DAMAGE TO PROPELLER

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21521, 19 June 1933, Page 11

DAMAGE TO PROPELLER

THREE BLADES STRIPPED

MAIDEN VOYAGE EXPERIENCE

HELMSPEY NOW AT AUCKLAND

The experience of losing three of the four blades of her propeller while on her maiden voyage befel the Cardiff steamer Helmspey, which arrived at Auckland from Dunedin yesterday morning.

The Helmspey has about 7000 tons of scrap metal on board, loaded in the south, and, after loading another 600 tons at this port, the vessel is to sail on Wednesday for Japan. She loft Sunderland, England, on her maiden voyage six months ago, and proceeded to Geelong, where sho loaded a wheat cargo for Yokohama. After discharge she proceeded from Japan to Westport. While crossing the Indian Ocean on the voyage to Geelong, the Helmspey stripped three of the four blades of her propeller, but managed to reach port under her own power with the remaining blade. The accident was noticed when the engines commenced racing. Fortunately it was fine weather at the time, and the Helmspey continued her voyage with the engines shut down to a moderate speed.

Sho then made for Fremantle, the nearest port, 650 miles away, for repairs, and she covered the distance at an average speed of four .knots, the remaining blade withstanding the extra strain put on it.

There is no dock at Fremantle, but as the vessel was in ballast the work of replacing the propeller with thespare one carried by the Helmspey was not difficult. The after ballast tanks were emptied and the forward ones filled, and this raised the stern of the vessel high enough out of the water for the repair work to bte done. After a week at Fremantle the Helmspey resumed her voyage to Geelong.