MOTOR ROATS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 3, 28 September 1907, Page 8

MOTOR ROATS.

Tho Port Nicholson -Motor. Bout ' ' Club, ■ which was formed at tho cud of ". j last summer,-was', last-month-regis-. ■>' tered Under tho Unclassified Socie- i 'tics Act,'and tho interest that isbß- '\ - ing taken in motor launching promises • well for the coming season.' The club ; has now a membership of about forty, and has .over', twenty launches on its .: register.;,, It is proposed to. open the '! launching season' about November U, or perhaps sooner, when a,: procession of, all the launches in tho : ! harbour will bo held off tho Queen's Wharf.' .'Afterwards the launches will J ruii to Sb'ames'lsland'or some other pleasant spot, were afternoon tea will be- sei'.vcd. The club' intends not to leave a stone'unturned to make motor launching as popular as it should be. : ilt. is more than probable that races j for all classes of launches will bo held .'.' once a fortnight, and, as they will all bo' handicap races, oveu the' slow and ! steady boats' will have ia .chance of . i winning a race. ':":■: " j -Messrs'. Kinniburg and Palmer's ■ new''-launch -Vida was '.put.into tho ■: water last Saturday^'/and underwent •., i a very successful trial run. Her dimensions are: Length:2sft;, beam sft. t Bin., and she is fitted with what is known iii America'as a. hunting cabin. Her engine is an 8 h.p.- doublo cylinder Gardner, fitted with-a "Gaines'.' - ' rovcrsiblo propeller. Although amateur built, the Vida would bo moro than a credit to lots of boat builders. .-, Mr.' G. H.Jackson's largo yacht is ~ to be}fitted with a 15 h.p',. Gardner in the course of the next month. She is very roomy, and should mako an , ' excellent boat when equipped .with ,■'• ah engine, but at the present time she is very unwieldy under sail. Messrs. Downes Bros.' launch Pu;riri, which has been'wintering on the Slip in Martin's Bay. will most probably go into .the water next Saturr, day. She is- just liavmg tho finishing touches'put on the paint outside, ana looks- really better than whcn ; she left the. builder's hands.- "'"'',.'' ' .Messrs. . Jamiesou :. and Wilson's' .launch the liuihi, which has been, hauled out on the concreto in tho boafyS*'" - harbour all tho wintor, is having throe hundred weight of lead; put on her keel, and is also having another' eight feet of deadwood on the after end of her keel. This improvement'is ex-, pectcd to make her sail and also steor much bettor than sho used to.. '. : Mr. G.' Bbthainley, is '-having a launch built by Messrs. Bringgans and Bailey, length 20ft, beam- 6ft.. She will probably be finished, about the end of November. Her mbtivo 1 power Will be a <i£ h.p: Qardner. Mr. G. B. Holmes has sold his wellknown launplrSiniplex I, and her new owners havo had her . fitted with a very large deck-house extending right to the after end of the cockpit. It • has not a very nice appearance; from, tho outside, but it will give a wonderful amount of room inside, which is What tho new owners'want, as she i 3. a ,'-;,. to be used.in tho Sounds for,business . purposes. She is expected to leavo : •*i for licr destination at tho end of this ' ; week.. . .. . 4 Launch men will bo sorry to'hear that Mr. Berkley Clarko, 'the popular'.' ■owner of tho yacht Mawhiti,' leaves ; for Sydney on October 14 to-take'up his rosidenco there. The Mawhiti is ; to bo shipped across s by steamer.', It ■ ■ ', was'itho owner's intention at first to .■''.,; sail tho yacht across, and.there was . '■; a rush to be one of the crew, but, ; i want of time has made it necessary ■ to ship her'across by steamer. '••■■■. . : •Most people arc' under the impression that, aii oil-driven launch is not ;■ , capable of running for any length of ..';"; "| timo without stopping or breaking .< ) down,' as it, is called, but" reports .';•■'! just to hant} from/ America show .; . ; Hint in the. loiig-distaiico ■, oceaii t .■-' race.from Now \ork to the. .Island .■./;,'! of Bermuda, GSo miles, tho win- ~ v; uing'. launch, which' took C 5 hours 'i-;.../j to completo tho. journey, only stopped ] : ;k\ hor engine once, and. that, was for ; :l: i four minutes to change .an ignition ':-<[ outfit.' The launches-that' made, the '■:■-"■.■} trip, were the Ailsa Cr.iic (winner), "•'•'■:! Gflft. long, 12ft. beam, Co'h.p., Ailsa Craig engine, and Idaho, length GOft, cVt beam ,11ft'.,' 2(s'h.p. Standard engine. !C-> : -j-t Another example of tho reliability of \\ft modern oil .engines has taken .place ; ."' 1 nearer Wellington. The motor launch, ?;»:'» Vanora, recently ran from Nelson K- : ':•; ' Auckland without stopping her en-'.Vf-i ;;ine. R.i an average speed of in-.-iil: .'l'. 1 ' cigM knot'. She left Nelson on tiv'.fi-.*> .. Sunday and arriveilat her destinatiii,-S'.&-'i on tin; \M'dnes(liiv following. Sin- ij*.i> ! fitted with a 30 h.p. Gardner'engine '[•-£'?