7

H.—l6a

Government Stea m brs. The Government steamers surveyed and inspected this year include the s.s. " Amokura." s.s. " Antrim," s.s. " Ben Lomond," o.e.v. Defence Launch " W," s.s. " Hinemoa," s.s. " Janie Seddon." s.s. " Mountaineer," o.e.v. " Reremoana," s.s. " Taw r era," and s.s. " Tutanekai " : a total of ten. S.s. " Tutanekai." —This vessel had renewals made to main-boiler manhole-doors. The exhaustpipes for the cable-gear engine were altered to lead direct into main waste steam-pipe connection, and a connection was fitted so that the exhaust could be led direct into the auxiliary or the main condensers if necessary. S.s. " Hinemoa." —A general overhaul was given to this vessel during the year, the repairs taking some weeks. The contract was let to a southern firm, and was carried out at Lyttelton. Tin 1 repairs included new valves and studs to the air-pump. The main guide slipper was filled with Richards's plastic metal. The crank-shali was refilled up. The thrust-bearing was refined and fitted. All quadrant bars for main slide- and expansion-valve gears were trued up. and all brasses refined and fitted. The slide-valve faces received attention where required. A new high-pressure eccentric sheave was made and fitted. Roth balance-cylinders were bored out true, and new pistons fitted complete. Repairs to feed-pumps were effected. New junk-ring bolts were fitted to both main-engine pistons. The steering-engine and the dvnan ngines were thoroughly overhauled. The windlass had a new crank-shaft fitted, and a thorough overhaul. The fore winch had new keys fitted to gearing. The rudder and connection were thoroughly overhauled, and several repairs made to hull. The main boilers were caulked where required, and some old patches were taken off and re jointed. A I rial run was made after completion, when all the work in the engine-room was found lo lie quite satisfactory. S.s. " Amokura." During the year repairs were effected to this vessel's main engines and boilers, and to the hull and other finings. In tin- engine-room the high-pressure piston-valve liner was drawn, and a. new one fitted. The intermediate piston-valve liner was also drawn, and a new one fitted. The guide-shoes of the low-pressure engine were relined and refitted. The main discharge-valve had a. new spindle and nuts fitted. The main-boiler furnace-doors, furnace-bearers, smoke-box doors, and funnel-dampers were overhauled and repaired where necessary. Repairs were also effected to ash-hoist. to engine-room escape-door, to ventilators, to hammock fittings, to stanchions on the forecastle and poop decks, and to sluice- valves, and new doors were fitted to gangways. f'.s. " Mountaineer." -The piston-rod glands and neck-rings were rebushed. The high-pressure slide-valve spindle was turned up. and new bushes were fitted to the gland and neck rings. The roeking-shaft bearings were all relined up with white -metal, and the shaft refitted. Additional Steamers and Vessels surveyed for the First Time. Twenty-six new steamers and vessels fitted with oil-engines as auxiliary power have been surveyed for the first time during the past year. The names of these vessels are as follows : " Dreadnought,-"* " Eileen Ward," "Eliza,"* " Endor,"* " Hananui II," " Hapai," " Huanui,"* " Kaitoa," " Kiwi,"* " Koutunui,' " Kowhai," " Mangakura,"* "Maui," " Ngatoro," ''Nikau," " Onewa," " Paritutu." "Planet," " Sea Queen I."* " Taipo,"* " Te Pioneer," "Te Whaka." "The Minerva." " Turanga,"* " Waireka," "Will Watch."* Sailing-ships. Fourteen sailing-ships were surveyed during the year. In nearly all cases some repairs were effected to these ships, or some, additions made to their equipments. The repairs consisted chiefly in renewals to copper sheathing, repairs to rigging, renewals of masts and spars, the overhaul and renewal of steering-gear, and repairs to pintles and plating of rudders, repairs and renewals to hull plating and planking, and caulking generally. The boilers carried hy some of the vessels for cargo and other purposes received a thorough inspection, and timely repairs in some cases. The wooden vessel "Jessie Nicol" received a very considerable overhaul, which included repairs to bulwark and stanchions, and repairs to hull planking both on port and starboard sides, renewal of covering-hoard planking, repairs to Copper sheathing, repairs to rigging, and general overhaul of equipments. Return No. 15 gives the names of these vessels, their gross and registered tonnage measurements, class of vessel, and the number of times surveyed. The total fees for the survey of these sailing-vessels amounted to £110 15s. Districts and Inspectors. Inspector Dalrymple, of the Wanganui district, was transferred to the Auckland district, and Inspector Suisted succeeded him at Wanganui. Inspector Mackenzie was transferred to the Westland district. Inspector Williamson, of the Timaru district, assisted in the Southland and Marlborough districts for some weeks in each case. Inspector Hood, of the Nelson district, assisted in the Wellington district for six weeks. Inspector C'ullen, of the Palmerston North district, assisted in the Wanganui district for about two months; Inspector Kydd of the Wellington and Inspector Crawford of the Otago districts assisted inthe Hawke's Ray district for several weeks. Mr. Alfred Everard Macindoe was appointed to the position of Inspector of Machinery. Surveyor of Ships, and Examiner of Marine Engineers and of Land Engineers and Engine-drivers. He was for many years chief engineer of the s.s. " Rarawa." trading between Onehunga and New Plymouth. He began his duties on the Ist February. 1911, and has been attached to the Wellington office staff meantime. During the year several of the Inspectors had long illnesses, which entailed considerable extra work on the others.

* Oil-engine vessels.