Marine Tattle

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 449, 3 September 1928, Page 2

Marine Tattle

WHY BURN OlL? —Foreign competition has the main factor in bringing bunker coal prices down to low figures, states the “Shipping World.” It is unlikely that they will go lower still, but shipowners will not complain of the present levels. With oil for burning under boilers at £3 10s a ton at United Kingdom ports, as compared with coal at 14s 9d a ton, it is obvious that coal is by far the cheaper fuel, even when generous allowance is made for the higher calorific value of the former. Which prompts the question, why burn oil? LOSS OF THE ASIATIC PRINCE. —

The Asiatic Prince is r.uw definitely regarded as missing, and is looked upon as lost. In spite of all modern equipment for communication at sea, the cause of her loss remains a mystery. An S.O.S. message appears to have been received at Honolulu, but it was imperfectly interpreted, and nothing further can be learned of the vessel’s fate. The loss is a heavy one to underwriters. She was insured on a value of £IBO,OOO. and, in addition to a valuable general cargo, she carried a certain quantity of specie, probably silver insured for about £263,000. The loss payments will probably exceed half a million pounds. THE MERCHANT NAVY.—The Prince of Wales as Master of the Merchant Navy and Fishing Fleets, has written a long foreword to the third and final volume of the “Merchant Navy.” the Official War History written by Mr. Archibald Hurd under the auspices of the Historical Section of the Committee of Imperial Defence. The volume is now passing through the Press. “The Great War,” his Royal Highness remarks, “has served to prove once more that the merchant fleet is as essential to-day as ever it was to the operations of the Royal Navy and to the safeguarding of the life of this British Commonwealth of Nations.” ABERDEEN - COMMONWEALTH LINE. —Mr. Basil Sanderson, manager of George Thomson and Co., controllers of the White Star and Aberdeen Line, arrived Jn Sydney by the Osterley recently, in connection with the taking over of the organisation of the Australian Commonwealth Line. He will spend three months in the Commonwealth, completing details of the arrangements following the taking over of the Commonwealth Line. Mr. Sanderson said that little, if any, change in the present staff and organisation of the Commonwealth Line was contemplated. Speaking of the new service Mr. Sanderson said it was the intention of the new company to run a fortnightly service to Australia. via Suez. On this route the “Bay” and “Dale” steamers, supplemented by the new Shaw, Savill motor-ships, would run. The first of the four new motorships, the Zealandic, would reach Australia this year. Mr. Sanderson said that the terms of the agreement provided that the Commonwealth and Dominion Line would run a fortnightly service via Suez on alternate weeks, thus maintaining the fast weekly cargo service between the United Kingdom and Australia. LOAD-LINE FOR AMERICAN SHIPS. —The fact that a Bill has been introduced in the United States Senate, aod approved by the Commerce Committee, for the purpose of instituting a loan-line for American ships is a step in the right direction, states the “Shipping World.” The absence of legislation on this important aspect of shipping has hitherto been a grave defect in American law. Bills on the subject have been introduced on numerous occasions, but opposition has arisen from shipping interests, and there has been no great incentive to proceed with them. Now, however, American shipping has been warned by other countries that it is subject to the loadline requirements in their ports, and that these rules will be strictly enforced. The Bill is intended to forestall any difficulties that may thus arise. The Panama Canal authorities have reported cases where vessels have arrived at terminal ports greatly over draught and carrying large duantities of excess cargo. Sometime ago there were reports regarding the overloading of grain ships at American ports, as well as of bad stowage, which some concern among underwriters. It is understood that an inspection service is maintained at the principal Atlantic and Gulf ports of the United States by the National Board of Marine Underwriters, and this service is accepted by many of the shipping companies, which bear the cost of the surveys. But the surveyor has no power to detain a vessel found to be overloaded. He merely reports the matter to the agents of the vessels, and, of course, to the underwriters. If the underwriters protest, the vessel would naturally be stopped and the excess cargo removed. But there is no authoritv either of Federal or State Governments by which an ' overloaded vessel -tan be prevented from i sailing.

Oil. PRODUCTION.—Despite the strenuous efforts being made to restrict the output of oil in America, production has steadily increased since the beginning of March, and is now practically at the same level as last year, when there was no restriction, states the “Motor Ship.” As indicating the position, the authoritative ‘Oil and Gas Journal'’ remarks that “the success of the efforts made to curtail crude-oil production may prevent a further destructive flood of new crude being thrown on the market, or added to already burdensome stock.above ground, but it may* be visionary to expect these movements entirely to solve the over-production problem.” SUPERCHARGING MARINE ENGINES.—The adoption of supercharging certainly Is becoming more popular among marine engine builders abroad, but it has not been taken up to any great extent in England. The three Brazilian motor-ships. Itape. Itaquice, the Jtanage. built by Messrs. William Beard more and Co., Ltd., Dalmuir, are fitted with supercharged Beardmore-Tos! engines, bat they are the first British-built marine engines in which supercharging has been adopted. A notable foreign ship with supercharged engines is the Cosulich liner Saturnm, is equipped w'ith two double-acting fbur-stroke cycle Bnrmeister and Wain type engines each developing 9,000 b.h.p., which may be raised to 10,000 b.h.p. with the aid of superchargers. It is stated that in small engines the power output can be increased about 15 per cent by supercharging.

WITHIN WIRELESS RANGE—

The following vessels are expected to be within range of the undermentioned wireless stations to-night:— Auckland. —Aorangi, Kanna. Veronica, Maheno, Ulimaroa, Canadian Transporter. Maui Pomare. Haleric, Tutanekai, Waipahi. Chatham Islands.—City of Batavia. Port Huon, Port Napier. Westmoreland. Wellington.—Maori, Wahine, Ngaio, Arahura, Marama. Niagara, Saltersgate, Northumberland, Mahana. Cumberland, Karetu, Antinous. Gallic, Radix. Awarua.—Remuera. PORT OF ONEHUNGA—ARRIVALS SATURDAY ARAPAWA (6 p.m.), 251 tons. Pert from Raglan and Kawhia. The Rarawa leaves at half-past three this afternoon for New Plymouth. The Arapawa is scheduled to sail at 4 p.m. to-day for Raglan, Kawhia and Port Waikato. The Hauturu is due at Onehung.i tomorrow morning from Auckland via Hokianga to resume her running in the One-hunga-Raglan, and Onehunga-Hokianga trades. The Anchor steamer Kaitoa is due bac* at Onehunga on Friday next to load for Nelson and West Coast ports.