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Some of the principal surveys of sailing-ships during the year are as follows : — Schooner " Atalanta." —Twenty-eight new timbers were fitted on each side of the bottom of the hull. The hull was refastened in several places and recaulked. Nearly the whole of the wooden lining in the hold was renewed. All chain plates, except three, on the forward and after rigging were renewed. Most of the decks were also renewed, and the rudder, steering-gear, &c, received a thorough overhaul. Schooner " Clio." —To this vessel a new keel was fitted and coppered. Nearly the whole of the planking in stern was renewed. Several new bolts were put into the chain-plate fastenings, and the hull was all recaulked. The sheathing was renewed where required, and hull cleaned and painted. The firebox of the donkey-boiler was found to be corroded, and the working-pressure was reduced by 15 lb. per square inch. Ship " Dartford." —This vessel was placed in dry dock and thoroughly examined. All the linings in the holds were taken up, and the frames and floor-plates were cleaned and painted. Several planks were renewed in the deck. Extra crew accommodation was fitted, reducing the register tonnage by 56 tons. Ketch " Glenae." —This vessel was altered from a hold to a deck scow. New 'deck-planking and several new deck-beams were fitted, and two new wooden beams, each 5 in. by 6| in., were bolted along the bottom of the vessel inside, fore and aft. The worm-eaten plank was cut out of the port bow and several out of the stem, and new planks fitted. Repairs were also made to the sheathing on the bottom of the hull and to the centre-board and rudder. An additional length of cable, 15 fathoms, ■£~ in. diameter, was placed on board. Schooner "Hawk." —From the bottom of this vessel two worm-eaten planks were taken out and replaced with new ones. A piece of the stern-post was cut out and a new graving-piece fitted in. A new rudder was fitted. The centre-boards were lifted out, and several new planks put in after centre-board. The donkey-boiler was cleaned out and overhauled, and a new pressure-gauge was fitted. Schooner " Huia." —The principal repairs to this vessel were the renewing of the whole of the port bow from stem right down to keel and to about 9 ft. abaft the stem. A new wooden knee was fitted on starboard bow of bulwarks. A new breast-hook and a new bowsprit were fitted. The sheathing was renewed in several places on the bottom. A new kedge anchor and 30 fathoms of | in. chain cable were placed on board. Ketch " Huon Belle." —All deck-planking at the stern for the full width of this vessel and from the end of deck-house to aft was lifted. Several beams under deck in the vicinity of the rudder-trunk were renewed. All new deck-planking was laid on the after deck, caulked and pitched. The rudder-trunk was repaired and caulked. Repairs were also made to bulwarks, centre-board, rudder, and steering-gear. Schooner " Korora." —Several worm-eaten planks were cut out of the bottom of this vessel just abaft the stem. New planks were fitted in and caulked. The bottom seam in centre-board casing was recaulked, and new sheathing was put round the edge of aperature, The top sides of hull were caulked all round. A new mainmast is to be fitted. The donkey-boiler was also overhauled. Schooner " Kahu." —This vessel was formerly an auxiliary ketch. The centre-board was lifted out, three new planks fitted in same, and replaced. The whole of the keel aft and the deadwood, also the stern-post, were renewed. The rudder was repaired, and new wheel-chains were fitted to the steering-gear. Ketch " Lizette." —Some of the more important repairs to this vessel include two new chainplates for after rigging, a hardwood rider keelson the full length of hold, side pieces of timber fitted to the keel for the full length of the hold, new false keel of jarrah timber, 9 in. by 3 in., on whole length of keel. A new piece of timber was scarfed into stern-post, A new port bow anchor and 30 fathoms of § in. chain cable were put on board. Schooner " Toafa Haarnea." — This vessel received a good overhaul. Fifteen new frame timbers were fitted from the bilge up to deck-line, and fastened in on both sides. All the lining amidships was renewed. The whole of the hull from the bilge upwards was caulked. All bolts in chain-plates were renewed. The vessel was fully equipped for foriegn trade. Districts and Inspectors. Mr. Matthew Sharp, Inspector of Machinery and Surveyor of Ships, died on the 19th December, 1911, after an illness of some four months. He joined the Department on the Ist February, 1902. He was a very careful and trusted surveyor and inspector, and his decisions, both in shipping and land work, were never questioned either by shipowners or machinery-owners. By his death the Department has lost the services of a very capable officer. Mr. Archibald Walker, one of the Inspectors of Machinery and Surveyors of Ships stationed at Dunedin, left the service on the 12th March, 1912, to take ud the position of Lloyd's Marine Surveyor and representative at Wellington. Mr. Walker joined the service on the 3rd January, 1901, and has been continuously in the Otago District, He proved himself to be a very reliable and trustworthy officer, and carried out his duties at all times to the satisfaction of the Department. Mr. Henry Wetherilt, who was the senior officer as Inspector of Machinery and Surveyor of Ships at Auckland, retires from the service on superannuation on the 14th June, 1912. He joined the service on the 27th February, 1896, and was stationed first at Dunedin, but afterwards transferred to Auckland on the 4th April, 1902. He was a trusted servant of the Department, and carried out his duties at all times to the satisfaction of the Department. To fill the vacancies thus caused the following appointments were made : Mr. Thomas Cooper was appointed on the 3rd January, 1912, Mr. Henry Nov on the 13th March, 1912, and Mr, James McAlpine on the 25th March, 1912,

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