The Log Book

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 400, 14 July 1928, Page 2

The Log Book

PAUA SAILED.—After completing the discharge of her cargo of bulk oil from Wellington, the Shell Company’s coastal tanker Paua sailed from Auckland yesterday afternoon for the capital again. CARGO FROM NEW YORK.—The A. and A. Line steamer Trevorian is to leave New York to-morrow for Auckland, Wellington, Lyttelton and Dunedin, and the City of Batavia for the same ports on July 30. TASMANIA CLEARED COLON.—The Federal Line steamer Tasmania is reported to have cleared Colon last Wednesday in continuation of her voyage from New Zealand to Liverpool. She sailed from Napier on June 9. CANADIAN CHALLENGER SAILS.— After taking on 75 tons of fuel oil at Western Wharf this morning the Canadian National Steamships steamer Canadian Challenger sailed from Auckland with a full cargo of New Zealand produce for Montreal, via "New York and Boston. PORT HLION REPORTS. —According to her wireless report received this morning by the Farmers’ Co-operative Auctioneering Company, the Commonwealth and Dominion Line motor-ship Port Huon is expected to arrive at Auckland on Tuesday afternoon next from London. The vessel, which has cargo for Wellington and New Plymouth also, has been allotted a berth at Queen’s Wharf. CANADIAN BRITISHER REPORTED. —En route from Montreal to New Zealand the Canadian Government steamer Canadian Britisher is reported to have reached Colon last Wednesday. The cargo is for discnarge at Auckland, Wellington, Lyttelton, Timaru and Dunedin. The vessel is due at Auckland about August 10. HORORATA AND MAIMOA.—The New Zealand Shipping Company’s steamer Hororata and the Shaw, Savill steamer Maimoa are reported to have reached London from New Zealand on Thursday. The Hororata was dispatched from Wellington, via Panama, on May 30. The Maimoa sailed from Wellington on the same day, travelling via Montevideo and Teneriffe. AORANGI REPORTS.—According to a radio message received by the local office of the Union Company, the R.M.M.S. Ai>rangi is expected to arrive in the stream at Auckland at 2 o’clock to-morrow afternoon from Vaucouver, via way ports. After pratique has been granted, the liner will berth later at the Prince’s Wharf to land her passengers, mails and cargo. She is to leave here at 1 p.m. on Monday in continuation of her voyage to Sydney. THE CANADIAN HIGHLANDER,—To complete the discharge of her cargo from Montreal, the Canadian National Steamships steamer Canadian Highlander left Auckland yesterday afternoon for Wellington, Lyttelton, Timaru and Dunedin. She then commences loading in the South for Montreal, via New York and Boston, and is due back at Auckland at the beginning of next month to complete. MOERAKI LEAVES WELLINGTON.— Looking very spick and span in her new coat of light grey paint, the Moeraki left Wellington yesterday for Newcastle and Sydney, where she will enter the SydneySuva trade, under the joint control of the Union Steam Ship Company and the A.U.S.N. Company. The Moeraki, which is replacing the A.U.S.N. Company’s old steamer Suva, is scheduled to leave Sydney on July 25 for Suva, and will maintain a regular threeweekly service. Once well known in the intercolonial trade, the Moeraki, which has a registered tonnage of 4,421 tons, was built by Messrs. Denny Bros., and first arrived at Wellington on December 32, 1902. TOFU A SAILED.—A departure from Auckland this morning was the Union Company’s Island passenger steamer Tofua (Captain Duncan MacDonald), with passengers, mails and cargo for Fiji, Tonga and Samoa. The following passengers went with her:— Saloon; Mr. I. Mendelssohn, Rev. M. Edge, Mr. J. J Johnson, Mr. T. Fraser, Mr. J. C. Taylor, Mr. A. 11. Peach, Mr. A. Smith, Mrs. Taylor Mrs. McLellan, Miss Wilson, Mrs. Lawson, Mr. and Mrs. P. E. Thomson, Mr. and Mrs. W. J Truscott, Mrs. Anderson, Mrs McGraill,' Mrs. Leighton, Miss Patullo, Mrs. Ban-on, Mr. and Mrs. C. E. Kay, Mr. and Mrs. Thorne-George, Miss Hart. Miss Hawkins, Miss T links, Mr. and Mrs. E. 11. Reid, Mr. and Mrs C. D. Morris, Mrs. Jamieson, Mrs. Nelson, Mrs. Lamberton, Mr. h. Allen, Mr. N. E. Hewitt, Mr. A. T. Brennan, Mr. X. Hopkins, Mr. E. It. Horrell, Mr. P. O. Patullo, Mr. F J. Leighton, Mr. W. E. Caldow, Mrs. Flood,* Miss Me Beth, Mr. and Mrs. W. J. Tressider, Mrs. Longsdon, Miss Robertson, Mrs. Swabey, Miss Karslake, Mrs. Hennings and child, Mr. and Mrs. A. E. Goode, Mr. and Mrs J. E. Long, Mrs. Thompson, Lady Le Fleming, Miss Muldouney, Mr. D McGraill, Mr. C. R. Benton, Mr. M. N Tor rah, Mr. ,T. C. Wrist, Mr. C. M. Leabourn, Nlr. W. Benton, Mr. and Mrs. G. V. Bransgrove, Mrs Wilson, Mrs. Cavell, Mrs. Walters, Rev. J. W. McGaffrey, Mr. C. C. McCarthy, Miss C. Rounds, Miss Hamilton, Miss Sliepperd, Mrs. Rowe, Miss Galbraith, Mr. and Mrs. C. H. Hearte, Mr. and Mrs. J. 1,. Yarn ton, Miss Colebrook, Mrs. Waller, Miss Coates, Mr. R S. Galbraith, Mr. R. H. McCallum, Mr. B. W. Cooper. Mr. W. E. Sheppard. Mr. A. Shaw, .Mr. J. Thomson; and 10 steerage. including one Chinese and one Indian.

