NEW TONNAGE RECORD

Taranaki Daily News, 29 November 1930, Page 9

NEW TONNAGE RECORD

PORT OF NEW PLYMOUTH. TAMAROA LARGEST VESSEL. A new tonnage record of 12,354 tons was established at the port of New Plymouth when the Royal Mail steamer Tamaroa arrived from Auckland yesterday morning to load dairy produce apd frozen meat. Although the vessel is listed at 12,351 tons gross in the Shaw, Savill and Albion' Company’s handbook, Lloyd’s Register, gives the vessel’s tpnjiage at 12,354 tons. Officially the Tamaroa is articled at 12,353.9 tons. ■ Both of these figures exceed the gross tonnage of the R.M-S. lonic (12,352 tons), which arrived at New Plymouth on September/ 12. - x The Tamaroa'- was built in 1112.2 by Harland and Wolff, Ltd., Belfast, for the Aberdeen White Star. Line Australian service. In this service the vessel wan known as the Sophocles. In 1926 the Sophocles was purchased by. the Shaw, Savill and Albion Company, renamed Tamaroa and converted into an oil-burner, -The addition of the Tamaroa and her sister ship the Mataroa to the Shaw, Savill fleet marked an advance in the travelling facilities between England and New Zealand,

In. 1928 tho Tamaroa’s engines were extensively overhauled, and an enorhious improvement in speed was effected. The shipn now accomplish the journey from New Zealand to England via Curacoa in 33 days. The large proportion of single-berth bedstead cabins is an outstanding feature of the steamers, private sitting rooms and.private bathrooms are available for passengers desiring special accommodation. The Tamaroa is constructed in the most modern manner with a cruiser stern. She is. 500.4 ft. Jong, 63.2 ft. broad and 39.6 ft, deep. When she arrived at New Plymouth she was drawing 24 ft.' Pin.

There are ten water-tight bulkheads dividing the vessel into 11 compartments, and a double bottom extending the length of the ship, thus giving the maximum of safety, The Tamaroa has for 130 first-class pas-? sengers and 422 third-class. As *a cargo-carrier the Tamaroa has been an important addition to the New Zealand trade. The vessel’s holds are refrigerated to provide cold storage for 110,000 freight carcases or their equivalent; In addition fruit and cheese can be carried in the ’tween-decks, which are fitted for this purpose with th© most up-to-date system of air circulation by fans. The refrigerating machinery is on the carbon dioxide system; with multiple brine temperature circulation which can be regulated to suit the cargo. The vessel will load 15,000 boxes’ of butter, 8000 crates of cheese and 1500 freight earcases of meat at New Plymouth. She will sail to-morrow for Timaru, Napier and Wellington to complete loading. She is to leave Wellington on December 17 for Southampton and London via the Panama Canal.