RECORD TRIP.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 259, 1 November 1928, Page 8

RECORD TRIP.

MATAROA FROM SOUTHAMPTON

VOYAGE IN 32 DAYS 19 HOURS

INCREASED SPEED SINCE REFIT,

(By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent.)

WELLINGTON, this day.

The Shaw-Savill turbine liner Mataroa, which arrived in the stream at Wellington at 9 o'clock last night from London and Southampton, via Panama, made the run from Southampton in the record time of 32 days 19 hours. Her actual steaming time was 31 days 15J hours.

The previous best time for the voyage i was 33 days 18 hours, actual time. j The Mataroa has averaged a shade under 14.7 knots, steaming time. Captain | Kershaw yesterday anticipated the i vessel's arrival at 7 p.m., but a southerly gale slowed the ship up as she approached Cape Palliser. The ship left Southampton at 2 p.m. on September 28, and arrived at Colon at 10.45 a.m. on October 11, occupying only 13 days 1* hours on the passage. After passing through the Panama Canal she left Balboa at 1 p.m. on October 12, and stopped off Pitcairn Island for an hour and a-half to permit some of the islanders to come aboard and sell and barter curios and fruit. On her arrival in England last April the Mataroa was laid up to have a new system of bladings fitted to her twin turbines and alterations made to her propellers and condensers. This has evidently increased her speed from 13.3 to about 14.7 knots. The Mataroa was formerly well known in the Australian trade as the Diogenes, running from Brisbane and other Commonwealth ports to London. On being taken over by the Shaw-Savill Company the ship was converted into an oilburner, with satisfactory results. Her sister ship, the Tamaroa, is at present having similar alterations made to her machinery in England, and is timed to sail from Southampton on November 19 for Wellington and Auckland.

The Mataroa berthed this morning to land passengers only, and is to sail this afternoon for Port Chalmers, Lyttelton and Timaru, to unload her cargo.