Big Ships Race in Wake of the Wool Clippers

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 537, 14 December 1928, Page 1

Big Ships Race in Wake of the Wool Clippers

Karamea and Hertford CARGOES WORTH MILLION

With the departure of the motorship Karamea from Auckland yesterday afternoon began what will probably develop into an ocean race with the steamer Hertford, which follows her to-morrow. The Karamea, the latest addition to the Shaw, Savill and Albion Company's fleet of new 8,000-ton motor-ships, drew* away from the Central Wharf carrying with her over 10,000 bales of wool valued at about £245,000. She also took 24,800 crates of cheese valued at about £118,500, and 73,000 boxes of j butter worth £330,000. The total j value of her consignment from Xew Zealand, excluding a quantity of frozen meat and general produce, is about £690,000. The remainder of her cargo consists of 07,000 carcases, of mutton, 550 carcases of pork, 3.000 bags of veal, 750 bales of flax, 310 bales of skins, 300 casks of tallow, 6,000 cases of milk powder, 300 hides, 400 sacks of seed, and a quantity of general merchandise.. On her trials the Karamea put up a speed of 151 knots, and she is listed to do from 14 to 15 knots when loaded. The Hertford belongs to the Federal Steam Xavigation Company, whose local agents, the New Zealand Shipping Company, have hopes that she will maintain a speed of 14 knots, as listed, and make the Karamea go all out to get Home before her. Both vessels are expected to arrive at London about January 14, although the steamer, leaving two days later than the motorship, is conceding a handicap which she will find very hard to make up. HERTFORD LEAVES TO-MORROW The Hertford is to lift about 10,000 bales of wool also, while the vessel’s consignment of butter from Auckland will be worth about £133,464. And so, as these modern Argo’s plough their ways through the ocean j in a race against one another—a race : aganist time to arrive Home to catch i the London market by the middle of January, they will take with them car- ! goes valued at/a total of approximately j £1,028,964, excluding various quanti- ! ties of frozen nieat and general proj duce. j In past days it was the stately clipl pers that vied with one another, over the 13.000 miles of ocean carrying then [ the “golden fleece” of a young country, j Then the trip Home from the colony 1 was shrouded with a tremendous de- ! gree of uncertainty which is not pres- | ent to-day, for a voyage of three months was accounted a smart trip. ! But in this age of steam and oil, ali though a certain amount of the ro- ! mance of the past has gone, and ah : though officially ocean racing is not j accredited, the competition is hardly ! less keen than in the clipper days.