BLUFF NOTES

Southland Times, Issue 22512, 21 February 1935, Page 9

BLUFF NOTES

WELL-KNOWN OYSTER VESSEL. (From Our Correspondent.) Of all the oyster and fishing craft using Bluff as a base, no other vessel, perhaps, has had a more varied and ininteresting career than Captain H. Roderique’s ketch Kekeno. Built originally for the copra trade, she was later acquired by the New Zealand Government for lighthouse tender work and it is worth noting that the famous skipper, Captain John Bollons, botanist and keen student of nature generally, as well as skilled navigator, served part of his time in her. Still later she saw service as a Government revenue cutter before eventually coming into the possession of her present owner. The Kekeno has been always kept in good order, being practically rebuilt on a couple of occasions without losing her identity, and a further chapter in her career can be written through'the recent installation of a large fourcylinder Ruston-Lister full Diesel marine engine, with cold-starting high speed 2 to 1 reduction gear. This work was carried out by Messrs Johnston Bros., of Bluff. The engine develops 64 b.h.p. at 900 revolutions per minute and 70 b.h.p. at 1000 r.p.m. and drives a specially designed bronze propellor of

large dimensions at a speed of half that of the engine. The engine is too large for hand starting and a very effective and reliable system of starting on compressed air is used, a large solid-drawn steel cylinder (or bottle) containing enough air for up to ten starts on one pump up supplying the necessary power. The bottle can be pumped up again at will by the simple manipulation of an ingenious attachment on the engine. Captain Roderique’s vessel has made some long runs since the above installation. One feat in particular is

deserving of mention. Recently she proceeded to Dusky Sound (a distance of approximately 125 miles) where she took the 209-ton freezing ship Stella in tow and reached North Port in Chalky Sound (roughly 35 miles distant). after six and a half hours, thus demonstrating a towing speed of well over five miles per hour. This is justly regarded by all concerned as an outstanding performance. On the run back to Bluff the Kekeno touched a speed of 10 miles per hour in unfavourable weather conditions, the wind being dead ahead practically all the way and

at times of half gale force. The ship’s performance demonstrated the suitability of her type of engine for any strenuous work—especially in view of the remarkable economy in operation costs over petrol and semi-Diesel types of engines. The large Ruston-Lister Diesel is operating in various jobs, including oyster dredging, at a total fuel and oil cost of less than two shillings per hour. Another point of interest in the Kekeno is a special oystering winch designed and built by Messrs J. Johnston and Sons, of Invercargill. This is of very strong construction, and

the cost of installing another engine to drive it has been obviated by the simple arrangement of a drive off the fore end of the main engine. Many people have inspected the Kekeno recently and through the courtesy of Captain Roderique have gained an idea of what her new engine means to the vessel.