MOTOR-SHIP BRAND

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 93, 11 July 1927, Page 2

MOTOR-SHIP BRAND

DUE TO-MORROW ON HER MAIDEN VOYAGE According to a radio message received by A. S. Paterson and Company, the new motor-ship Brand was 700 miles off Tiri last evening, and is expected to arrive at Auckland tomorrow night from Texas. The vessel is bringing a cargo of sulphur for discharge at Auckland and Australia. The Brand is on her maiden voyage, and sailed from Gotaverken last month for Texas, to load as above. Since the advent of motor-ships, owners have sent several of their vessels out to New Zealand and to Australia on their maiden voyages. The reason given for this is that the vessels may be given a really' good tryout on a long voyage, and any defects in their machinery which may occur during the long run is noted, and efforts are made in future vessels to remedy these. The owners of this new motor-ship are the well-known firm of Borgestad and Co., of Norway, who are one of the leading motor-ship owners of the present time. Delivery

was taken last May by the Borgestad Company of the motor-ship Brand, built at Gotaverken.* She is 8,750 tons deadweight, with a length of 380 feet, a beam of 54 feet, and a depth of 28 feet 6 inches. Two Gotaverken B and W. engines, each of 1,400-i.h.p., are installed. These are of the trunk-piston type, having six cylinders 550-mm. bore, with a piston stroke of 1,000mm., the normal speed being 140 revolutions per minute. During the course of the trials the engines indicated 3,400 h.p., and a fuel consumption of 133 grammes per i.h.p. an hour was attained. A mean speed of 13 knots was reached on light load. Accommodation for the captain is provided on the lower bridge, and the navigating officers and engineers have cabins around the engineroom casing. The loaded daught is 25 feet 6 inches. Mr. Gunnar Knudsen, the head of the Borgestad Company, who is an ex-Prime Minister of Norway, his son, Christen Knudsen, also a ship-owner, and a large number of guests were present at the trip. After the luncheon on board Mr. Knudsen referred to the favouarble results achieved by his earlier ship, “Bronney,” also built by Gotaverken, and with the new vessel. To indicate his satisfaction with the work done by the men at the yard, he presented the sum of £250 to Gotaverken’s workmen’s fund, and gave other presents.