NEW PHOSPHATE STEAMER

Taranaki Daily News, 29 March 1932, Page 2

NEW PHOSPHATE STEAMER

TRIONA ARRIVES AT AUCKLAND. \ LAYING DEEP-SEA MOORINGS. Making her first visit to Auckland, the British Phosphate steamer Triona arrived from Nauru Island on Sunday with 6400 tons of phosphates, all for discharge at Auckland. The vessel is practically new, having been launched from the shipbuilding yards of Harland and Wolff, Limited, Glasgow, last year. Besides being constructed for the carriage of cargoes of phosphates , from Nauru and Ocean Islands, the Triona is used for the transporting of native labour employed on the icliinds. In addition she has accommodation for members of the s'aff travelling to and from the islands. The chief features of_ the Triona are the facilities for the lifting and laying of the Nauru Island and Ocean Island moorings, which arc ;the deepest laid moorings in the world, being anchored in 260 fathoms. A combined mooring, including anchor and cable, weighs about 50 tons. To lift such a heavy weight from the bottr-n of the ocean at such an exceptional depth, the Triona is fitted with a windlass which is said to be one of the heaviest afloat. It weighs 60 tons and has a lifting capacity of 100 tons. The deck machinery and appliances also include a 50-ton derrick, a slewing derrick crane, capable of a load of. ten tons, on the forecastle head, a combined steam and hand windlass forward, as well as eight five-ton steam winches on deck for unloading the cargo. To facilitate, the work of laying moorings the vessel has a elipper bow and on the upjer part of the stern are two large iron sheaves over which the mooring wires can be led.

The Triona’s tonnage is 4413 gross, and her dimensions are: Length between perpendiculars, 365 ft.; breadth, 54ft.; depth, 27f t . Her. single screw is driven by triple expansion engines, the steam for which is generated from oilfired b- ’.lers. On her trials she attained a speed of 13.4 knots. The crew number 48 all told, and Captain M. M. Johnstone is in command.

On her present trip the Triona was delayed off Nauru Island’ for ten days owing to bad weather, but when the conditions improved the vessel was able to moor at the loading buoys. The cargo was loaded in eight hours by means of the newly-installea cantilever. The name Triona is meant to imply that the vessel .three owners, Britain, Australia and New Zealand, the three coui.iries represented on the British Phosphate Commission.