PORT TAURANGA

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23106, 4 February 1937, Page 6

PORT TAURANGA

OFF TO NEW ZEALAND DESIGNED FOR TIMBER TRADE <From Oub Own Correspondent) (By Air Mail) LONDON, Jan. 9. Six weeks have passed since Mrs W. J. Jordan, wife of the New Zealand High Commissioner, christened the Port Tauranga, when it was launched at the Leith dockyards in Scotland. New Zealanders, listening in to the Empire broadcast, visualised the ceremony. In another few weeks' time they will be able to see the vessel for themselves. It sails to-day, with a full load of cargo, for Auckland, where it is due about the middle of March. On the day before it sailed Captain A. F. Watchlin, owner and skipper, entertained Mr and Mrs Jordan, and Mr W. Nash, Minister of Finance and Marketing. Mrs Jordan wished specially to see the vessel when it was ready for sea. Her interest was natural, since the Port Tauranga is the first ship she has christened, and it has for her more than a casual appeal. The Port Tauranga is a neat, trim craft, which has been designed especially for the timber trade around the coasts of New Zealand. Its deadweight is 1500 tons. In appearance it is very much like a small edition of an oil tanker, since the bridge, engines, and funnel occupy the after position of the vessel. The officers' quarters are arranged in the poop. Amidships is the hold, and a useful one it is. The crew's quarters are situated in the forecastle. Generally speaking, the vessel is similar in design to the Port Waikato, delivered to Captain Watchlin in 1929 by the same builders, Messrs Henry Robb, Ltd. Both vessels have been specially designed and ordered by Captain Watchlin. A number of improvements have, of course, been incorporated in the Port Tauranga. TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION To give a more technical description, the main hull is subdivided by three transverse watertight bulkheads, giving one cargo hold, machinery space and end peak tanks. A cellular double bottom is worked all fore and aft between the peak bulkheads, and, clear of the machinery space, is divided transversely into three tanks, of which the forward and main tanks are for water ballast and the after tank for fuel oil. Both peak tanks are available for water ballast. The simple cargo hold is 150 feet long, and is specially arranged for the transport of long logs of timber, the single hatch opening in the upper deck giving a clear shipping space of 96 feet by 24 feet. The hatch beams to this opening are of the " T. and B." roller type, stowed -at the forward end of the hatch when loading or discharging hold cargo. •• The deck machinery, of the steam-driven pattern, includes a combined anchor-handling and warping windlass on the forecastle and a. warping capstan aft. For handling timber cargoes there are two steel derrick booms, mounted one on each of the fore and main masts, which are of strong steelbuilt construction. The derricks, working in conjunction with steamdriven winches, are each arranged for five-ton lifts on single wire, or 12 tons in purchase. The steering gear is of the hand type, with deck leads to the ..quadrant on the- poop de6k aft. The vessel carries two 22foot wood lifeboats under davits, and is equipped with wireless apparatus and full navigating outfit. All the decks above the upper /deck are sheathed with teak where exposed, while the usual fittings are provided, on the upper deck to take lashings for deck loads. The accommodation, which is arranged in the poop, includes large and wellequipped cabins for the captain, deck officers, engineers and petty officers, together with a nicely fitted captain's dining saloon with independent galley adjacent, officers' lounge, officers' mess, seamen's mess and galley. The crew are berthed in the forecastle. MAIN PROPELLING AND AUXILIARY MACHINERY The twin - screw propellingmachinery installation of the Port Tauranga occupies the after portion of the vessel. The main engines are Atlas Polar two-stroke cycle, fourcylinder, trunk-piston, airless-injec-tion Diesel units, developed by the Atlas Diesel Co., Ltd., of London and Stockholm, as their M44M type. These engines were built at Stockholm. The Prime movers of the Port Tauranga have working cylinder dimensions of 340 mm. bore by 570 mm. stroke, and each engine develops a service output of 600 b.h.p. at 260 r.p.m. The silencers fitted are of the Burgess type. A feature of this Polar-engine type is the adoption of monobloc construction, the cylinders being cast in pairs integrally with the framing, and the pairs bolted together to give a rigid structure. Tie-rods secure the cylinder blocks, and are carried to the underside of the bedplate. In this way, the castings are relieved of tensile stresses. The cylinder heads each consist of an outer and inner portion, which fit together to form a water jacket. The fuel valve is centrally situated. Oil is employed as the medium for piston-cooling.