Navy dockyard tesy with frigate’s refit

Press, 26 July 1984, Page 17

Navy dockyard tesy with frigate’s refit

By

LINDA HARRISON

The naval dockyard at Devonport in Auckland is more than half way through the biggest job ever undertaken there, and the first major job to be done without the backup of the Royal Navy. The job is the major refit of H.M.N.Z.S. Wellington, one of two Leander class frigates-bought from the Royal Navy. The package, which consisted of H.M.N.Z.S. Wellington, H.M.N.Z.S. Southland and an information exchange from the Royal Navy, cost about $lOO million. Southland received a smaller refit, which was done by the Royal Navy, and she has just recently arrived in New Zealand. Wellington arrived in New Zealand in November, 1982, and her refit began in January of last year. She was to have been completed by the end of this year, but the latest completion date is April, 1985. A large number of the dockyard’s 1100 staff have been involved with the frigate’s refit. In total, 32,000 man-weeks are expected to be consumed in the refit, at a costed labour total of $13.76 million. The dockyard’s workforce includes 48 different trades and occupations, and of the 1100 staff, only four or five are servicemen. The rest are civilians recruited for their expertise in the trades. The captain superintendent of the dockyard, Captain Terry O’Brien, says that one of the main problems is getting staff in an area — the dormitory suburbs of Takapuna and Albany which surround the dockyard — where labour is not plentiful. Despite problems which have set back the completion date of the Wellington refit, Captain O’Brien says it will still be within 12 per cent of target. “She was a total unknown,” he said. Wellington was launched in February 1968 and commissioned in October of the following year. She has been maintained in accordance with Royal Navy policy of a major refit every 10 or 11 years, whereas the Royal New Zealand Navy runs a continuous survey system. Included in her refit is a new gunnery system made by the Radio Corporation of America (R.C.A.), new electronic support measures (Phoenix), a new sonar set, additional fuel tanks, additional stores areas, a strengthened flight deck (capable of carrying the Lynx helicopter), steam atomisation for the main boilers, and plating

changes to replace rusted areas. “We expected a lot of keel work, through neglect, but fortunately we were spared that,” Captain O’Brien said. “This is the first time we have done a major job without the backup of the Royal Navy. Until recently we had all the packages and instructions. They were pot available this time because we are not buying British any more,” Captain O’Brien said. After the refit, Wellington will have a remaining life of at least 10 years according to Captain O’Brien. “But that is a fairly simplistic question because you can keep a steel hull going for a long time, it is just the technology inside that gets overtaken by developments.” Captain O’Brien dismisses comments that the Navy has paid a lot of money and put a lot of work into a ship with a limited life. “We had no choice, if we were not to abandon the surface fleet navy, but to do this.” He points out that one new frigate could have cost $250 million. “It is certain that the total cost is very very much smaller than the total cost of a new ship. And with a new ship, in 10 years time it would have outdated equipment which would take two years. to update anyway.” On board the Wellington the uninitiated are greeted with a site resembling a half-completed building project, with machinery and men spilling out of confined spaces in apparent chaos. Comparison with the Navy’s other frigates seems impossible. Visitors are greeted with a sign informing that everything taken aboard the ship must be weighed. The weight and positioning of the ship’s enormous amount of equipment could be critical in terms of the ship’s performance. ’ One Royal Navy ship which had been painted and repainted a number of times was found, when the superstructure was stripped down, to have been carrying 45 tonnes of paint. Now there are special rules for painting ship superstructures, allowing only three or four coats. The engine room is a mass of planking as engineers move around the engines, which have received their once-in-a-lifetime lifting. The

turbines were removed, but then replaced after engineers found them to be in reasonable condition, considering the age of the ship. About 100 of the ship’s 250 crew are already on board and working alongside dockyard staff in the refit. By the end of the year 80 per cent of .the crew will be on board and getting to know their new workplace. Even the seamen are involved — in the chipping and painting of the upper deck. Wellington’s boilers have been retubed, leading to a more efficient atomisation of the ship’s fuel. In the officers’ mess domestic fittings are being refurbished, the walls are being relined and plastic conduits are being replaced with metal. This is because of lessons

learnt in the Falklands War, where toxic fumes were given off by burning plastic. The R.C.A. 76 gunnery system being installed in Wellington is also i planned for H.M.N.Z.S. Canterbury 1 in her refit next year. , The commanding officer’s cabin has the same gutted look that r characterises the rest of the ship, ; with one exception. Large card- • board cut-outs in the shape of furniture adorn the room and are I an indication of the future look of ' the cabin. It is pointed out that a ! little more room has been made by I removing the bath — always provided for officers on Royal Navy i ships. ; To the layman it almost seems impossible that everything will fit : back into place again; but those ‘ areas of the ship that are nearing • completion provide testimony that i the Wellington will eventually be ; ship-shape, once again.