KAWATIRI FROM NEWCASTLE. The local office of the Union Company has been advised that the collier Kawatiri was to leave Newcastle this morning with a full cargo of coal for discharge at Auckland. She is due here next Friday. MARAMA LEAVES SYDNEY. — Cable advice has been received by the local office of the Union Company that the I intercolonial passenger steamer Marama ! left Svdnev at 3 p.m. yesterday for Auck- ; land, where she is due next Tuesday | morning. MAIL FROM AUSTRALIA. —The chief j postmaster has received advice that the I Marama, which sailed from Sydney yes- ! terday afternoon for Auckland, and is due here on Tuesday morning, has 43S bags of English, blast era and Australian mails J lor this port. NORFOLK IN PORT.—To complete j her loading under the agency of the New Zealand Shipping Company the Federal steamer Norfolk arrived at Auckland evening and berthed this morning Queen s Wharf. At daybreak on luesday she leaves Auckland for New N ork, Boston and London, via Panama. ROTORUA AT WELLINGTON. —According to advice received by the 1 local office of the New Zealand Shipping Company, the liner Rotorua arrived at \\ ellington at 9.15 a.m. to-day from London and Southampton. Passengers for Auckland are proceeding northward by the 2 p.m express from the capital to-day. The*vessel will discharge the remainder of her cargo at Lyttelton, Timaru and Port Chalmers. CONCENTRATION IN BRITISH SHIPPING. —According to “British Shipping and Finance for 19-5, recently published, about 42.3 per cent, of British tonnage is classified under six companies, i.e., P. and 0., R.M.S.P., Ellerman, Cunard, Holts, and Furness, Withy. The percentage shown for 1926 was *43.7. Eliminating tankers, fishing craft, ships of railroad companies, as well as all ships between 100 and 500 gross tons, one sees that the six groups mentioned control practically half of the British tonnage. The following chart illustrates in detail: —

