REPAIRS TO RONA

Evening Star, Issue 18044, 11 August 1922, Page 2

REPAIRS TO RONA

WORK AT CALLIOPE DOCK. GOOD PROGRESS. Good progress is being made with the work of repairing the Colonial Sugar Company’s steamer Rona, in the Calliope Dock, Auckland. The contractors, who have been engaged upon the work for about ten days, have removed nearly all the damaged portion of the hull. The extensiveness of tho work can be seen (says the Herald)’) by the amount of broken and twisted shell plates, angle iron, etc., which has been destroyed beyond repair, and is ..now lying on the dock head. Besides the discarded metal a' further largo quantity, taken off tho hull, will be straightened and replaced. Of the shell plates alone, about, seventyone, weighing about 30cwt each, have been more or less damaged, and of that number forty-two will have to be renewed, and the remainder reshaped and replaced. On the port side, abaft the beam and in the vicinity of the bilge keel, fifteen plates had to bo .taken off. Four of these will have to be renewed, and the other’s furraced and replaced. The damage also extends inside the vessel, where No. 6 and No. 7 ballast tanks are situated. Eight floor plates and the tank fittings between are being repaired, and four of the floor plates renewed. It was there that the bilge keel was flattened against the hull and 140 ft of the bilge is being renewed. • The bottom of the vessel under No. 2 hatch is considerably damaged. Eight shell plates and the keel are damaged, as also are seven floor plates and twelve intercoastals. The tank top is also pushed up, and will have to bo lifted and straightened. • , .

The largest amount of repair work has been carried out at the_ bow, where the damage is more extensive. About 32ft of the upper part of the stem has been taken out and straightened ready for replacing. Below this part, § from tho 29ft mark, and for about 60ft under the vessel’s bottom, all tho damaged portion of the hull has been cut away. Most of the plates will have to be renewed, as well as forty-four frames in the fore peak and No 1 hold. Tho lower part of the,.collision bulkhead is also_ damaged, and will be renewed. The heaviest part of the- vessel which has to be renewed is tho stem, below the 29ft mark. It is 44ft long and extends in a curve under the vessel’s fore part. It is 12in by Sin thick, and is very' heavy. A wooden template or pattern or the stem has been made, and is being sent to Port Chalmers, where the stem will be A plan of the damaged portion of tho Rona has been laid off in the floor of a shed at tho dock, and wooden patterns of the plates, etc, are made from this and sent to tie foundry, where tho new plates are cut and shaped. Alost of tho work done to the vessel so far has been the cutting away of the damaged portion of the hull, and only on© shift has been needed. _ As soon as the material is ready for fitting it rs expected that another fifty men will be employed, making a total of nearly 140. Mr G. W. Anderson, of tho Senior Foundry, is rn charge of the work, and is assisted by Air T. CoiHns, of Alessrs Stevenson and Cook, Port Chalmers.