PORT OF BLUFF.

Southland Times, Issue 20791, 4 June 1929, Page 2

PORT OF BLUFF.

EXPECTED ARRIVALS. Storm, Westport, to-day. Wairuna, Dunedin, to-morrow. Waipiata, Dunedin, June 7. Calm, Dunedin, June 8. Kaiapoi, Dunedin, June 8. Manuka, Melbourne, June 9. Karetu, Lyttelton, June 10. Poolta, Timaru, June 10. Valacia, Port Chalmers, June 11. Port Auckland, Dunedin, June 17. Canadian Transporter, Dunedin, June 23. Kia Ora, Port Chalmers, June 25. Kurow, Hobart, July 2. Surrey, Oamaru, July 5. Cumberland, Dunedin, July 11. Waihemo, New Plymouth, July 23. Mataroa, Port Chalmers, August 2. Raranga, Port Chalmers, September 8. lonic, Port Chalmers, November 20. PROJECTED DEPARTURES. Storm, Dunedin, to-morrow. Wairuna, New Plymouth, June 7. Calm, Dunedin, June 8. Waipiata, Dunedin, June 8. Kaiapoi, Greymouth, June 9. Manuka, Dunedin, June 10. Karetu, Sydney, June 11. Poolta, West Coast, June 11. Valacia, Timaru, June 14. Port Auckland, Timaru, June 21. Canadian Transporter, Wellington, June 24. Kia Ora, Lyttelton, June 27. Kurow, Dunedin, July 4. Surrey, Timaru, July 8. Cumberland, Timaru, July 14. Waihemo, Dunedin, July 26. Mataroa, Dunedin, August 6. Raranga, Dunedin, September 11, lonic, Dunedin, November 23. GENERAL NOTES. There were no major shipping movements at Bluff yesterday. The Storm is expected to arrive at Bluff to-day from Westport to discharge 850 tons of coal, sailing again on Wednesday for Dunedin. The Union Company advises that the Kurow has been fixed to load at Adelaide, Edinburgh, Wallaroo, Melbourne, and Hobart about the third week in June for Bluff, Dunedin, Lyttelton, Wellington, New Plymouth and Auckland. Cable advice received by the Shaw, Savill Company states that the Kia Ora, en route from London to Port Chalmers, Bluff, Lyttelton and New Plymouth, left Balboa on Thursday. The vessel is due here towards the end of the month to discharge 2,400 tons of London cargo. The Waipiata from Auckland via Wellington, Lyttelton and Dunedin, is expected to arrive at Bluff on Friday to discharge and load general cargo. The Kaiapoi from Westport via Lyttelton, Timaru, Oamaru and Dunedin, is due at Bluff on Saturday to load for Melbourne via Greymouth. The Calm on her usual run from northern ports, is expected to arrive at Bluff on Saturday to discharge and load general cargo. j THE TRIUMPH OF COAL. “In five years’ time all the new merchant ships under the British flag will depend upon coal rather than oil if shipowners have regard to the economic position.” That statement jvas made recently by an expert who has no interest in any particular system for burning powdered coal, but has been led to make a close study of all that is going on (states the Shipping World). He is convinced that the practical research which has been carried out on both sides of the Atlantic has solved practically all the difficulties which the problem presented. It may be that this prophecy, at any rate so far as passenger vessels are concerned, is too optimistic. It is encouraging that leading shipowners like Lord Inchcape, Sir Frederick Lewis, and others are no longer standing aloof, but are giving their support to the movement.

