FAST HOME LINERS

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 54, 7 March 1929, Page 12

FAST HOME LINERS

A MATTER OP BECOftCS

With, the conversion of some Home liners from coal to crude oil burners, and the propulsive means of others from turbines to Diesel engines, the performances of the different ships on the run between England and New Zealand are being closely watched. After being thoroughly overhauled, -besides having extensive alterations carried out, the Shaw, Savill, and Albion Co.'3 Mataroa arrived at Wellington on 31st October last after what was then a record trip of'3l days 14 hours 29 minutes steaming time, and.an elapse time of 32 days 18 hours 23 minutes, with an . average speed for ■the wholo passage of 14.64 knots.

On 11th December her sister ship, the Tamaroa, arrived after an even faster voyage, the steaming timo being reduced to 30 days 17 hours 32 minutes, aiid the elapse timo to 31 days 18 hours 41 minutes. Tho average speed was increased to 15.1 knots. Two more fast passages were mado by the company's Zealanclic from Falmouth and' Mutaroa from Southampton, which arrived at the Bluff and Auckland respectively on Tuesday. According to a Press Association message from Invercargill, tho Zealandic established a record for tho trip from England to New Zealand by doing the distance in 32 days 13 hours, with a steaming time of 31 days 8 hours, but both these times were outside those put up by the Tamaroa. Her average speed was given as 15.17 knots. A telegram from "Tho Post's" Auckland correspondent credits the Mataroa with having regained, the I honour of having mado the fastest trip, her voyage from Southampton to Auckland being completed in an actual steaming timo of 30 days 17 hours 28 minutes, thus clipping four minutes off the Tamaroa's time. She maintained an average: speed of 15.2 knots, and an average daily run of 364.6 miles. The Mataroa's course was approximately 100 miles longer than that taken by the Tamaroa between Southampton . and Wellington... . '