WHALE OIL

Hokitika Guardian, 12 October 1929, Page 7

WHALE OIL

NEW FACTORY SHIP. KOSMOS ARRIVES AT WELLINGTON. WELLINGTON, October 8. More than ordinary interest attaches to the arrival during the night of the great whaling factory ship Komos and her attendant fleet of seven chasers., New from the builders’ yards, the Kosmos and her chasers are on their maiden voyage, and represent the advance guard of the big fleet of Norwegian whalers bound to the Ross Sea this season. In the early hours of this morning the ship and her brood arrived at Wellington from Norway. It is understood that the Kosmos lias .some minor repairs to make here. -She will also take in 4000 tons of fresh water, and probably replenish her fuel oil bunkers and those of her chasers. The Kosmos is a remarkable vessel in many ways. She is notable as being' the first ship specially designed and built as a pelagic whaling factory. She is also by far the largest ship of her type in the world, the largest ever turned out by her builders, Workman Clark (1928) Ltd., of Belfast, and' probably the largest merchant ship ever seen ip New Zealand waters, Slie is a single screw steamer of 19,000 tons gross, and 17,270 tons net register, 570 ft in length (oyer - a11),'552ft between perpendiculars, 77.4 ft in breadth and 50ft Gin in depth. She thus compares with the 600 ft length, 73,8 ft breadth, and 40ft depth of the Canard liners Carinthia and Franconia, When fully loaded the Kosmos displaces 32,000 tons. Her main propelling machinery consists of a set of quadruple expansion reciprocating engines with cylinders 29in, 42in, 80in, and B(sin in diameter respectively, and a piston stroke of 60in. Steam is supplied by five cylindrical oil-fired toilers working at 2501 b pressure under forced draught and with superheated steam. In addition to the usual auxiliaries the engine-room is fitted with a number of new features designed to cope with the special work in which the ship will be engaged. There is, for example, a fresh-water distilling plant olf enormous capacity. -Ample roomy liying accommodation is provided for over 300 men, and there are special ■ facilities for storing and cooking provisions necessary for long voyages. The whaling factory itself is situated in the upper ’tween decks which are over loft deep, and is equipped with a wonderful plant for rendering down the blubber and extracting the last ounce of oil from the whale carcases every portion of which is treated in rotary steam digestors. The Kosmos has a square “cruiser” stern through which is built a large slipway up which the whale carcases can be hauled to be cut up on the upper deck, which has been arranged clear of obstruction to facilitate landing. The propelling machinery being well aft, the uptakes from the ship’s boilers are earned into twin funnels abreast of each other the slipway coming up between the two fidcUeys,” The ship is fitted with numerous powerful winches and derricks capable of dealing with loads up to 40 tons. The navigating bridge and officers’ quarters tire well forward. The Kosnms is fitted with long-range radio' sets, a radio direction finder, and the most up-to-date navigating appliances.

Tne seven whale chasers accompanying the Kosmos are specially designed for the arduous duty of chasing, kiting, and towing whales. They were all built this year «t Middlesbrough and are fitted, with the most up-to-date applianeea, Each vessel is of 250 tons gross register, 110 feet in length 24.2 ft wide, and 12.7 ft deep, and is fitted with a set of triple expansion engines taking steam from oil-fired boilers. Th© little vessels have cruiser sterns and are fitted with wireless, electric light and the latest type olf harpoon gun mounted on the bow. The Kosmos ;>Kld her chasers, are wholly products of British shipyards. , The latter- are part of a fleet of 35 chasers, built this year by one firm at Middlesbrough. Included in her equippm'„-nt is a deHnviland Moth seaplane, which will be used for “spotting’-' whales in the Antarctic and also for maintaing communication between the mother ship and the chasers when they are separated by pack ice. Mr Lief Lier, a Norwegian aviator is with the Kosmos and will pilot the seaplane.

The Kosmos is under the command of Captain Hans Andresen. Ilf she meets with the success anticipated she will return to Wellington some time in March with about £500,000 worth of whale oil aboard.