A NEW DIESEL ENGINE.—Rumour hath it that the great Babcock and Wilcox firm has acquired the patent rights of a new adaptation of the Diesel engine, which has been evolved by a young Australian engineer, according to the Sydney “Daily Commercial News/’ The new type of engine is, the writer understands, of a type that can be utilised for heavy motor lorries and large capacity airplanes. It runs on residual oil, and, as regards fuel, is one of the cheapest propositions on earth. The mere fact that it has been taken up by a firm of the standing of Babcock and Wilcox, one of the greatest engineering establishments on earth, is sufficient proof that it is something out of the ordinary. The writer recently saw the engine in action, and it was noiseless and seemingly vibrationless. There have been many attempts to adapt the Diesel type of engine to heavy lorry and super-airplane purposes, but, so far, without success. The consummation is one devoutly to Ije desired, as the saving in fuel will be enormous, and the increase in power considerable. TRANSPACIFIC CARGO SERVICES. —The Union Company advises the following movements of vessels engaged in the trans-Pacific cargo services:— The Waihemo was to leave Loe Angeles yesterday for Auckland, Napier, Wellington, Melbourne and Sydney. She is due at Auckland on August 5. The Wairuna left Fanning Island on July 6 for Vancouver, San Francisco and Los Angeles to load for Papeete, Auckland, Napier. Lyttelton, Dunedin and New Plymouth. She will clear Los Angeles on August 15. The Waiotapu left Newcastle on July 11 for Vancouver direct, and will complete loading at San Francisco and Los Angeles for Wellington, Melbourne and Sydney. She will clear Los Angeles about August 31. The Waikawa will leave New Plymouth to-day for Suva and sail thence to Vancouver, San Francisco and Los Angeles to load for Apia, Wellington, Nelson, Melbourne and Sydney. She will clear Los Angeles on September 8. The Hauraki will leave Sydney on July 18 for Suva, and sail thence for Vancouver and load at Pacific Coast ports during August for Auckland. Wellington, Melbourne, Adelaide and Sydney. The Waitemata will leave Melbourne on July 25 for Sydney, and go thence to Newcastle, Suva and Vancouver. The forward loading dates at the Pacific Coast are approximately as follow: The Waitemata will load at Vancouver, San Francisco and Los Angeles during September for Nelson and other New Zealand otitports. The Waihemo will load at Vancouver and San Francisco in October and November for New Zealand and Australian ports. A steamer will load at Vancouver and .San Francisco during November for Melbourne, Adelaide and Sydney. The Wairuna will load at Vancouver and San Francisco during November for New Zealand and Australian ports. The Waikawa will load at Vancouver and San Francisco during December for New Zealand and Australian ports. The Hauraki will load at Vancouver and San Francisco during December for New Zealand and Australian ports. PROFITABLE MOTOR-SHIPS. “A dividend of 10 per cent, is paid and is due mainly to the motor ships, while the result of operating the old (steam) vessels is poor.” The evidence afforded in the aj3ove statement —made by the head of the Norden S.S. Co.—of the superiority of the motor ship over the steamer as a profit-earning vessel carries added weight, owing to the conditions under which the vessels of the company operate, says the “Motor Ship.” The Norden S.S. Co. has three motor ships and 13 steamers, and they trade over a wide area: To the West Indies, North and South America, Canada, the Pacific 6oast and Australia. As a result of the respective performances of the two classes of ships, it is stated in the report that it is the intention of the company to firy to sell the steamers, which, it is significantly added, “is very difficult.” The natural step is taken of placing an order for a new motor vessel. Lord Kylsant remarked that “on some routes the replacement of the steamer by the motor ship is inevitable,” and upon this there is general agreement. Discussion mainly centres round the extent of the routes to which this statement applies. In their world-wide trades owners such as the Wilhelmsen Lines and the East Asiatic Co. have not built a steamer since they first took to motor ships some years ago, and their combined fleet of oil-engined ships now totals nearly 300,000 tons gross. Eighteen of the 20 new vessels forming the newest addition to the HamburgAmerika Line fleet (for service between Europe, North America, Australia, the Far East and the West Indies) are to be propelled by internal-combustion motors. The point upon which it is fair, and at the same time important, to lay

