DAMAGED VESSEL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20807, 25 February 1931, Page 10

DAMAGED VESSEL.

HAURAKI AT NEW PLYMOUTH.

temporary repairs begun.

NAVAL DIVER'S ASSISTANCE.

[BY TELEGRAPn. —OWN CORRESPONDENT.] NEW PLYMOUTH. Tuesday.

Repair work to allow the damaged motor vessel Hauraki to proceed to Auckland was begun this morning. It is expected that it will be completed by tomorrow. * Special machinery to effect repairs to a damaged plate arrived at New Plymouth last night from the Union Steam Ship Company's workshop at Wellington. A plan of the fracture was prepared by a diver from the sloop Laburnum, assisted by the Harbour Board diver, and a plate was made at the board's shops. This will be rivetted over the fracture. A new machine, a type of rivet gun, will be used to rivet the patch on to the ship's plate. When these repairs are completed the Hauraki will sail for Auckland to discharge her Pacific Coast cargo and to enter dry dock for examination and permanent repajrs. In the meantime the Laburnum is also delayed and will not continue her cruise of the Southern ports until the work on the Hauraki is finished. This morning a preliminary inquiry, purely of a formal nature, was held at New Plymouth before Mr. T. M. O'Reilly, collector of customs. The hearing was held in camera. The evidence of the harbourmaster, the pilot, the master of the Hauraki and officers on deck at the time of the mishap was taken. This will be forwarded to the secretary of marine, ■who will decide, if further action shall be taken.

CARGO FOR AUSTRALIA.

TRANSHIPMENT AT AUCKLAND

The motor-ship Hauraki is due at Auckland on Friday and will unload all her cargo at this port before she goes into dock for repairs. As the repair work is likely to be prolonged the cargo for Melbourne and Sydney will be transhipped to the Union Company's steamer Karetii, which is being recommissioned and is scheduled to sail for Melbourne next Wednesday. •