SAFE SEA BOAT

Evening Star, Issue 18717, 20 August 1924, Page 9

SAFE SEA BOAT

MAORI'S STABILITY ASSURED. (Pfcu United Peess Association.] WELLINGTON, August 19. The Hon. G. J. Anderson, as Minister of Marine, made a statement to the House concerning the stability of _ the ferry steamer Maori, concerning which, he said, representations hud been made from time to time to tho Premier and himself. These representations wore based on passenger rather than nautical experience, and in consequence doubts had been raised as to tho safety of the vessel as a passenger steamer. When the complaints arose, the Minister said, the Marino Department immediately made investigations, and its expert officers came to tho conclusion on tho data available that no action could justifiably bo taken. Tho department, however, in order fully to satisfy itself in the mutter, required tho production from tho builders of further data, including inclining experiments. This further information had now como to hand, and tho whole matter had been completely investigated. The conclusions of tho departmental experts had been conjointly considered with Hie company s expert officers, with tho result that the company had made arrangements where, by distribution of permanent loading, it is considered that the vessel’s movement will be more smoothly controlled under adverse weather conditions. This load distribution, though not affecting tho ship’s established stability, will case and lessen her movement, and it is believed that it will materially contribute to passengers comfort and confidence. It is readily understood by nautical men, and must bo recognised by tho travelling public, however! that any ship _ which is run under all weather conditions to comply with public demand {nr certain time-table connections, must, under adverse weather conditions, submit Iter passengers to greater discomfort than a vessel whoso time-table connections permit her to proceed at an easier speed. THE COMPANY’S STATEMENT. GREAT MARGIN OF SAFETY. [Pee United Peess Association.] WELLINGTON, August 19. A' statement issued by tho Union Steam Ship Company says; The company, not without reason, is proud of the Welling-ton-Lyttelton ferry service, and claims without hesitation that, ns carried on by flic Wahino and Maori, it has no equal in tho world to-day. Among many points taken into account preparatory loathe construction of these vessels, safety was the foremost consideration, nnd the design and building were placed in tho hands of Denny Bros., a firm of flic highest standing in tho domain of scientific ship construction. The company claims that these vessels have exceeded expectations, proving themselves safe, fast, and comfortable.. and providing a reliable connection between the two islands. Under varying weather conditions it is not to be expected by those who go to the sea in ships that conditions will be uniformly comfortable to tho unpractised sailor. Most trips' arc made under 'easy weather conditions, and it is this very fact that brings into relief tiic few occasions when sternei’ conditions prevail. As regards the particular matter of tho stability of the Maori, it in not possible to state the position in full, free from technicalities. It may be explained, however, that the stability of the vessel is indicated by what is termed its metacentric height. This is vertical distance between the centre of gravity of the ship and the metacentre, the latter being the point of intersection of vertical lines drawn through the centre of buoyancy as the ship rolls from side to side. It is accepted, as a result of theoretical and practical proof, that a_ vessel is stable if the mctacentrc is eighttenths of a, foot—i.e., 9.6 inches—above the centre of gravity. Tho metacentric height of the Maori on a normal trip is over 2ft. It varies slightly, according to circumstances, hut never under any conditions of service docs it approach the minimum of safety. On the trip from 'Wellington to Lyttelton, on May 26 last, when the vessel experienced a heavy southerly gale, which led to the publication in a southern paper of an entirely misleading and groundlessly alarming paragraph, the metacentric height was 29in The actual fact is that, so far from being a ‘‘tender” ship, the Maori has a largo margin of safety, and will challenge comparison in this respect with any ship afloat. Thoro is a natural confusion in tho minds of those ;jot versed in the technicalities of ship construction that steadiness and stiffness are allied terms. The quality in a vessel which consists in freedom from an excessive rolling motion when exposed to the action of the waves in a seaway is termed steadiness. As a ride, it may be stated that steadiness and stiffness are opposed terms, fn other words, the greater the stability, the loss tho steadiness is likely to be. This is the quality we have in the, Maori under rough seas conditions. Stability is provided at the expense of some temporary sacrifice of comfort. A lesser margin of stability would make the vessel easier in tho seaway, and still answer all tho requirements of safety; but passengers will not cavil at an extra margin to more than provide for all adverse conditions. "While jt_ baa been demonstrated that tho Maori is a stable vessel under all variations of service conditions, it is naturally tho company s desire that passengers should not be subjected to avoidable discomfort; but at tho same time it is necessary to stress the point that in tho maintenance of a fast time-table .service, the discomforts of rough weather cannot be disposed of; nnd the public may rest assured that safety has been, and will continue to be, tho paramount consideration. '