Edward VII Memorial Hospital soon.

Local agents for the Kapitan Pomerants were John S. Darrell and Co. Ltd.

On Tuesday, the crane ship SS Gopher State nearly ran aground on Bermuda's coral before she was piloted to Murray's Anchorage for repairs.

The 610-foot ship, which is chartered by the US Navy, is carrying food and vehicles to the 11,000 US troops protecting relief operations in Somalia.

The ship was moved to a berth at Dockyard yesterday for repairs to its evaporator, and could sail as early as today. The ship was handled by Meyer.

The US research ship Cape Hatteras was expected to arrive at Penno's Wharf from Salem, New Jersey today.

The ship will assist with research at the Bermuda Biological Station until May while the station's regular research ship, Weatherbird II , is in Louisiana for a refit.

Also expected today is the Norwegian LPG carrier Norgas Sailor , which will drop anchor at sea to pick up some urgently-needed spare parts. Like the Cape Hatteras , her local agents are Meyer.

The supply ship USNS Littlehales anchored on Saturday at Five Fathom Hole, but only long enough for a crew transfer.

TO THE RESCUE -- The pilot boat St. David approaches the SS Gopher State off St. George's on Tuesday. Marine and Ports pilot Mr. Ray (Bill) Fox (right) guided the ship to Murray's Anchorage after it nearly ran aground.