Ultra-Modern Tanker In Port

Press, Volume C, Issue 29552, 29 June 1961, Page 22

Ultra-Modern Tanker In Port

"This is rather mi occasion."; •aid the master of the ultra-; modern tanker Mantua. Cap-i tain E. Cowen. on the arrival! of his vessel at Lyttelton yes-; terday morning. The Mantua carries a cargo ; of 18.000 tens of petroleum for! discharge at Lyttelton. Wellington, and Mount Maunganui. Captain Cowen d~ew attent n to the fact that nearly every ship berthed at Lyttelton yesterday morning, appeared to be a member of the ! famous P. and O. group A[ glance across the harbour showed that he was right. | Apart from three coasters, the Maranui. Breeze, and Picton. six other vessels, in addition i to his own tanker, were members of the P. and O. combine. These were the Hinemoa the Matua. the Karu (all Unicti Steam Ship Company Vessels), the New Zealand Shipping Company’s cargo--1 r.er. Huruoui, the Main Seam Ship Company’s Trelyon. and the Chupra. a Britsh India Line motor-ship. The Mantua (12.899 tons) is a twin-screw, turbine-driven tanker, capable of 15 knots. She was built last year by the Smith’s D ck Company, Ltd., of Middleborough, to the order of the Charter Shipping Company, Ltd., but the vessel is operated and manned by the P. and O. group. Considered by observers to

; be perhaps one of the me®'. ■ [luxurious tankers to visit; jLyttelton, the Mantua carries; a total complement of TO; [officers and crew. There are; [lB Eur.pear.s aboard, con-> sistng of toe master, deck! 'and engineer officers, four icadets. and the radio operator I Pakistanis man the deck and; engine room. while tfriei stewards a-e Gomwe. There are also five Chinese ship-; w-right-s. fitters, and other; tradem'en. ■ Accommodation is spacious., i light. and air-conditioned [throughout. Besides toe com'fortable smoke room, saloon.' ; nd sleep'nq accommodation ! for al’ officers, the appoint-, ! ments for the crew are secondi to none, with recreation! rooms provided. Other features enjoved bv. members of the Mantua’s! crew are a built-in swimming, bath on the poop deck, a ship’s laun-d-rv and cinema! equipment—which appears to be standard equipment aboard! overseas ships today. Each cabn has a plug-in aerial for use by the owners of individual radio sets, thus preventing a display of private aerials all over the ship. Captain Cowen’s own quarters under the bridge comprise a ricbly-cameted day room, sleeping cabin, and other appointments, and he has quick access to the most modern navigation equipment on the bridge above. This is

' housed in a chartroom and ( wheelhouse in one unit,. The ! nerve centre has toe most ‘modem navigaticiiaJ ap- ; paratus. including a special gyro compass, notable tor its I unusually small and c'-mpact i construcUon. occupying barely | a cubic foot of space. I One of the most interesting i features of toe Mantua is toe ; provision of a powerful radiotelephone. which enables | Captain Cowen to speak to [vessels in European water" !by telephone. Recently, off ; the Eastern Australian coast. i Captain Cohen spoke to toe ; marter of the new P. pnd O. (liner. Canberra, then in the English Channel. i In the course of her short i career, the Mantua has made | one previous voyage to the North Island, but has been I mainly trading out of Curacao to West African and South [American ports. ; All officers may take their [wives to sea in the Mantua | for occasional trips, said Captain Cowen, but there is only one woman aboard the ship at present—toe Australian wife of <n engineer. After discharging 1000 tons of motor spirit and 6000 tons of automotive diesel oil at Lyttelton, the Mantua will proceed to the North Island to discharge the balance of her cargo, 11.000 tons of automotive diesel. The ship car pump her cargo ashore at the rate of 2000 tons an hour.