RAPAKI RETURNS TO LYTTELTON

Press, Volume LXXXI, Issue 24722, 13 November 1945, Page 6

RAPAKI RETURNS TO LYTTELTON

HARBOUR BOARD'S CRANE-SHIP

WAR WORK IN PACIFIC tt^&L 11 ! 6 Stars and Stripes of the United States of America, the Lyttelton Harbour Board's 80-ton crane-ship Rapaki arrived at Lyttelton yesterday morning after three years of useful work for the United States Army in the Pacific. The Rapaki was in tow So, the J Umted States Army tug L.T. JSi. and the two vessels had a good P a . s . £a ge from New Caledonia. They sailed from Noumea on October 29 and reached Auckland on November 4.. During that part of the voyage a young American named Stewart who was returning to Auckland to marry was lost overboard from the Rapaki, being pulled over the rail when he was obtaining a bucket of sea water. xxt e v ° vessel s left Auckland on Wednesday and made a good passage to Lyttelton. The Rapaki was. under steam for the whole of the voyage and. with the tug's assistance, averaged seven knots. Describing the work of the Rapak> at . Noumea, one of the ship's officers said the vessel performed almost every Kind of lift, and mostly worked 24 ft ° u " a day- seven days a week. One of the biggest lifts was a submarinechaser speed launch weighing 80 tons. The crane-ship was also used to strip a Liberty ship, which had gone ashore. °* her . heavier parts preparatory to refloating. She was the only heavylift crane at the islands. After working for 13 months at Noumea, the Rapaki went to Auckland for refitting. She then did a spell of 18 months at the New Caledonian por.t and is now well overdue for a nirlher refitting The vessel does not appear to be much th° worse for her period of, ovprseas service. She will be overhauled and placed in dry-dock before being handed back to the board. The Rapaki was manned bv 18 New Zealanders and six American Army crane- drivers. Captain T. C. Thomsen, formerly of the coastal vessel Huanui is in charsre. and his officers are: chief, Mr J. S. Melville: second, Mr J.. Webster; chief engineer. Mr J. G. Craig: second. Mr D. Dalgleish. Tug's Varied Work Few small vessels have had more varied work during the 16 months since she was launched than the tug L.T. 391, which towed the Rapaki from Noumea to Lyttelton. Of 317 tons gross with a length of 126 feet, and with her single screw driven by a Diesel engine of 1200 horse-power, the vessel is a compact and powerful unit. She was built at a Pacific coast port of America, and her hull is of wood, with metal sheathing around the bows. Her work.has included the towing of a 10.000-ton concrete refrigerated store-barge from Noumea to Finchhaven. in New Guinea. After takine in stores, the L.T. 391 is to leave Lyttelton to-morrow or Thursday on the return trip to Noumea. >.