Engineers rush repairs

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33741, 14 January 1975, Page 3

Engineers rush repairs

(N.Z. Press Association) GISBORNE, January 13.

Engineers on the P and O vessel Taupo have worked almost non-stop since 3 a.m. on Friday to repair one of the ship’s three turbochargers. She was on her way back to Britain when she had to return to Gisborne.

The Taupo was about 50 miles off Gisborne when a crack in one of the turbocharger’s water chambers was discovered. She returned to port for repairs. Because the Taupo’s sister ship Westmorland was in port, repairs have been done while the Taupo rides at anchor in the roadstead. The cracked water chamber was repaired by a Gisborne engineering firm but on re-assembly of the turbo-

charger problems arose with the rotor. ‘The rotor was not turning properly and we have had to dismantle the turbocharger again,” said Mr E. Davis, a P and O engineer. Mr Davis said the engineers had been working under pressure since early Friday morning. “During the last three nights the engineers have only had about four to six hours sleep each night,” he said.