WHALING INDUSTRY

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 139, 16 June 1930, Page 11

WHALING INDUSTRY

TWO MORE FACTORY SHIPS

NEW SIR JAMES CLARK ROSS

That whaling operations in Antarctic waters will be carried out on a bigger scale than ever next season is indicated by the launching early last month of two new floating factory ships from British shipyards. One is the Tafelborg, constructed by Messrs. Armstrong, Whitworth and Co., Ltd., at their Walker yard, for the Kcrguelen Sealing and Whaling Co., of Cape Town, and the other the Sir . James Clark Boss, built by the Furness Shipbuilding Co., Ltd., of Havcrton Hill-on-Tees, for the liosshavct "Whaling Co., Norway. The Sir James Clark Ross is a notable addition to the whaling fleets. She will replace the Sir James Clark Boss, which has visited Wellington several times since 1923 in the course of her sovou whaling expeditious, and in taking the older ship's name the new vessel docs further honour to Sir James Clark Ross, discoverer of the Ross Sea, where so many whales have been caught in the past few years. The old Sir James Clark l\oss had a varied career. She'was built/in 1905 at Belfast, by Harland and Wolff, Ltd., for the brockelbank lino of Liverpool. She is a single-screw steamer of 8224 tons gross. Her length is 470.3 ft, and her breadth 58.4 ft. She was first known as the Mahronda, and was engaged in the Indian trade. In. 1922 she was purchased by the Eosshavet Co. and converted into a whaling factory ship. Unlike more recent factory r.hips. she lias no slipway built into her and works the whale carcasses overside. Prior to her visit last year she was converted into an oil-burner. A MOTOR SHIP. Although she is the largest vessel yet built on the Tees, the new Sir James Clark Ross will not be- the largest whaler. Her dimensions, with those of the Kosinos in parentheses, are as follows:—Length 550 ft (570 ft), breadth 74ft (77.4 ft), depth • 48ft (50ft 6in). Tho Sir James Clark Ross has a deadweight carrying capacity of 19,500 tons. Tho most unusual feature of thenew vessel is that she is to be propelled by Diesel motor engines. All the whalers which have visited Wellington previously have been, steamers, some burning coal, and others, such as the Kosmos, being oil-burners. No time was lost in the construction of the ship, as her keel was laid in September and she was launched at the beginning of May. MOTH 'PLANE FOP* SCOUTING-. Eight thousand . tons of steel, all produced locally, were used in the building of the hull. The slipway in the stern, through which the carcasses will be hauled on to the deck, is capable of taking on board loads of 100 tons by means of special winches. In .addition to the latest navigating and safety devices, the- ship will carry a Moth aeroplane for whale scouting. Tho Kosmos was similarly equipped when she made her maiden trip last year, but her 'plane, with the pilot, Mr. Lirf Lier, and a passenger, Dr. Schreiner, were tragically lost when they set out on an observation trip on Boxing Day. Very complete equipment for cutting up tho whales and for the extraction of the oil is to be installed. The ship will also have exceptionally large oil tanks, which will enable her to make long trips from her base. The Tafclberg, .the, other , now whaler, is an 8000 tons . ship., with a length of 520 ft, a breadth of 72ft... She is propelled by twin-screw steam machinery and has a deadweight carrying capacity of 15,000 tons on a mean draft of 30ft, at a speed of. eleven knots. Her bows hava been, speciallystrengthened to, enable her. to" be navigated in ice, and complete oil refining machinery will be put on board. When not employed as a whaler she will be used as an oil tanker. The Tafelberg, which is to be cn«iucd at the Seotswood works of Armstrongs, will be propelled by two sets of triplo expansion steam engines, capable of developing an aggregate of 5000 i.h.p. During whaling operations the four single-ended cylindrical boilers and an additional singleended boiler will be used for supplying steam to the factory. She will use oil fuel. . , The Tafclberg is tho second of hei type to be built on the- Tees, tho first being tho Vikingen, built by Messrs. SwaS, Hunter, and Wigham Richardson at Wallscnd. A number of ships have been converted into whaling factories by different firms on the NorthEast Coast. _