DRY-DOCK REPAIRS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27157, 12 August 1949, Page 8

DRY-DOCK REPAIRS

Preference For North Island MERCHANT SHIP OWNERS Parliamentary Reporter WELLINGTON, Aug. 11. More than 80 per cent, of the total tonnage of New Zealand foreign-going and home-trade ships were dry-docked at Wellington and Auckland, and less than 20 per cent, at Lyttelton and Port Chalmers, states the annual report of the Marine Department, presented in the House of Representatives to-day. The report added that of the overseas, British and foreign ships which docked for repairs at New Zealand ports, a large majority of this tonnage was also docked at Auckland and Wellington. “There is a clearly-marked preference by merchant ship owners for Wellington and Auckland as survey and dry-docking ports,” says the report. “At Auckland, however, the drydocks are also required to accommodate warships of the Royal New Zealand Navy based on Devonport dockyard. On the other hand, the present dry-dock facilities at both Lyttelton and Port Chalmers are far in excess of the merchant-ship tonnage which has used these facilities in recent years, but there is an accelerated trend of ship-repair and dry-docking work towards tne two large North Island ports.” Shortage of Engineers The report said the shortage of certificated marine engineers for small coastwise ships continued unabated, and it had been found essential for the continuance of trading of certain small vessels to permit uncertiflcated engineers to man the ships. So long as expansion continued in such industries ashore as required the services of mechanically-trained men, so long was it probable that the small coastwise ships would fail to attract a sufficient number of certificated engineers.