MARINE SURGERY IN JAPAN

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31340, 10 April 1967, Page 8

MARINE SURGERY IN JAPAN

The Royal Interocean Line’s motor vessel Straat Le Maire, now visiting Lyttelton, has recently undergone a remarkable piece of marine surgery in Japan.

As a result, the Straat Le Maire, formerly the company’s Van Heemskerck, has increased her dead-weight cargo capacity by 1053 tons and grown 56ft longer. She is only one of the company’s regular New Zealand

traders of the “Van” class to be treated in this fashion. Through this operation—known to seamen and naval architects, as “jumboising”— the Straat Le Maire has a complete extra cargo hold. The work was carried out at Asano Dockyard, Yokohama, last year. Although the final operation of cutting, flooding and fitting the new section occupied only a single day, the whole work took about two months.

The new section’s construction was begun last July, and by the time the Straat Le

Maire (then the Van Heemskerck) arrived at Asano, it was ready for insertion.

' After all assessments had been made, the cutting lines marked, the ship was drydocked for the major task of separation by flame cutting, insertion, aligning and welding.

The forward section was kept resting on the blocks by means of flooding the holds. With the dock partly pumped out again, the after section was brought into alignment with the forward section, while the new midship section was floated in between.

This alignment was achieved by means of guide brackets welded to the keel and fitting into receptacles installed on the dock bottom. The dock was further pumped out and the new section settled into position, aided by vertjeal guiding brackets in the centre line.

This particular “jumboising” was no mean feat, and all sections matched perfectly. The master, Captain C. Dekker, pointed out that the ship had received other modifications while being overhauled. The ship’s engine-room was partially automated, and although, at this stage, the same number of engineers was carried, only one was required below at sea and none in port. By simply pushing a button in the wheelhouse, the engine could be stopped at sea, but not reversed. The Straat Le Maire now has a gross weight of 7029 tons. She has accommodation for 12 passengers.