But with 600 containers on board, that is expected to take until March 12, so the importer had decided to wear the extra expense of rail from Wellington.
The alternative would be to risk the weather turning colder without winter jackets on shop shelves.
Musical instrument and leisure goods importer Shayne McNamara has told the union in a letter that although he is sympathetic to some elements of its case in its dispute with the port company, another strike cannot be in its members' interests.
"Certainly it is not in the best interests of our company and our own employees," he wrote.
He said that in fairness to his own company and employees, he was considering moving all his shipping to Tauranga, given that his distribution base was in Hamilton.
The strike will be far longer than six others by the dockers since early December, and may intensify the row over failed negotiations for a new collective agreement, which the union says have been undermined by threats to contract out members' work.
Although six ships are expected to be diverted to other ports in the first week of the strike, the port company has indicated that six others will call at Auckland regardless, and that some may be worked by non-union labour.
The Auckland Council-owned company's website says three will be worked at the conventional Freyberg Wharf, which the union has indicated it will not object to, but the others are headed for the centre of the dispute at the Fergusson container terminal.
A company official said one of the terminal's five shore-to-ship cranes was likely to be worked, a development that union president Garry Parsloe said could risk international repercussions.
"If they [shipping companies] come and use Fergusson they won't be welcome anywhere else in the world - they will come here at their own peril," he said.
Mr Parsloe would not be explicit about what might happen, except to refer to a case about 12 years ago when a ship loaded by non-union labour was turned back to Melbourne by unionists in Los Angeles.
He said he was due to speak at two union conferences in Australia in coming days, one of which would be attended by leaders of the International Transport Federation.
They were likely to put any containers loaded by non-union labour "under the microscope".
Australian unions were promising "all the support in the world" including financial assistance to his members, as were those affiliated to this country's Council of Trade Unions.
Port company chief executive Tony Gibson said he believed all New Zealanders would be concerned to hear of any attempts "to incite international third parties to act against the interests of Auckland and the New Zealand supply chain".
Mr Parsloe said the disruption could be avoided if Mr Gibson started "behaving himself and stops his contracting-out proposals and lets everyone get on with the job".
DISRUPTION
* Two-week strike by 300-plus dock workers to start at 7am tomorrow.
* 25 ships expected to be disrupted, at least six of which will divert to other ports.
* Port company indicates it will try to operate a crane at the Fergusson container terminal to service three other ships.
* The strike will be far longer than six others by the dockers since early December, and may intensify the row over failed negotiations.
