UP-TO-DATE TANKER.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIII, Issue 137, 11 June 1932, Page 10

UP-TO-DATE TANKER.

NEW NORWEGIAN CRAFT. FISHING FOR. ALBATROSSES. AMATEUR TAXIDERMY. Fishing for albatrosses was a sport tried by the crew of the Norwegian motor tanker O. B. Sorcneen when the vessel, which arrived this morning, w;is Hearing Auckland. The method of "fishing" was simple. A small ti'ianglj wim u hollo .v cj.il.v was cut out of a piece of sheet metal ami pic.es of pork were tied to tne aides of the trimigle. This wan trailed in tho tanker's wake and once an albatross seized the bait its hooked bill cloned round one of the sides of the triangle and it was unable to let go. Two bird.; Were "hooked" in this way, but in each case the triangle was nut strong enough to hold its catch. "It was bad luck, for the albatross is good to eat.' , commented one of the officers this morning. A vessel of 11,500 tons gross, the O. ft Soreiieen in a typical example of the modern oil carrier. She was built only last year and is on her second voyage. After being laid up in Norway for eeveu moil the ehe loaded at Curacao for Hamburg, Rotterdam and Antwerp. Empty again, ehe went to Sumatra, to load her present cargo of 10,500 tons of motor spirit for Auckland and Dunedin'. Fine weather was experienced throughout tho voyage, not a drop of water coming on deck. Old-time sailors would marvel at the appointments on the 0. B. Borensen. Everything is kept spick and span and the general roominess is a feature. In tho ealoon and in the captain's stateroom the panelling is carried out in polished birch, and the cabins occupied by the chief officer and chief engineer boast polished mahogany. The tanker, which has electrical steering apparatus, is driven by twin motors, each developing 3-200 h.p. In addition to her ordinary Wirelese the vessel ha* an emergency set which was tried out on the voyage to Auckland. Communication was established with Auckland by means of the emergency set at a range of t>oo miles, which waa considered highly satisfactory. Tho master of the tanker is Captain J. Morteneen and the crew of 30 are all Norwegians. Tho second officer, Mr. G. Andereen. s an amateur taxidermist, and in his room are a small falcon that he captured by climbin" the mast one night when the bird was neleep, a swallow caught when tho vessel was in the Red Sea and another bird that the officer has not yet identified. Also perfectly preserved in Mr. Andersen's cabin is a long water snake, speared when the tanker was in Torres Strait.