FIFTY YEARS' SERVICE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22200, 1 March 1934, Page 5

FIFTY YEARS' SERVICE

HISTORY OF DREDGE 222 VESSEL'S FUTURE OPERATIONS The.Otago Harbour Board's dredge 222, which has been sold to a gold dredging company to operate on the Mofyneux River, has had a long and useful career. The vessel was built by W. Simons and Co;, at Renfrew,, Scotland, in 1881. She has a length of 210 feet, beam 40 feet, draught 7ft 6in, and her registered tonnage is 502. Her engines are twin-screw compound, of 700 h.p. The dredge arrived at Port Chalmers on January 26, 1882, from Greenock. She was put into commission shortly afterwards, and has completed 50 years' ser vice, mostly in Otago Harbour. The last dredgyig undertaken by 222 was in May and June, 1931, :when= she dredged the rock broken by a heavy blast in the' channel between Goat and Quarantine Islands. With the .arrival of the new; and modern dredge Otakou from Scotland, dredge 222 was laid up and has occupied moorings on the Pelichet Bay foreshore practically ever since. Dredge 222 saw service overseas. On August 21, 1889, she. left Port Chalmers under, contract to ' the Melbourne, Harbour Trust, and was : engaged.in dredging in the Yarra. River, for about j one Vear, arriving back at Port Chalmers on September 22,.. 1890. On, December 4, 1918, the dredge was chartered by the: Oaiparii Harbour Board and left Ota*;o to carry out exterisve dredging in Oamaru Harbour. She also operated in northern waters, being chartered' by the Welling-. ton Harbour, Board in May,. 1892. She was at Wellington for some time, and an entry in the Harbour . Board's records! states: " Dredge 222 was delivered at Lyttelton on November 26, 1894." It is understood ■ that she. put into Lyttelton when returning to Port Chalmers after the". completion of her Wellington con-' tract. ' > • - -■'•'' During the 53 years she :hag been afloat the dredge has not escaped mishap. On January 5, • 18S7, she collided with the; Union Company's old steamer Omapere; between the islands in Otago Harbour.; The dredge was badly damaged .and sank, i but was eventually raised; and repaired; in dry dock. The Omapere had a large; hole torn in her bow, .but she managed to t steam to-Dunedin,to have repairs effected.; On April 7, 1920, while employed in moor-; ing a buoy'at;the Mole, the dredge swung, on'to the structure, and the rocks pierced! her hull in two' places. . She was imme-, diatelylbeached, and after temporary re-; pairs had been made was floated into dry dock on.,'Aprir 10,. ' Permanent repairs; were execiited, by April 14, and she re-i snmed dredering the following 'day'.; Dredge 222 will he refuted for her new i work arid will be one of. the most powerful, and up-to-date, river dredges in New Zealand. Her operations in the Molvneiix River will be watched with keen interest.; Little'difficulty is anticipated; ip taking: the dredge ' iin ' the river to the< claim where she will operate, as provision, will be made for the removal of. her top. hamper whilst bridges,,and' the dredge herself will, deal with the; gravel shoals which may be.met with on. her journey, up •from.the pea. She should; have many. years of useful service before! her, akher iron hull is still in an excel-, lent state of preservation, and her machi-; nervreriiiires only'an overhaul to'make itj fit for the work to which ft will be put- {