the Oleander was forced to leave half-full.

The ship, Bermuda's largest container vessel, sailed a day late with more than half her cargo still unloaded due to the docks dispute.

More than 70 containers were discharged, but another 82 remained on board as the ship headed back to New York to maintain her schedule.

Pickets continued to man the dock gates, but trucks arrived and left largely unhindered. A Stevedoring Services spokesman said a fairly normal number of containers arrived by truck.

Despite the Island-wide strike, the same number of workers showed up at the dock as the day before, said the company. But managers, struggling to meet schedules without unionised workers, lost their battle with the logjam.

Another container ship, the Somers Isles , was fully discharged of 74 containers. But she too left a day late. The Bermuda Islander , due to sail yesterday, is expected to be fully discharged today.

Despite the walkout by Government pilots and lineboat crews, cruise ships have been operating without disruption.

The cruise ships Westward , Horizon and Nordic Prince have all entered port without pilots and moved to their berths without lineboat assistance.

Marine and Ports director Mr. Ron Ross said there was a provision in law allowing ship captains to enter Bermuda waters without a pilot if they have made at least six trips.

A Bermuda pilot earlier this week was flown to New York to sail with Cunard's Queen Elizabeth 2 which is to anchor today in the Great Sound.

Mr. Ross said Marine and Ports workers have worked in instances when their help was needed. Tugs and lineboats helped berth the Meridian at Dockyard and on Sunday, a government boat and a private tug helped the cruise sail ship Starflyer out of St. George's.

"The job is being done,'' Mr. Ross said.

Mrs. Maria MacPherson of ship agents John S. Darrell said there had been no complaints about the strike from passengers on the Nordic Prince . "There have been no problems at all,'' she said. "It's been a nearly typical Wednesday.'' Mr. Ron Ross.