NEW FERRY SHIP

Dominion, Volume 24, Issue 171, 16 April 1931, Page 8

NEW FERRY SHIP

Features of Rangatira LAUNCHING TO-DAY Turbo-Electric Drive A notable shipping event will be the launching to-day from the yards of her builders, Vickers-Armstrong' Ltd., at Bar-row-in-Furness, England, of the Union Company’s new turbo-electric ferry steamer Rangatira. The ceremony is to be performed by Lady Wilford, wife of the High Commissioner for New Zealand in London. The Rangatira is expected to arrive at Wellington late in November or early in December and will take up her running in the Wellington-Lyttelton service before the rush of Christmas traffic starts. The new ship, which will have a gross registered tonnage of about 5500, is 419 feet in length by 58 feet in breadth, with a depth below the main deck of 29 feet. Her up-to-date accommodation will provide for about 1000 passengers in two classes. An idea of her size is given by the following comparison of her principal dimensions with those of other well-known Union passenger ships:—

Special interest attaches to the Rangatira in that she is the first electricallypropelled steamer built for New Zealand. The Atlantic-Union tanker Brunswick, which has been trading to the Dominion for over two years, is electrically-propell-ed, but her power is supplied by four Diesel engine driven generators. In the case of the Rangatira, the electric generators will be driven by steam turbines, the current being supplied to two synchronous motors direct coupled to the twin propeller shafts. The main turboelectric plant of the Rangatira will develop 13,000 shaft horse-power. Superheated steam will be supplied to the turbines by high-pressure water-tube boilers. The Rangatira, which will have a full speed of about 21J knots, is being built side by side with the two 22,000-ton turbo-electric liners Strathnaver and Strathaira, which will enter the Australian mail and passenger service of the P. and O. Line. How rapid has been the progress of the last three years in regard to the electric propulsion of ships may be estimated from the fact that of the aggregate of 356,200 horsepower completed or on order at the end of last year, 89 per cent, has been undertaken in this short period. Electric propulsion in one or other of its forms has now been installed in about 170 ships throughout the world.

Gross tons. Length, feet. Beam, Depth, feet., feet. Maori 3412 350.5 (b.p.) 47 fl 24.7 Wahine . 4-130 375 (b.p.) 52.2 25.0 Rangatira 5500 419 (o.a.) 58 29 Marama . 6437 420 (b.p.) 53.2 31.2