Aranui looking at her best

Press, 20 November 1978, Page 5

Aranui looking at her best

The New Zeeland Railways; rail ferry Aranui showed few i signs in 'Lyttelton yesterday of her age of 12 years and her 13.000 crossings of Cook Strait between Wellington and Picton. The ferry has had a S3M refit at Dunedin after transporting more than IM passengers, IM tons of freight, and hundreds i of thousands of cars. Seventy-one covered seats werei added during the refit, and the ferry can now carry 709 passengers. Cafeteria facilities have also been extended, and a new bar lounge and a children’s playing area liaxe been added. The refit will be completed with underwater hull cleaning and painting at the dry dock in Wellington. Two other Railways vessels had their refits overseas; the Aratika at Hong Kong, in 1976, and the Aramoana at Singapore last year. The Aratika was converted from a freight-only vessel to a passenger-freight one during the refit. The total labour force on Aranui’s refit reached a peak of 120, compared with 500 on the Aramoana at Singapore Work started at Sims Engineering in May and was completed last Friday. Two masters. Mr C. Palmer, who was in command of the vessel yesterday, and Mr K. Lingard. “stood by” month about throughout the 'refit. Extensive modifications hat? been made to the radio and electrical systems, including new main and emergency transmitters, a more powerful public address system, and an improved radar system. A new 250-channel Decca Isis

engine room alarm system for; automatic recording of alarms, and log printout facilities, bring the Aranui to the standard requred on all ships by 1981. The vessel, of 4542 gross tons, was built at. the Vickers yards in Britain and classified as a train ferry. ARRIVALS Saturday Nil. Sunday Aranui (6.53 a.m.), 4542. Timaru, Capt. c. Palmer (N.Z.R.). DEPARTURES Saturday Tauloto II (2 p.m.), 4367. Auckland, Capt. J. Levang (S.C.N.Z.). Sunday Union Hobart (7.13 a.m.), 4637, Wellington, Capt. C. R. Gray (U.S.S.). EXPECTED ARRIVALS Coastal Trader, Auckland, today. Tekoa, Wellington. November 23. Union Lyttelton, Wellington, November 23. Hupeh, Auckland, November 24. Toamo'ana, Nukualofa, November 25. Fort Walsh, Christmas Island, November 25. Union Lyttelton. Dunedin, November 25 PROJECTED DEPARTURES Coastal Trader, Dunedin, today. Union Lyttelton, Dunedin, November 24. VESSELS IN PORT Coastal Ranger. No. 2 West. Wild Avocet, No. 3 West. Holmdale, No. 7 East.