THE REPAIR OF THE S.S. KAIPARA. A Big Undertaking.

Progress, Volume V, Issue 6, 1 April 1910, Page 188

THE REPAIR OF THE S.S. KAIPARA. A Big Undertaking.

(By Our Special Reporter.) The stranding of the New Zealand Shipping Company's s.s. "Kaipara," through striking a submerged rock in Rangitoto Channel, is now a matter of history, and whatever other result may accrue, it has, at least, given the nautical men of this Dominion an opportunity of showing that they are able to cope with the great task of salving and repairing an ocean liner which even in the Mother Country, is considered a big undertaking. The particulars of the salving are wellknown, and we propose to deal in this

article with the larger work of repairing the vessel. On being placed in dock it was at once apparent that the "Kaipara" had sustained extensive damage and, after survey, tenders were called for the work of reinstatement. For this the competition was keen, most of the leading engineering firms of the Dominion being competitors. In the result the contract was let to Messrs. J. 11. Adams and Co.. of Auckland, and Messrs. Hutchison and Campbell, of "Wellington, who have combined 'for the purpose of carrying out the work. The successful tenderers estimate the time to be occupied upon the contract as forty-two working days, and as this is far below the estimate of any other competitor, the opinion has been freely expressed that the work cannot be done in the time. How-

ever, after viewing the -Work at its present stage, and seeing the energetic and resourceful way in which all are working, your contributor ventures to predict that the contractors will succeed, and if they do they will be justly entitled to a proud position among leading ship repair contractors of the Dominion. The s.s. "Kaipara" is a steel, twin screw, 4-masted steamer, and is a fine specimen of the high-class Intermediate Boats of the New Zealand Company's fleet, and as she lies in Calliope Dock she presents a striking picture of beautiful lines and proportions. Her dimensions are: Length over all, 460 ft .; moulded, depth, 34ft. ; beam. 58ft. ; net tonnage, 4741 tons ; and stoss tonnage, 7392 ton's. The damage extends from under her fore-

foot for a length of 150 feet along her starboard side, and has necessitated the cutting out, renewing and replacing of the whole of that portion of the vessel from her keel plate to the waterline. No fewer than fifty-six of her large frames and reverse bars have had to be cut out and renewed. The plates which cover these are of the largest size, ranging from twenty feet by six feet to twentyseven feet by six feet, and from %in. to %in. in thickness. Twenty-one of these plates had to be cut, out of which seven are straightened and returned, and fourteen are new. The new plates have been collected from all ports of Australasia, Sydney supplying the largest numberThe internal damage is considerable and has necessitated the removal and straightening of some of the ballast tank sides and also the cutting out of a large number of floors, bilgeplates and intercostalplates ; of these a considerable number have been straightened and replaced, while of the first, twelve have had to be renewed and also sixteen of the bilge plates. The keel plate, which was bidly damaged was successfully straightened into place by means of one hundred ton Hydraulic jacks. The propeller shaft had to be withdrawn