LYTTELTON'S CRANESHIP.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19844, 17 July 1926, Page 12

LYTTELTON'S CRANESHIP.

ARRIVAL in NEW ZEALAND SHORT OF STORES AND COAL. (Per United Press Association.) GISBORNE. July 10. With practically no food on board and the bunkers almost empty of coal, a curious-looking craft dropped anchor at Waipiro Bay, a small port on the East Coast, this morning. A launch immediately sent out ascertained that she was the craneship xiapaki, cn route from Scotland to Lyttelton, under order from Lyttelton Harbour Board. She is an exceedingiy squat vessel* and the only portion of her visible at any distance is the arm of the crane, a substantial structure, as must be necessary when it is realised that it lias a lifting power of 80 tons. Iho beam of the vessel is 55ft, and her length 110 ft, so she is exactly half as broad as she is long. A surprising feature is that despite the hcavj nature of the superstructure she draws only 10ft of water. Last April the Kapaki left Scotland on her long and arduous trip with a crew of 15 aboard, and proceeded via the Panama Canal. Her last port of call before reaching Waipiro Bay was Papeete. Since leaving that port she has had a very rough passage, and has been seriously delayed, the recent stormy weather giving her the worst buffeting throughout the trip. In the course of the last period on several occasions she was practically at a standstill, and for a great part progressed at only one knot an hour. The recent storms prevented the vessel taking shelter at Auckland, and with all this delay she became very short of stores and coal, and it was decided to call at the nearest port for replenishing, hence her advent at Wa'niro Bay. ■ After loading some foodstuffs the Rapaki left for Gisborne, whore she is due early in the morning to replenish bunkers and stores before proceeding south.