LARGE COASTAL SHIP

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26638, 8 December 1947, Page 9

LARGE COASTAL SHIP

TANK LANDING CRAFT Special to the Daily Times. AUCKLAND, Dec. 7. One of the largest freighters to be engaged in the New Zealand coastal trade, the 320 ft. American tank landing ship recently purchased at Pearl Harbour by the Roose Shipping Co. Ltd., of Mercer, has completed cleaning and painting on a slipway and has moved to a berth to complete fitting for the voyage to Auckland. Advice has been received from Mr. Caesar Roose, managing-director of the company, who flew to Honolulu with a crew for the ship last month, that the party expects to sail before Christmas. , ~ _ The vessel will be named the Rawhiti, after the old paddle-steamer which served on the Waikato River for 22 years before being converted this year into a barge. She was built in the United States in 1943,but has had very little service. With a 50ft. beam, the Rawhiti will carry 2000 tons dead-weight, drawing 14ft. aft fully loaded. She has twin screws and twin rudders and is powered by two 900 horse-power diesel engines, which will give her a fully-loaded service speed of 9£ knots. Part of her cargo for Auckland will be 80 trucks. Commanded by Captain W M McLeod, of Wellington, the Rawhiti is expected to steam to Auckland by way of Niue Island and Nukualofa. The Rawhiti's home port will be Port Waikato, but the nature ot her trade has not yet been decided.