SAILING FREIGHTERS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18316, 5 August 1921, Page 8

SAILING FREIGHTERS

CHEAPER THAN STEAMERS.

The statement made by Professor RJ. Soott, in his presidential address to .the Canterbury College Engineering Society last Saturday night, “that a proper appreciation of the capabilities of the eail-dnveo vessel is of fundamental importance to the future prosperity of this country,” wul (says the Press) come as a surprise to the average man, who, in these' days of aviation and wireless wonders, is prepared to take any new development of science quite calmly,* but is not prepared to go back to the methods of the nineteenth century as a means of progress. The subject of Professor Scott’s presidential address was “Yacht Designing, »na his chief reason for choosing that snbjeoß was his belief in the statement above quoted. “I believe,” said the speaker, ‘that the era of steam, at all events for the transportation of commodities such as wool ana meat, is past, and that for the future wo must rely on the great, free, and practically unutilised source of power-the wind—for the conveying of our produce to. Amenoaa and European markets.” CHEAPER FREIGHT BATES. It had been pointed out by Lfljegren (continued Professor 'cottl, to whom uvist be given the credit of having been the ms# to advocate publicly the claims of the mechanically-worked sailing ship, that 16 was only when what was known as oauerback’s Index”—an index representing « commodities, amongst which fuel was too most important—had been 80, that sail had not been able to compete with ftcam. For 10 years before the war the value of U»t index had averaged 75. To-day it was 2(5. this great rise being chiefly , duo to the m* creased cost of fuel and labour. Hearing m mind the relative location of New Zealand and the great markets of the world, it was evident that if we continued to rely on the steamship the expensive cost of transportation must more tnan bdam» tho reduced cost of production, and heavily handicap the country’s producers in competition with those nearer the centres « consumption. But if the steamship were discarded for the sailing veasri. provided the latter fulfilled certain t f, e transportation costs would fall book to almost pre-war values. The wind charts showed that no food-produemg u» the world was more favourably with regard to its great markets than was New Zealand. To be successful, the sailing ship, tbougn of necessity of heavy displacement, must. Professor Soott said, be capable of pfenning her voyage in a time comparable wittt that occupied by the slower steam cargo ) boats. To do this, dhe must mamteitv a high average speed, or. in other RJw he . Ww y*\Vsrasst Vs. ■*«So«ev > ) heavy winds, smooth waters or rough sea. Further, she must be furnished with means for propulsion when wind power is not , wsSSiww*.- to kwsV* toe to/ ) sir knots through calms, the doldrums, or ■when making oort. She must be omable of making TO knots when clcee-naiviled m a 25-knot broeee, and making at least 16 knots with a strong beam or fair wind. She must not require a crew numbering one-fourth or that needed by a cargo steamer of similar tonnage. The speaker bad no hesitation in saying such a vessel could be produced. NEW TYPES OF VESSEL. For example, a vessel might be built of about 4000 tons gross, 360 ft long, U>l l beam, drawing about 26ft of voter. Sue would be rigged fore and ait on five masts, and square-rigged on the sixth, with, a sail area of 80.000 square feet, and a 00-efficient of displacement of about .45. She would have sufficient stiffness to easily obtain the speeds mentioned. She would carry a central tion containing heavy oil engines totalling 850 h.p., with a generator, which would supply current for propulsion and for actuating capstans and sail winches. All ropes would be flexible wire; halliards, braces, sheets, and tacks being coiled on individual winches, each actuated by its own motor and all controlled from the navigating bridge. The engines would also supply current driving the freezing machinery and actuating the ship’s pumps, steering gear, and lighting. Such a vessel would only require a crew of 25 hands all told, and would carry 60,000 carcases meat, or 8000 bales of wool (D.D.). She would also have.; storage for about 300 tons of oil, which, should bo sufficient for a voyage of from 70 to 80 days, which Professor Scott estimated as requiring 200 tons. _ The vessel would be very different in section from the old sailing ship, having a form of far less resistance and greater stability, the , sail plan would be arranged in quite a different manner, there being no reefing and each sail being directly controlled from the operating board on the bridge. With greatly reduced freight chargee, euoh a vessel would be able to earn for her owners a handsome profit on their investment.