There are now several types of equipment competing for acceptance. It may be that in the not far distant future it may prove feasible to arrange an amalgamation of interests so as to avoid the wasteful competition which has done so much to increase the cost of the Diesel engine, and thus retard its more general installation. Students of the research which has been made into the use of powdered fuel in merchant ships agree in' seeing virtues in more than one particular type of installation. A combination of interests with a view to further joint- research would, all things being equal, seem to point to the path of least resistance. SHIP’S PROPULSION DISCUSSED. In the course of a very able review of the possible applications of pulverized coal in the British Mercantile Marine, contributed to the Liverpool, “Journal of Commerce,” some interesting c.omparisons are given of tramp steamer costs (states the Shipping World). Taking the cost of an ordinary 7000-ton cargo steamer propelled by triple-expansion engines and with forced draught boilers, capable of a speed of 11 knots on 42 tons of coal per day Mr. Ash calculates that on a 250-day steaming basis with coal, an all-round cost of £1 per ton, the year's coal bill would be £10,500, If this same vessel, he says, were fitted with an exhaust turbine on the reciprocating engine shaft and the boiler fired with pulverized fuel, there would be an estimated saving of 30 per cent, in fuel, which might be equally divided between the exhaust turbine economy, and that gained in the boiler by the use of pulverized fuel. If, again, coal at 15s per ton be assumed, and the charge for pulverizing be assessed at 2s per ton, which would include the upkeep of the plant, the cost of coal would only be £5512, showing a saving of £4988, to which must be added the items of reduced stokehold wages and victualling. Even these items do not include possible gains arising from the increased d.w. and cubic capacity available. If for the same ship, oil firing be assumed with boiler oil at £2 10s per ton, the total fuel bill works out at round about £17,500, while with oil engine propelling machinery and Diesel oil at £3 per ton, the fuel bill will be about £6750. If, of course, the fuel oil can be bought at a more advantageous figure, the saving is such that coal cannot compete, especially when the better bunkering capacity is taken into account. Mr. Ash gives the approximate cost of exhaust turbine plant with pulverized fuel equipment with power to drive the pulverizers, at possibly £11,300, upon which sum depreciation and interest must be allowed for. He ventures to state that with such a plant, however, savings of the order of 35 to 40 per cent., are possible, compared with ordinary triple expansion engines with handfired boilers taking, say, 1.61 b of coal per i.h.p. hour. Such savings would give a nett fuel consumption corresponding to an average of about lib of coal per i.h.p. hour, which figure comes very close to the average working results obtained with 11b of oil burned under the boilers. CRUISER SYDNEY. BREAKING UP OF DECKS. The teak decks of the cruiser Sydney, which is being dismantled at Cockatoo Island, Sydney, have been bought by the director of the Memorial War Museum. He has already sent, several shipments to Melbourne, where the teak is being cut up and manufactured into souvenirs. The chairman of the Commonwealth Shipping Board, Mr. R. Farquhar, said the other day that the tripod mast was still in the Sydney. The board did not want to cut it up, and was awaiting a buyer. The Returned Soldiers and Sailors’ League was desirious- of securing the mast with a view of erecting it as a memorial on the “Sow' and Pigs,” or in some other prominent position in the harbour. “It is only possible for the board to sell and deliver at Cockatoo,” said Mr. Farquhar. “We told the league that it must be responsible for finding a site and erecting the mast. We are in the position of having to break up the Sydney and recoup the cost from the sale of arisings.” MISHAP TO HOLMDALE. Christchurch, June 3. While bound from Wellington to Dunedin and when off the Kaikouras on Saturday night the Holmdale, belonging to the Holm Steamship Company., dropped her propeller and the tail end of the shaft. She was picked up yesterday morning by the Progress, another of the Company’s steamers, and towed to Lyttelton and docked for repairs. TELEGRAPHED REPORTS. COASTAL AND OVERSEAS. Auckland, June 3. Arrived: —Wingatui 3.35 a.m. from Wellington; Rarawa 5.50 a.m. from Onehunga; Niagara 6.20 a-m. from Sydney. Lyttelton, June 3. Arrived:—Parer a 5.30 a.m. from Tarakohe. Sailed:—-Progress' 10 a.m. for Dunedin; Maheno 9.10 p.m. for Wellington. Dunedin, June 3. Arrived: —Baron Maclay 9.15 a.m. from i Auckland; Karetu 10.40 a.m. from Sydney.