OIL-BURNING STEAMER

Otago Witness, Issue 3595, 6 February 1923, Page 7

OIL-BURNING STEAMER

THE REMUERA’S CONVERSION. FIRST VESSEL FROM LONDON. The New Zealand Shipping Company liner Remuera, which arrived at Auckland from London and Southampton on the 27th, is making her first voyage since she was nearly sunk in collision with the steamer Marengo during the thick of fog in the English Channel i n July last (says the New Zealand Herald). How narrowly the vessel escaped being a total loss is told by the present commander. Captain J. J. Cameron, who was master of the vessel when the accident occurred. Besides damage on there was a 6ft hole in her hull through which the water rushed in and filled No. 2 hold. The hole in the hull was only 3in away from the dividing bulkhead betwen Nos. 2 and 3 holds. Had this bulkhead been broken, No.. 3 as well as No. 2 hold would have been flooded, and it is very doubtful if the Remuera would have floated. As it was. about £250.000 worth of cargo was damaged and had to be sold. During the Renmera’s prolonged stay in England for repairs she was converted from a coal to an oil burner. She is the first steamer burning oil fuel to leave England for New Zealand. The vessel was always classed as one of the most comfortable direct passenger steamers between England and New Zealand to travel by, and the conversion of steaming power has enhanced that- comfort, /and now she is the most up-to-date steamer in the trade. The improvement is noticeable in many ways. In the first place her steaming power has increased about 30 knots a day, shortening the voyage from England to New Zealand by at least four days. The absence of coal has rendered her much clearer both at sea and in port. As the weight of oil fuel required is onethird less than coal, some of the former bunker space is now available for the stowage of merchandise. A further saving in space is made through the vessel being able to carry a quantity of oil fuel in her double bottom, or water-ballast tanks. The Remuera now bunkers four times on a round voyage from England to New Zealand. The tanks are first filled up at London ; at Colon, Panama, an additional quantity is loaded, and at Wellington the tanks are replenished sufficiently to last to Panama, where they are again filled. The Reniuera’s present voyage was a very stormy one, and consequently was not a fair test of the vessel’s speed. Her future performances will be watched with interest, as her conversion is no doubt the forerunner of other passenger steamers in the trade being similarly treated. The Remuera now can steam 13g knots comfortably, but it is understood that speed could be increased considerably. Another steamer belonging to the New Zealand Shipping Company, the Rotorua, is being converted to an oil-burner. The Rotorua, which was formerly named the Shropshire, is the largest of the company’s /steamers, being 12,464 tons, or 1188 tons larger than the Remuera. She is to sail from London and Southampton about the end of March with passengers and cargo for New Zealand.