ANCHOR SHIPPING COMPANY

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXIV, 1 December 1930, Page 6

ANCHOR SHIPPING COMPANY

ADDITIONS TO FLEET TWO VESSELS PURCHASED The Anchor Shipping and Foundry Company, Ltd.,' has just concluded the negotiations for the purchase of two additional vessels —the coastal steamer Himitangi and an auxiliary schooner just launched at Auckland which has been named Taupata. The latter vessel was built by Mr Geo. McNicol, of Auckland, and underwent successful trials at Auckland on Thursday. Mr W. Rogers, manager of the company, who returned from Auckland yesterday, stated that the Himitangi will bo used for the general . coastal trade. She leaves Wellington to-day for Nelson, Captain Wahlstrom being in command. The Taupata will be used for the carriage of fruit from Motueka, Mapua and Nelson to Wellington. It was a coincidence that both the Matangi and the Himitangi were on the Patent Slip at Wellington on Saturday side by side.

THE TAUPATA

Tho-Taupata, which is fitted with twoDiesel engines of 140 h.p. each, and specially designed propellers, was expected to make a little over 9£ knots. However, in a return run over a measured course of three miles from • Queen's Wharf to the Bean Rock, she averaged more than 10 knots. Owing to the newness of the engines it was not deemed wise to press them, and the engineers estimated that later it would be possible to obtain an additional 35 revolutions a minute without difficulty. The trials were carried out under the supervision of Lloyd's surveyor. Captain W. R. Smith, and the Government in- , specting engineer, Mr J. Kydd. Those on board included the general manager of the Anchor Shipping Company, Mr W. Rogers. The Taupata will leave early in December for TMbrf oik Island, and will then return to Auckland for a final inspection before being taken over. The Anchor Shipping Company intends to use her for the carriage of fruit from Motueka, Mapua and Nelson to Wellington, and in other cargo services for which her shallow • draught, Bft., makes her specially suitable. Several vessels of the same type are operated by the Northern Steamship Company between Auckland and ports formerly served by small steamers. The Anchor Company possesses one smaller motor vessel than the Taupata, and is converting one of its steam fleet, the Alexander, to motor propulsion. ■ The new vessel was launched on 28th October, and is 130 ft. long, with a beam of 26ft. 6in. She is built, of speciallypicked kauri, sheathed with totara, and her keelsons are of ironbark timbers up to 85ft. in length. There are two masts... Her single large hold has two hatches and will accommodate .about 350 tons of cargo. The officers' quarters are under the poop . deck, and are unusually capacious. .The crewis housed in a raised forecastle. Electric .light is fitted throughout, including the masthead and sidelights, and several electric fans are provided. She has passed all official tests, including the fume test for the carriage of benzine. <Mr Niccol stated that the trials confirmed him in the opinion that the vessel represented a definite advance upon anv vessel of the type that had previously left his yard. THE HIMITANfiI The Himatangi was built at Ardrassan, on'the Clyde, in 1911, for the North Coast" Steam Navigation Company, Limited. She was then the Coolebar, and as'such ran on the Australian coast until last year, when she came over to New Zealand. She was renamed Himatangi in June of last year. She is a steel twin-screw steamer of 479 tons gross register. .