SHIPS OF THE FUTURE.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 143, 18 June 1926, Page 13

SHIPS OF THE FUTURE.

GREAT CARGO CARRIERS

Orders have been placed recently in Great Britain and abroad for between 30 and 40 motor vessels of various classes, with an aggregate gross tonnage of about 200,000. As these contracts, in the present period of difficulty in the shipping industry, undoubtedly represent the carefully-considered conclusions of shipowners regarding the most suitable ships of the future, it is of more than usual interest to take note of 'the types that have been decided upon and the classes of machinery specified.

All except four are cargo ve.-:sels, three being passenger liners, and one a large train ferry. The most remarkable fact that is brought out by an analysis of these cargo craft is that, with only one exception, the average loaded speed at sea will be 13 knots or over, while the passenger vessels will, of course, be faster. Many of tha cargo carriers are to maintain 14 knots at sea, as, for instance, the two new Rotterdam Lloyd ships of 9500 tons, and the Commonwealth and Dominion Line refrigerated vessels. While this tendency towards the adoption of higher speeds has been notable for some time past in connection with motor ships, they have mostly been of comparatively large size, but a small vessel illustrating the same development, is the East Asiatic Company's new ship, which is of only 7700 tons deadweight, and which is to average 13 knots at sea. A curious diversity of view is exemplified in the new vessels concerning the respective of sinxle and twinscrew installations. In all those to be built in England, apart from five of 2500 tons deadweight (in which single-screw propulsion represents the obvious solution), twin-screw machinery is to be installed. Yet in the majority of the recent orders for Continental owners a single engine is to be fitted, even in cases where the power required is as large as, or even greater than, that fitted in the twin-sprew British, vessels.