LITTLE TIME IN PORT

Press, Volume LXIX, Issue 21050, 29 December 1933, Page 10

LITTLE TIME IN PORT

MONOTONOUS LIFE ON A TANKER THE O. A. KNUDSEN"S RECORD (!' RF.SS ASSOCIATION* TELEGRAM.) WELLINGTON, December 28. When she arrived in port tonight after a passage of 23 days from San Pedro, California, the Norwegian motor-tanker O. A. Knudscn completed a two years' record of sea voyaging that probably is not equalled by any other ship in the world. The 13,000 tons of crude oil with which she is laden is the fourteenth cargo brought by her from San Pedro to Wellington since February, 1932. Since the beginning of last year the O. A. Knudsen has travelled more than 160,000 miles, and has spent a total of little more than six weeks in port in two years. The members of her company are probably the loneliest seafarers on the Pacific. About three days in port out of every 54 is as much as they average. A few hours in loading at San Pedro is varied once or twice during the year by an extra day or two for dry docking. Twenty-five to 28 days at sea cither way, and 48 hours at Wellington is the monotonous round that the tanker and her company have had for the last two years. The O. A. Knudsen, when she arrived at Wellington to-night, had actually spent about 345 days at sea, out of the 362 days elapsed since the beginning of the year. She has 13,000 tons of oil to pump ashore here, and after taking in several thousands of tons of sea water as ballast, she will probably sail again for San Pedro on Sunday morning, so that her company will have had only 20 days in port this year.