FROM COAL TO OIL

Dominion, Volume 18, Issue 58, 3 December 1923, Page 6

FROM COAL TO OIL

THE LINER RUAHINE CONVERTED

The New Zealand Shipping Company’s 11,000-ton liner, Ruahine, which arrived at Wellington yesterday from London and Southampton, was converted from a, coal-fuel burner to an oil-burner during her four and a half months’ stay at London. The Ruahine is the third of the company’s liners converted into oil-burners, the Remuera and the Rotorua being the first two. Todd’s oil system has been installed in all three vessels, and has proved a complete success. For the first three days after leaving Southampton a strong gale had to be contended with, which rather spoilt tho vessel’s steaming average for the whole voyage to Wellington. When the bad weather abated tha Ruahine was averaging a steady 14 knots which she maintained for twenty-five days in succession. Then the Ruahine ran into further bad weather for twenty hours, during which p.eriod she made only 242 miles, as she had to be slowed down. Seeing that there was no, oil fuel expert on board during the voyage right to Wellington, the engineers, under their chief, Mr. E. C. Wootton, did remarkably well with the new fuel system. The ship’s average . speed throughout was 13 knots. It is anticipated that this will. bo improved upon on the run Home.