MV Waitaki III 1954-1979

The Waitaki III was a single screw motor vessel built in 1954 by Alexander Stephen and Sons at Linthouse on the River Clyde in Glassgow Scotland for the New Zealand Shipping Company. It started life as the Whakatane and was launched by Mrs George Ormiston, the wife of one of New Zealand Shipping Company's senior marine engineers, on 6 January 1954. It had two sibling ships, the Whangaroa and the Wharanui.

Its ownership was transferred to the Union Steamship Company (USSCo) on 5 May 1964 and it was renamed Waitaki. It served with the USSCo in New Zealand, Singapore, and Malaysia to Sri Lanka services until 1970.

On 19 May 1970 the Waitaki was sold to Cia Maritima Ta Teh SA, Panama and renamed Successful Enterprise. In January 1973 it was sold to Wan Lung Navigation Company SA, Panama and renamed Wan Yu. Finally in February 1977 it was transferred to the Truthful Shipping Co SA, Panama and renamed Truthful. 

After being laid up at Kaohsiung, Taiwan May 1977, it was damaged in a collision during Typhoon Thelma on 25 July 1977. It was then demolished in Kaohsiung by the An Sung Iron & Steel Company on 11 January 1979.