SALVAGE TUG ARRIVES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3773, 6 July 1926, Page 81

SALVAGE TUG ARRIVES.

WELLINGTON, July 1. For some time there have been three ■tugs in Wellington harbour —the Terawhiti, the Natone, and the Admiral, and each has a good record of service. Today there arrived at Wellington from England another tug, the Toia. which was received by the Wellington Harbour Board through the New Zealand Government to which the vessel was offered as a gift from the British Admiralty. The Toia is an up-to-date rescue boat, powerful, thoroughly seaworthy, and fairly fast. During the war a large number of these vessels were built by the Admiralty and stationed at various ports round the English coast to be ready at all times to rush out to vessels torpedoed or otherwise disabled by the enemy. For that work this special type of tug was evolved, and it was able to undertake almost any class of rescue work in any weather. The main features of the Toia are: Length between perpendiculars 135 ft, moulded breadth 29ft. moulded depth 16ft, gross tonnage 422 net, register tonnage 53£, coal bunker capacity 245 tons, mean draught loaded with 245 tons of coal and 24 tons of fresh water about 13ft 7in, indicated horse power 1300, maximum speed 121 knots, coal consumption at eight knots economical speed 10 to 11 tons per day. The Toia is fitted with a salvage pump capable of handling 3500 gallons of water per minute. A set of connections permits of the use of this main pump for fire fighting purposes. There is also a steam fire pump which can discharge 2000 gallons per minute. A wireless set with a transmitting range of 200 miles in daylight has been installed, and also a throwing gun with a range of nearly 200 yards.