REPAIRS TO LARSEN

Evening Star, Issue 19854, 1 May 1928, Page 6

REPAIRS TO LARSEN

£IO,OOO CONTRACT SIGNED STEVEHSDH AHD COOK SUCCESSFUL TEMPORARY WORK WITHIN THREE WEEKS To-day Captain Nielson, of the whaler C. A. Larsen, announced that Messrs Stevenson and Cook, of Port Chalmers, were the successful tenderers for the repairs to the badly damaged whaler. The contract price is about £IO,OOO, and the work will be mostly of a temporary nature, the only permanent repairs being to the extensive damage near the bow on the starboard side. Speed in the completion of the work is one of the vital factors, the contract requiring that the ship shall be ready for sea again within three weeks. This will mean that through wet and fine weather twenty-four hours a clay will bo worked on the vessel, which is now in the enlarged Otago doc!;. To-morrow, at 8 a.m., the first gang of workmen oi the total staff of 150 will start work on the vessel. The speed will be maintained for three weeks, alter which the Larsen will leave New Zealand for Norway', where she will be permanently repaired before returning to the dominion on her way south to the Ross Sea whaling regions in November. “ We have our stall' well organised for the job, and first-class mechanics are coming from outside to assist us,” stated Mr J. W. Scurr, of the firm of successful tenderers, when ho confirmed the letting of the contract. Four tenders were lodged for the big job, and competition was very keen. The success means that all the shipwrights of Port Chalmers will be engaged on the job of repairing the huge vessel. The other tenderers were; The Union Steam Ship Company, Mason Bros, (of Auckland), and Andersons, Ltd. (of Christchurch).