Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954), Monday 29 August 1927, page 12


NEW MOTOR SHIP.

FOR COASTAL TRADE.

Rough Voyage to Australia

The first motor-vessel that has been built for the New South Wales coastal trade, the North Coast S.N. Company's motor-ship Nimbin, arrived at Sydney on Saturday morn-ing, after a voyage of 65 days from Copenhagen, her launching port. The officers were enthus-iastic concerning the vessel's seagoing quali-ties, as shown by her performance throughout the rough weather which was encountered.

Under the command of Captain R. M. Beedie the Nimbin left Copenhagen on June 21. Upon passing into the so-called "calm belt" of the Red Sea, where storms are almost unknown, the vessel ran into a gale, which continued un-abated for four days. Passing out of the Red Sea, she then encountered the full force ot the monsoonal winds, which persisted until she reached Colombo. Then from Colombo to Cape Leeuwin the ship was, in the words of her officers, "under water the whole way," and lost a quantity of her deck cargo of timber. Through it all the Nimbin did not once de-velop engine-trouble.

Built by Burmeister and Wain, of Copen-hagen, the Nimbin is a vessel of 1052 tons (gross register) with a length of 215 feet, a width of 35 feet, and a depth of 13 feet. She has a total cargo space of 60,900 cubic feet, and is fitted for the carrying of refrigerated cargo. She ¡s a single-screw vessel, propelled by a Burmeister and Wain 6-cylinder 4-cycle Diesel marine engine, with two auxiliary en-gines tor maintaining the electric light and refrigerating services, and for working the winches and other gear. At her speed trials she developed 12.1 knots. A feature of the vessel is the accommodation for the crew, who have, for instance, a bathroom fitted with hot and cold showers, in fresh and salt water. The three lifeboats, fitted with patent dis-engaging gear, it is claimed, can be set afloat by unskilled hands in the space of half a minute.

The Nimbin brought to Australia 305,000 superficial feet of Baltic pine from Hargs-hamn, Sweden. The Nimbin, after unloading her cargo, will be taken to Mort's Dock, and, it is expectcd, will leave for the Clarence River on Tuesday next on her trial trip in the coastal trade. The vessel is to run regularly from Sydney to the Richmond River. Another vessel similar to the Nimbin, but of lighter draught, is being constructed for use In the Macleay River trade.