WANTED, A TUG

Evening Star, Issue 19327, 13 August 1926, Page 9

WANTED, A TUG

TOIA GLASS m SUITABLE At yesterday’s meeting of the Otago Harbor Board a report was read from Captain J. Mac Lean, harbor master, on the tug Toia, which ho inspected at Wellington. Tliis vessel wss a gift from the Admiralty to the Wellington board, and it was suggested that if it proved to be suitable an effort should be made to obtain a similar type of tug for the Otago Harbor to replace the Plucky, which is forty years old. Captain Mac Lean’s report, however, was unfavorable, and it was decided that the engineer (Mr Wilkie), who is at present in Great Britain in search of a dredge, should be communicated with and asked to make inquiries about a suitable vessel. In the course of his report Captain Mac Lean stated that the Toia had plenty of power, so much so that she was run on one boiler, when working in the harbor, and steamed ten miles per hour. What she could steam with two boilers no one was quite able to tell him. Since she left the United Kingdom up until now only one boiler had been used to maintain the speed required. Going by the opinion of the engineer, under full speed she would approach fourteen knots per hour, at a coal consumption of twelve and a-half tons per day. With one boiler she consumed ten tons of coal per clay. The length of the Toia was 135 ft 8.P., loaded draught 15ft. Her salvage gear and fire-fighting appliances were almost similar to the tug Dunedin. The Toia was a splendid ocean going tug, but, on account of her heavy draught, highly constructed hull, and _ single screw, she would, in hos opinion, be unsuitable as a tug in Otago Harbor. Mr H. E. Mollcr suggested that their engineer should look round at Home and see if a suitable tug could be obtained. Mr T. Anderson said tbat the Toia was not a tug, but a man-o’-war. He moved that no further action bo taken regarding a tug of the Toia class. The motion was carried. Mr Holler moved that the engineer be instructed to obtain information about any twin-screw tugs that might be offering. Mr A. Cable thought it would he a good idea if the tug could come out with the board’s now dredge. The Chairman (Mr J. Loudon): Yes, that is a good idea. Captain Coll M'Donald considered that it would be better if the harbor master prepared specifications of the type of vessel required. It was the harbor master who bad to handle the tng, and not the engineer. The Chairman: AVhat are we going to do with the old tug? Mr Mollcr agreed to incorporate Captain M'Donald’s suggestion in his motion. The motion was seconded by Mr Cable and carried.