THE RANGATIRA

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 77, 1 April 1931, Page 13

THE RANGATIRA

LAUNCHING ON ,16TH APRIL

MODERN FERRY, STEAMER

Good progress is being made with the construction-of'the new Welling-ton-Lyttelton ferry steamer Rangatira, •which, is being built for the Union Steam Ship Company of New Zealand, Ltd., at the Barrow-in-Fnrness yards of Messrs. Vickers, Armstrong, Ltd., and the company received advico by cable to-day that the Vessel will be launched on 16th April. Lady Wilford, wife of the High Commissioner, Sir Thomas Wilford, lias been asked by the owners to perform the christening ceremony. The Bangatira is the second vessel to be christoned by Lady Wilford, the other being the Government lighthouse steamer Matai, which was launched on 11th June last. The Bangatira, which will relieve the Maori in the ferry service, will be a t.urbo-electrie steamer with a speed of 21-|- knots and accommodation for approximately 1000 passengers. Some of the features of the vessel are the cabins de luxe with private bathrooms and a number of single-berth bedstead rooms on the deck., The boat deck will be a long promenade which should find.favour with the passengers,. especially on occasions when the vessel will be making excursion-trips to the Sounds. The Bangatira is to be engined by the British Thompson Houston Co., and it is expected that she will be out here in time for the Christmas traffic.