THE LARGEST SAILING SHIP AFLOAT.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8218, 23 August 1906, Page 3

THE LARGEST SAILING SHIP AFLOAT.

"Syren and Shipping," of June 27tb, says the R. C. Rickmers, tbe largest Bailing ship afloat, is loading her first cargo of ease oil in New York for the East. She carries 8,000 tons of cargo, and iaas been bnilt ,in Bremerbaven by the Kiokmers Company, who are also her owners. Although folly rigged as a five masted barqne, she is provided with auxiliary steam power, in order that she may be less dependent upon th« wind, and it is expected that, in her owners' special trade, she will PROVE! LESS EXPENSIVE to run than the average cargo i steamer of the same capacity, her engines of 1,260 horse-power driving her at a speed of from five to seven Knots in calm weather, with a consumption of about sixteen tons of coal per dayi while her. enormous spread of canvas ia oxpeoted to enable her to attain a high rate of sailing with a fair wind. The, Maria Piokmers, a bimilar vessel, owned by the same firm, and also provided with auxiliary steam power, HAD LITTLE OHaNOE of showing her capabilities, as she was lost with all hands on her flrefcihomeward voyage from Saigon, with rice, and w&s; supposed to have capsized. The R. O/Riokmers nas a gross tonnage of 5,548, and is 438 ft long, with a beam of 54ft. She carries a crew of 55 men all told. Special accommodation has beea fitted up for the managing owner and his daughter, who are making the round voyage in the ship. The performances of the R. 0. Rickmers will be watched with interest, as she represents the resuscitation of the auxiliary type of vessel, which, with the unfortunate exception mentioned above, has for many years* been confined to SUCH SPECIAL TRADES as the sealing and whaling industries. The saving, in Suez Canal dues alone, on a voyage to the East via the Cape, is a matter of great importance, and provided that tne stoam power can be relied upon, in conjunction with sails, to give comparatively regular passages, there is no reason why the auxiliary sailer B'jould not bold hei own ' against the cargo steamer in the long sea trades. j