RETURN OF MAKURA.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20536, 10 April 1930, Page 12

RETURN OF MAKURA.

TEMPORARY CHANGE IN RUN

GOOD TRIP FROM SYDNEY.

MANY YEARS OF SERVICE.

Tho Royal Mail liner Makura, which had to be withdrawn from tho San Francisco service recently for repairs to her machinery, reached Auckland from Sydney yesterday in place of tho Marama, which was transferred temporarily in tho San Francisco service.

The mishap to tho Makura occurred when she was on route from Sydney to San Francisco, via Wellington. Owing to tho crankshaft on ono of tho engines becoming looso she had to bo towod into Wellington aftor steaming most of the trip from Sydney on one engino. Tho breakdown necessitated tho' Makura returning to Sydney from Wellington for permanent repairs, so the Marama was despatched to San Francisco «in her placo.

Tho Makura will romain in the intercolonial service until tho Marama returns to New Zealand. Aftorwards tho two vessels will revert to their former services. Tho repairs to tho Makura's engines were carried out effectively and tho vessel made good steaming time from Sydney to Auckland. So smoothly are tho enginos working that the vessel conld havo roached Auckland on Monday night if necessary. Tho Makura is well known' at Auckland owing to tho fact that sho was for 16j years in the Vancouver service. Built at Glasgow by Messrs. A. Stevens, sho was launched in July, 1908, and sailed for Australia, via the Capo of Good Hope, on September 26 of tho samo year. Some fast runs wero made on the maiden voyage. Tho greatest distance covered in 24 hours was 428 miles, an averago speed of 17.8 knots. On her speed trials before leaving Grent Britain she reached 18 knots.

During the first 12 years of her sea service the Makura was a coal burner, but in 1920, at San Francisco, she was converted into an oil burner. Five years ago the Makura was replaced on the Vancouver servico by the motor-liner Aornngi and was transferred to the San Francisco service in place of the Maunganui, -which was put into tho intercolonial service. Since then the Makura has visited Auckland four times. In June, 1927, she camo to Auckland to dock for repairs and last year she made two visits to Auckland when relieving in tho Vancouver servico and one visit in the intercolonial service.

Sho is the third largest vessel owned by tho Union Company, her tonnage being 8075 gross. The two larger vessels in the fleet are tho Niagara, of 13,415 tons, and tho Aorangi, 17,491 tons,-