emphasis is the widespread nature of the routes covered by these new vessels, and it is not surprising that some difficulty is experienced in disposing of steamers in face of the economic superiority of motor ships. There are some routes upon which it is clearly impossible for steamers to compete against motor ships, as, for instance, trades which enable ships to bunker at California or equally favourably situated ports for complete round voyages. An example may be cited in a 9,000-ton 13-knot vessel, the fuel bill of which will amount to £2O daily according to the present rates. It is, therefore, no surprise to find that the sixteen 13 to 14knot ships which are being built for German, British, Swedish, Danish and Norwegian owners to trade between European and Californian ports are all oilengined craft. It is generally considered that the greatest advantages of the motor ship are manifested on long-dis-tance routes, and this is, broadly speaking, true. It is, however, probably not generally realised that more motor ships than steamers have been ordered recently for transatlantic service, and the last five passenger liners laid down for trade between the United States and European ports are all to be internal-ccmbustion-engined ships. The generalisation regarding motor ships on longdistance routes, therefore, should not be taken too literally, and shipowners cannot be too strongly urged to discard statements relative to the economics of steamers and motor ships unless based upon actual performances of the respective vessels in corresponding circumstances.

FIRST ROTOR-SHIP. —The L ielLmr rotor-ship, “Baden Baden.* vessel fitted with rotating towers and named “Buekau.” has been purchased 1) tin Cap© Navigation Company, and it 18 understood that the rotors will be removed and a Diesel engine installed. BRITISH EXPORT TRADE. —Captain A \V I’earse, representative for Australia and New Zealand, Fort of London Authority, advises that in their desire to assist the British export trade, and as far as they are able to encourage the shipment of goods over their quays, the Fort of London Authority have decided to make a very substantial reduction in the rates on exports shipped over the authority’s dock quays as from May 1. I 1928. A very large variety of comniodi- ! ties will benefit by reductions varying from 10 to 30 per cent. CALIFORNIA’S SISTER-SHIP. The keel of the second liner for the International Mercantile Marine Company’s Panama Pacific Line, a comparion to the California, 22,000 tons gross, the largest steamship yet built in an American shipyard. has been laid on the same berth at the yard of the Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company from which the California was launched in October. Fabrication of frames and plates for the new vessel has been going on for some months, and construction of the hull is expected to progress rapidly, it being anticipated that she will be ready for launching in 13 months. It is probable that she will be named Virginia. She will be practically a counterpart of the California, and will have the same form of propulsion, Le., turbo-elec-tric drive, with oil-fired boilers. Her twin driving motors, which are rated at 17,000 liorse-power, are practically completed at Schenectady, New York. PASSING OF ROTOR-SHIP—The prediction of Captain Felix Reisenberg made in one of ins Kougii Logs about three years ago when the rolur-ship Buekau first performed in the harbour of New 1 ork has come true in the announcement that the Buekau is to be converted into an auxiliary schooner, says the “Nautical Gazette.” This is significant not onlv because this particular vessel is changing her means of propulsion, but also because it is an admission that the experiment of tiie rotor-ship lias not been a success as an economical and dependable method of ship propulsion. The Buekau was fitted with two large rotating cylinders, or towers, which gave the craft a forward or backward motion according to the direction in which the towers were rotated. Theoretically, the idea seemed good. Experiments have shown that a cylinder rotated rapidly by a. motor of its own moves at right angles to the wind which strikes it. This principle, the old Magnus law, was applied to navigation by Herr Anton Flettner. However, the defect in the system presented itself in the fact that unless the wind struck at right angles to the ship's course, the operation of the dynamical law was not thoroughly effective. This defeet placed rotor-ship operation somew*?at on the plane of the old-fashioned sailing ship, in that the new wind-driven vessel was obliged to tack when the wind was against her. When the wind blew’ . air , n-stern the ship was practically motionless. And so the Buekau. having served her time to disprove the theory of the rotorship, abandons her unique system of propulsion. While the Barbara, a threetowered rotor-ship, is still plying between Germany and South America, it inav bo wheat ships, is reminiscent of the lively easily assumed that she, too, will have the same fate as the Buekau. PULVERISED COAL v. OIL.— We published figures in the last issue of “The Motor Ship,” which demonstrated that the interest and depreciation charges on a steamer fitted for pulverised coal firing more than counter-balanced any saving that might be effected in the fuel bill; these were based upon the first vovage of the Mercer, and the statements issued by the officials of the United States Shipping Board, says the latest issue of that journal. We now return to the subject in its bearing on the motor-ship. All interested in the question of pulverised firing found it extremely difficult to obtain facts relating to consumption and speed, but we believe we are correct in saying that the average speed of the Mercer across the Atlantic on her first voyage was 9.6 knots for a daily coal consumption of 34 tons, the fuel being Philadelphian coal of 14,200 B.T.U.'s per lb, costing ISs a ton. It is sometimes forgotten when discussing pulverised coal firing that a considerable amount of steam is utilised for driving the pulverisers, a 30 li.p. engine being coupled to each in the Mercer, which has main propelling plant of 2,500 s.h.p. These steam engines are naturally inefficient, and it would not be surprising if the steam used by them, in addition to that needed for other purposes, including the drive to the crusher, the conveyor bucket and the turbodriven fans, represented 10 per cent of the total raised by the boilers. It appears to be agreed, also, that even although a length of 15ft was added to the funnel of the Mercer, a great deal of coal dust escapes from the uptake, and this represents a further loss of efficiency. We have discussed the question of the Mercer’s installation with many British and Continental engineers who visited the ship, and would advise shipowners who are in any doubt concerning the question to obtain permission to peruse the reports of these engineers and to examine the actual figures. It should be remembered that as the United States Shipping Board has, to a certain extent, sponsored this development, it may feel that it is its bounden duty to proceed farther with it, even against economic facts. This point will be borne in mind by prudent shipowners in assessing any statements that may be published.

