The Matara.

Manawatu Herald, 18 October 1898, Page 2

The Matara.

For boats to be built on the banks of the Manawatn Biver is nothing naw, as in the early days the late Mr T. U. Cook had his sailing craft built up at Paiaka, and we have had the Ivy and the Sunbeam built at Foxton. Wirokino is now the rite for shipbuilding, as there the Messrs Howe are constructing a new screw steamer which from their past experience they believe will be a money making boat. The Meson Howe it will be remembered were the owners of that boat, almost created in litigation, and which clung to her to her end, the Moutoa. Daring the last twelvemonths of her life the Moutoa had new engines and a new boiler, and when the hall gave way the owners deoided on building a new one in which to place so valuable a part of their property. The new boat, which is now on the stocks, and has the planking '• nearly completed, ia to be named the Matar* — which being interpreted means— Alert. The name is good and the boat has been designed to do credit to it. The dimensions are as follows :— Length, over all, 52 feet; beam, 9 feet 6 inches ; depth of hold, 4 feet 6 inches. She has a kauri keel 6io by 6in, to whioh ribs of angle-iron are fixed, and she will be carvel built. The planking is all kauri If inches thick, as well as the deck. She will be lined throughout. The hull is divided into three watertight compartments— in the bows, a collision bulkhead, then the forecabin 8 feet in length, then a hold of 16 feet, then the engine room. The engine room is divided from the hold by an iron bulkhead, the only piece of work obtained from Wellington. She will have spacious ooal.bnnkers on either side capable of storing from 26owt to 80cwt.

There will be permanent bulwarks round the deck 18 inches in height, to which another 18 inches will be added by moveable iron sockets and railings. The boat will also be fitted with wheel and tiller, and steam winch.

Her draught will not be more than 8 feet 6 inches loaded, so that she can work the river handily at all seasons of the year, and will draw from 2 feet 6 inches to 3 feet light.

The Matara's engines are those previously on the Moutoa and. 94^nearly new and of 8 horse-powe^^ The high-pressure boiler is also nearly new and is certificated to 100 "

It is hoped to have the boat ready for launching before Christmas, and some little ceremony will probably be observed at such an interesting event.