New Tasman Roll-on Ships

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31321, 17 March 1967, Page 3

New Tasman Roll-on Ships

(N.Z. Press Association) WELLINGTON, Mar. 16. A Scottish firm, the Caledonian Shipbuilding and Engineering Company of Dundee, has won the Union Steam Ship Company contract to build two 4300-ton roll-on, rolloff cargo ships for the trans-Tasman trade.

The managing director of the Union Company (Mr F. K. Macfarlane), announcing this today, said the first ship will be in August, 1968, and the second in November, 1968. One of the new ships will operate between Sydney, Auck’and, and Wellington, and the other between Melbourne, Auckland, and Wel-lington-each fortnightly. Terminal facilities at these

ports is being arranged by harbour authorities.

Each vessel will be powerel by twin screw diesel engines giving a service speed of 18 knots. They will be 430 ft in length with a beam of 63ft and a loaded draught of 19ft 6in. Mr Macfarlane said the new ships were designed to carry 4300 tons deadweight of cargo in the main and lower decks. In addition, adequate shelter on the weather decks would be provided for the carriage of stock and certain special cargo. All cargo will be handled in unit form and loaded through the stern door to the main decks, either on the 12J ton seafreighters moved by large capacity fork lift trucks, or on road vehicles of any type. Access to the lower and weather decks will be provided by heavy lifts similar to those fitted in aircraft carriers.