THE FERRY BOATS

New Zealand Times, Volume L, Issue 11658, 24 October 1923, Page 5

THE FERRY BOATS

REPAIRS TO DUCHESS. IN COMMISSION NEXT MONTH. The Eastbourne Borough Council’s ferry steamer Duchess, which has been on the slip at Evans Bay during the past week, is expected to come off today, and will be moored at the Queen’s Wharf for the balance of the repair work which is being carried out. Examination of the vessel’s hull whilst on the slip showed that the plates were quite sound, and none of the outside plates needed renewal. The only plates that have had to be replaced have been several in the bunkers. Whilst on the slip the Duchess has been thoroughly scraped and the hull repainted( and when she is brought alongside the Queen’s Wharf a start will be made in •eying down the mountings for the hew boiler. The work is being carried out by day labour, and it is expected that the vessel will be ready to take her place in the ferry service about the second week in December. The ferry traffic manager, Mr G. N. Shore, states that with the three vessels in use—Muritai, Duchess, and Cobar—there should be no difficulty in handling 15,C00 passengers daily, and, given good weather during the Christmas and Ne» Year holidays, he expert* this number to be ferried across the harbour.