REPAIR OF SHIPS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19833, 31 December 1927, Page 11

REPAIR OF SHIPS.

THE WORK IN AUCKLAND.

HARBOUR BOARD'S FACILITIES.

CALLIOPE DOCK AND SLIPWAY.

Although, relatively few large-sized craft have been constructed at Auckland boat-building yards during the past year the volume of shipping which uses the harbour has been responsible for keeping a large number of men in steady employment on ship-repairing and cleaning work. In the case of large ships this is carried out at Calliope Dock, Devonport. Vessels under 600 tons are drawn up on the Harbour Board's three-track concrete slipway at Freeman's Bay, while private slipways in the same vicinity can take vessels up to 250 tons.

The extent to which the facilities have been used during the past year has been quite up to the average, the harbourmaster, Captain H. H. Sergeant, stated yesterday. During a period of 12 months ended on September 30, Calliope Dock was occupied for 243 days, the net tonnage of the 82 vessels using it aggregating 102,427 tons. The 600-ton slipway was used on 265 days by 127 vessels totalling 14,767 tons net. The largest vessel to use the dock during the year was the Northumberland, with a gross tonnage of 12,160 tons and an overall length of 550 feet. The head of the dock had to be slightly extended to accommodate her, as the length of the floor of the dock measures 520 feet* Loss on Calliope Dock. There is some irony in the fact that Calliope Dock, the largest and bestequipped in the Dominion, and rendering as it does constant and very necessary service to the port, is the source of an annual loss of about £12,000 to the Harbour Board. This is in spite of the fact that it is well patronised and the charges conform to the accepted scale. In addition the board is in receipt of an annual subsidy from the Admiralty in consideration of being given priority in the use ci! the dock. However, the board takes tlte yearly deficit philosophically, since the importance to the port of adequate docking facilities is recognised as being beyond financial considerations. The Harbour Board's part in the repairing and refitting of ships is purely that of the proprietors of the dock and slipway, for the use of which daily charges are made on a tonnage basis. The first day is in both cases subject to an extra charge to cover the operations of docking the vessel and pumping the dock dry, or in the case of the slipway, of dodking and hauling up. When accommodation at the slipway is not available, it is sometimes found necessary to use the dock for comparatively small vessels but in these cases the slipway scale of fees is charged. Work Done by Private Contract. The actual work on the vessel is carried . out entirely by private contractors, namely shipwrights, engineers or cleaners and painters. Cleaning and painting is one of the commonest operations in dock, since it is compulsory once every 12 months. In actual practice it is found that it pays to scrape and paint every six or eight months owing to the heavy retarding effect and consequent increased fuel consumption caused by the fouling of the ship's bottom wi'lh barnacles and marine growths. Common operations on wooden vessels are re-sheathing with tQtara or copper, and caulking of the timbers.

Every kind of repair, from the fitting oj new propellers to the renewal of corroded and rotted parts is carried out,, while frequently alterations are effected, or perhaps a portion of tha vessel entirely re-built.