Tank-landing Ship For N.Z. Coastal Trade

Chronicle (Levin), 14 February 1948, Page 3

Tank-landing Ship For N.Z. Coastal Trade

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ALCKLAND, Feb. 13. Just under 19 days out of llonoluJu. the former American tank-lauding ship Rawhiti crossed the bar at Waikato lleads today, fhe-iargest vessel ever to enter Port Waikato. Purchased by -the B'qose fghipping Co. Ltd., of Mercelf the Rawhiti, with a cargo capacity of . |rpiu' 2000 to 3000 toiis, will be oue of the largest ships ou the New Zealand, coast. The end of a fine ; weather voyage made two days- ahe'ad-. of; timetabie, completed several mbnths'.;of .gruelling; work for the Bawhiti's Bre# df:li; The story of her purchase/ay; tpjd! "byj Mr. Caesar Roose, the company's niahagnig director, began about 12 months ago wlien l^lr. J. Tidd, of Hamilton, found lie could purchase more thau 100 American Army surplus trucks in Honolului For six months he tried without success to find transport to New Zealand for them and he finally told Mr. Boose that a tank landing ship was for sale at Pearl Harbour which his company might purchase and use to earry the trucks to the Dominion. The ship was eventually purchased and » the crew flown from Auckland 24 months ago. She was towed from Pearl Harbour to Houolulu where it was found that two years' idleness had resulted in mucn

deterioration. The machinery had to be replaeed so Mr. RooSe purchased a 20knot patrol ship from the United Etates Navy, brought lier alongside the Rawhiti and completely stripped it. ' ' The crew worked all hours to prepare the ship for- sea, ' ' commented Mr. Boose. "They have done a splendid job and it just shows what can be done by real unionism as opposed to organised loaling." When all was ready the Bawhiti's bow doors, were opened5and the loading ramp lowered'on the beaeh. The 140 trucks were then run aboaxd. An elevator .lifted those to be stowed 011 the top deck and when the work was finished, both hold and deck were eom pletely Hlled with, vehicles. A totaJ weight of 1200 tons provided the need ed ballast for the voyage. Next weclc the loading ramp will be lowered again and the trucks will be run on to Boose and Co. barges to be towed up-river to their owner at Hamii ton. The master of the Bawhiti, Captain W, M. McEeod, former deputy harbour master at Wellington, said. the vessel was one of the flnest he had been aboard. "I can do a lot of jobs with the Rawhiti and do thenj more cheaply and quiekly than any other' ship on the coast but the question is whether I will be allowed to," said Mr. Caesar Roose. He did not know what trade the new vessel would serve. It could be ready now to load but- for regulations and red tape. "This ship provides a new way of handling cargo," said Mr. Boose. "Trucks can ripi cargoesln and out oi the hold. Waterside workers want six men on the wharf, two winchmen, a hatchman and six men in the "hold. This ship has no hatches and no winches, so no waterside workers are required." Mr. Boose envisaged the Bawhiti going into outlying ports- and harbours and moving direetly to the beaches where lorries would eome aboard to talce shipments direet to farms. Wet weather would not interfere with the work.