WITHIN WIRELESS RANGE— The following vessels are expected to ! be within range of the undermentioned wireless stations during the week-end: — Auckland. —Aorangi, Scalaria. Waipahi, Maui Pomare, Ulimaroa. Canadian Challenger, Port Huon, Marama, Tofua. Chatham Islands.—Borderer, Hunting - Wellington.—Maori, Wahine, Tamahine. Xgaio, Taranaki, Makura, Niagara. Dunedin, Waitemata. Moeraki, Cumberland, Valacia, Paua, Canadian Highlander. Maheno, Williston. Awarua.—Makura, Pipiriki, Maunganui, Karetu, Waikouaiti, Tutanekai. PORT OF ONEHUNGA ARRIVAL TO-DAY RARAWA (7.30 a.m.), 1,077 tons. Bark, from New Plymouth. The Rarawa, which arrived at Onehunga this morning from New Plymouth, sails again at 3 p.m. on Monday on the return trip. The Arapawa is due at Onehunga tomorrow morning from Wanganui. She is to be dispatched at 3 p.m. on Monday for Hokianga. The Hauturu is now expected at Onehunga from Raglan, Kawhia and Fort Waikato on Monday morning. She is scheduled to sail at 3 p.m. the same day for the same ports. T l ie n., Kaitoa is due bac ’k at Onehunga next Thursday to load for Picton only. u he Isabella de Fraine is due at Oneear’y n / xt , week from Hokianga to load again for the same port.

No of SubNo. of Group. sidiaries. Shins. T*. and O 14 438 R.M.S.P 4ti i Kllerman 210 Gunard 100 Holts 81 Furness Withy . l(i 111 Total 73 1,416