SHIP AS DECK CARGO

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 47, 18 November 1937, Page 11

SHIP AS DECK CARGO

Our Own Corresponaent.)

Largest Vessel Ever Freighted task of unloading

(From

SYDNEY, ZSTov. 5. The 189 tons motorship Le Phoquo began her maidbn voyage- from Sydnoy this wcek 12,000 miles from the port where she was built — Rotterdam. The expla nation of this socming anomaly is that the vessel arrived in Sydney as deck cargo on the German freighter Stassfurt. The Le Phoque, which is 110 i'eet long, is claimed to be tih© "largest vessel ever freighted in this manner. . The Le Phoque, which was specially built for the Ncw Caledonian coastai trade, was shippeo. on board the Stassfurt at Eotterdam, two huge floating eranes being used to ILft her from the water. Her transfer from the deck of the Stassfurt to the water of Sydney Harbour provid-cd a severe task for the lioating erane Titan. The Titan lial previously raised weights of up to 150 tons at the Coekatoo Island dockyard, but not off a ship, The Titan began the work at 8 a.m. and it was after 5 p.m. before the man in eharge gave the order to make the fotual Ji h't. Thousands of persons watched the oprration from neiglibouring wharves, and about 30 harbour eraft cruisedc lose by. Great care had to be taken, because the weight of tho Le Phoque was expected to tax the Titan 's power fully, and the small space for manoeuvring made it iinperuthat iw gljjp ahoul^ be. ffl&de. (

When the word was given to lift, || the spectators held their breath. The vessel rose clear of the ehocks.and there was a gasp as a slight twist in the lif ting wires caused. the bow to swing sharply toward one of the Strassfurt *s. derriek posts. The motion was quickly corrected, however, and the hull merely grazed the steel upright as an agile seaman dropped a btimper between tui. surfaces. When the vessel was clear of the deck rails the Titan was manoeuvred into a position to allow the vessel to be lowered gently into the water. Wind and tide being favourable, the Titan' was allowed to drift away from the Stassfurt merely by slackening off the mooring lines. The rest was plain sail™g. The spectators acknqwledged the skill of the workmen with loud cheermg as the hull touched the water and settled down safely.