NEW TUG FOR BLUFF

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21600, 22 March 1932, Page 5

NEW TUG FOR BLUFF

A POWERFUL VESSEL The Bluff Harbour Board’s new tug Awarua, which is at present in course of construction at the shipbuilding yards of Messrs Lobnitz and Co., Renfrew, Scotland, will, when the vessel has been delivered to the board and placed in commission at Bluff, be the most powerful tug operating in Australia or New Zealand. The members and officers of the board and visiting shipmasters have realised for some time that a powerful steam twin screw tug. was essential in Bluff as part of the port's equipment to give service to vessels working Southland port, and undoubtedly the putting into commission of the tug Awarua will give an added factoj- of safety to the shipping companies and shipowners when their vessels are entering and leaving the port. Bluff, for overseas vessels and the larger vessels trading on the coast, is mainly worked at slack water either high or low, depending on the draught of the vessel, and taking into consideration the class and nature of work that a tug in Bluff is called on to perform a tug with ample power and exceptional manceuvring ability is required and the Awarua has been designed and will be constructed and fitted out to give efficient service and meet the requirements of present day and future shipping. . A brief specification of the tug is as follows:

The vessel is a steel twin screw tug and salvage vessel seagoing type and is being built under Lloyds Special Survey for their class of 100 A 1 for foreign going service. The internal layout of the vessel and the arrangement and fitting of the deck equipment has been given special attention, to meet the requirements of the. service the tug will be called on to perform in Bluff. The dimensions and particulars are:— , ft. Length between perpendiculars 130 Breadth, moulded 32 Depth, moulded 15 Mean, draft (loaded conditions) 13

Engines.—Twin screw triple expansion to give 1400 h.p. with boiler pressure of 1801 b per square inch above atmospheric. Boilers. —Two Badcock and Willcox water tube marine type boilers having a total heating surface of 4668 square feet with a fire grate area of 132 square feet. The boilers will be coal fired and will be arranged on a fore and aft line and were selected because of their ability to raise steam very quickly and thus enable the tug to be put into service at very short notice. The question of efficiency smd economy in operation was also one which decided the board to have the vessel fitted with water tube boilers. An induced draft fan is to be supplied complete and will be driven by a high-class enclosed forced lubricating steam engine. Bunkers.—The bunker capacity of the vessel will be approximately 130 tons of coal arranged in bunkers on each side of the vessel for the full length of the boiler room and with this bunker capacity the vessel will have a cruising range of well over 2000 miles operating at an economical speed of 10 knots. . Hull. —Steel, divided into seven watertight compartments with a watertight door between the engine room and boiler room.

Water Ballast.—Provision is made for water ballast as follows:—The fore and after peak tanks can be used as required for trimming and under the forehold there is a tank of 13 tons capacity. A tank under the officers’ accommodation holds 28 tons and a reserve feed tank abaft the engine room has a capacity of 28 tons.

Accommodation.—The master’s room will be placed under the bridge and cabins lor three officers are on the main deck with two cabins and officers’ messroom below the maindeck. The galley, lamprqom, bosun’s store, lavatory accommodation, etc., will be fitted on the main deck alongside the boiler room casing. Electric Light.—The tug will be electrically lit throughout supplied by a 5 kilowatt steam driven plant generating at 110 volts. In addition to ordinary lighting a floodlight will be fitted bn the foredeck and connections fitted for clusters in suitable positions. Two focussing spotlights will be fitted on either side of the bridge for use when working the pilot boat at night.Boats.—Four boats will be fitted, being two lifeboats each of sufficient capacity to carry the whole crew as required by Board of' Trade regulations and two working boats for pilot work. To enable the harbour buoys to be lifted and handled aboard the tug a 5-ton derrick is to be fitted forward and a powerful winch will be fitted on the after deck for handling the 12-inch towfope. Large rope fenders will be fitted at the bow and stern and a fender belting of 12-inch elm will be fitted all round the vessel at main deck level. Although wireless is not being installed at present, provision has been made to permit of same being installed in the future.

The vessel will be equipped with the usual fire-fighting equipment and space will be available for the storage when necessary of portable salvage pumps and fuel.