NEW MOTORSHIP.

Auckland Star, Volume LVI, Issue 293, 11 December 1925, Page 5

NEW MOTORSHIP.

PORT HOBART ARRIVED. LATEST IN CARGO CARRIERS. DESIGNED FOR N.Z. TRADE. Making her initial visit to Auckland, the Commonwealth and Dominion Lines' new motorship, Port Hobart, which, together with her sister shin the Port Dunedin, was specially built for working the roadstead ports" of New Zealand, arrived at Auckland this morning. The Port Hobart is now on her maiden voyage, having been launched from the yards of Messrs. Workman, Clark and Co., of Belfast, during July of the present year. After carrying out very successful trials, she proceeded to New York to load general cargo for Australian ports. Later she came on to New Zealand to load for London, and has now come to Auckland to complete her cargo.. The motorship is under the command of Captain R. Craven, who visited Auckland within recent months in command of the line's steamer Port Kembla. Possessing several features of outstanding interest, the Port Hobart has graceful lines, and is fitted with all the latest improvements in the way of electric winches, boat davits and accommodation. She has a deadweight, capacity of 10,800. tons, and is of the following dimensions: Length 465 ft, breadth 59ft 6in, depth 43ft 9in. The vessel is the very latest production in the art of shipbuilding, and is nrobably the most up-to-date cargo steamer to visit this port up to the present time.

A steel bridge-house on the upper deck contains a saloon, staterooms, etc., while the officers' accommodation is in the same house above. There is also a smoking room provided for the use of passengers, rah'ins for twelve beingarranged in the bridge-house. The captain's accommodation is in a house above the officers' quarters, and above this is the chartroom and wheelhouse. Engineer officers, petty officers, and stewards are accommodated amidships in a Steel house round the machinery casings. The galley, bakery, scullery, and butcher's shop are arranged at the forward end of the. 'midship house, while the wireless operator's accommodation and doctor's room are in a steel house on the after end of the boat deck. Accommodation for the crew is in the forecastle. There are two principal standard types of Doxford opposed piston engines installed, namely, the four-cylinder unit, rated at about 2900 b.h.p., and a three-cylinder unit, rated at about 1850 b.h.p. Both of these engines are designed essentially for service in singlescrew ships. The Port Dunedin and Port Hobart are the first two ships in which twin-screw sets of Doxford engines have been fitted, and certain dimensional modifications have been introduced into the new engines to make them suitable for twin-screw work. The main propelling machinery consists of two sets of four-cylinder Doxford opposed piston engines having practically similar dimensions to the threecylinder type. Each engine is designed to develop about 3000 i.h.p. at 95 revolutions -per * minute, which, is a comparatively low speed of rotation for twin-screw vessels. The auxiliary machinery is entirely electrically driven, and current for this purpose is supplied by three Burmeister and WainAllen Diesel engine generating sets.