NEW MOTOR-SHIP

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 134, 3 December 1938, Page 11

NEW MOTOR-SHIP

THE WAIMARAMA

LATEST EQUIPMENT

The latest addition to the fleet of the Shaw, Savill, and Albion Co., Ltd., arrived at Wellington this morning from Auckland and Liverpool. She is the Waimarama,. of over 11,000 tons gross tonnage. The Waimarama is the fourth of a series of vessels specially

designed for the Anglo-Australian trade, and in general design she is similar to her three predecessors, the Waiwera, Waipawa, and the Wairangi, but she is faster. She registered a mean average of 20 knots on her trials. Her name in Maori means "moonlit waters."

Launched on May 31, the Waimarama broke the existing record from England to New Zealand, her actual sailing time being 27 days 8 hours. On the journey her average . speed was 18 knots. The passage is more creditable when it is considered that she was driven at reduced speed to allow her engines to be run in.

The Waimarama is equipped for the carriage of Empire products, and she will carry varied cargoes.. Altogether she has about 600,000 cubic feet .of refrigerated cargo space served with the most up-to-date refrigerating plant, and accommodation for almost 1200 tons of chilled beef. There is provision t for 12 passengers in comfortable and tastefully furnished single- and two-berth rooms, ■ all of which have a hot and cold water supply, while the public rooms include a lounge, dining-room, and smoking-room. The new vessel has twin screws, and is of the shelterdeck type, her principal dimensions being as follows:—Length overall, 535 ft 6in; moulded beam, 70ft; depth, 43ft 4£in. She has a straight stem, cruiser stern, two masts, and a single funnel. There are three cargo holds forward and three aft of the machinery space, with corresponding 'tween decks. The hatches are served by 20 steel derricks with a 45-ton derrick at No. 2 [hatch. These are worked by 19 winches. The machinery cfonsists of two sets of the latest design of Har-land-Burmeister and Wain six-cylinder ! single-acting Diesel engines, while the ! auxiliary machinery is electrically driven, power being supplied by four 300 k.w. generators. Latest navigation devices have^been provided. Quarters for the crew are in advance of recent Board of Trade regulations. The men are berthed amidships and aft in twoberth cabins.

Captain J. Avern, formerly of the motor-ship Coptic, is in command of the ship, and his officers are as follows: —Chief, Mr. R. Pearce; second, Mr. A. J. Galvin; third, Mr. M. Newton; fourth, Mr. J. Wildsmith. The chief engineer is Mr. J. S. Margitson.

The Waimarama is scheduled to leave Wellington on Tuesday for Lyttelton to continue discharge of her Liverpool cargo.