NEW WAIOTAHI.

Auckland Star, Volume LXV, Issue 206, 31 August 1934, Page 3

NEW WAIOTAHI.

MOTOR SHIP ATUA.

BOUGHT BY N.S.S. CO. FOR BAY OF PLENTY TRADE. The Atua, built and previously owned by Mr. G. T. Niccol. of Auckland, has been bought by the Northern Steamship Co., Ltd. It is proposed to call the ship Waiotahi. This will perpetuate the name of the former Waiotahi, which ran from Auckland to Opotiki for many years under the N.S.S. Co. flag.

This moriiing the waterfront had its first indication of the identity of the new owners when a gang of painters started in to change the colour of the hull from light grey to dark green, for tho new vessel is to leave to-morrow I for Tauranga, and next week will be | put in the Auckland-Opotiki service. Built in 1932, the Waiotahi is engined with two Fairbanks-Morse Diesels, each of i2O h.p., and her gross register is 207 tons. She is 110 ft overall, with a 2."> ft beam, and her loaded draught is Oft. •She is therefore specially suitable for trade in bar harbours of shallow draught. Her speed with a full load of 250 tons is nine knots, and she has special machinery for handling cargo. This is the last sizeable vessel built by Mr. Niccol before his yard was closed in 1932. Since her launching in September, 1932, she has not been engaged in any service for Mr. Niccol. The motor vessel made one trip to Norfolk Island after her engines had been installed, and since then she has spent most of her time alongside the Port Building, at the base of Central wharf. Two weeks ago she was slipped for cleaning and painting below the waterlinc, and has been awaiting the orders of her new owners. The Old Namesake. For the last live years the older Waiotahi has been at anchor in '"Rotten Row" in the harbour, after 38 years of service. She was built in IS9I by the Abercorn Shipbuilding Company, Paisley. She is a steel twin-screw steamer of 278 tons, 125 ft length, and 25ft beam. Her draught is Sft. The old steamer was specially built for the Opotiki run, and after 30 years in that service she was used for other trips. She was "pensioned off" a few years ago when the small motor vessels began to replace old steamers in coastal traffic.