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Wistaria, Lighthouse Tender, Diesel-Electric OR some time now the bureau of F lighthouses of the department of commerce has been carrying on a program of new construction of ves- sels to take the place of worn out and obsolescent units. One of the most recent and interesting vessels to be completed for the lighthouse department is the steel hull, single screw, diesel electric tender WISTARIA, built at the Staten Island, N. Y., yard of the United Dry Docks Inc. This vessel was launched Feb. 3 and de- livered early in April. © The WISTARIA, now in service, re- placed the small wooden tender Woop- BINE in the construction of new navi- gation aids and in servicing lights and buoys in the waters of Delaware river and Delaware bay. The WISTARIA is operated out of the office of the su- perintendent of lighthouses in the fourth district at Philadelphia. She Was specially designed for the work and embodies many improvements. Her general dimensions are, length overall, 121 feet, 4 inches; length be- tween perpendiculars, 111 feet, 8 inches; breadth molded, 25 feet; depth molded, 9 feet; and draft, 6 feet, 8 inches. The displacement loaded is 323 tons, and she has a carrying Cca- pacity of 70 tons of useful load. The bunker diesel fuel oil capacity is 3,- 300 gallons. Her speed in service is 9%, knots, IN GLE screw, die- selelectric lighthouse ten- Drive The main propelling machinery is diesel electric. Two six-cylinder four- cycle, solid injection, 8144-inch bore, by 11 inches stroke, diesel engines built by the Winton Engine Corp. serve as primary power. Each engine, devel- oping 175 horsepower at 150 revolu- tions per minute, is direct connected to a 100-kilowatt at 400 revolutions per minute, 250 volt, General Elec- tric direct current generator. Main Propelling Machinery These two diesel engine driven gen- erators supply current for one main propulsion motor of the double type, rated at 240 shaft horsepower, at 350 revolutions per minute, 500 volts, di- rect current, supplied by the General Electric Co. The propulsion motor is direct connected to the propeller shaft through a Kingsbury thrust. One 7% kilowatts, General Electric, direct current, auxiliary generator, driven by a Winton diesel engine, is installed to furnish power for light- ing and other purposes, One hand steering gear, one elec- tric windlass and one electric driven four-drum hoist, were all supplied by the Lidgerwood Mfg. Co. Pumps of Dean Bros. Pump Co. and Winton En- gine Corp. make are installed. Valves and fittings were supplied by the Crane Co. Ships stores refrigerating equip- der Wistaria, Ouwilt at: the Staten Island yard of the United Dry Docks Inc. (peut aul ih, i oo +} = | ment was installed by the Carrier- Brunswick International Inc. There is also fitted a Frigidaire Corp. refrig- erator. Galley range of oil burning type and other galley equipment were supplied by Elisha Webb & Son Co. Pneumatic direction indicator and pneumatic engine revolution counter were supplied by Alexander McNab. Baldt Anchor, Chain & Forge Corp. supplied the anchors. Contract for building the WISTARIA was awarded late in July, 1932, to the United Dry Docks Inc., New York, at a low bid of $129,900. Delivery was called for within 240 days. For heavy lifts there is fitted a 38- foot boom of 10 tons capacity, served by a four-drum, electric motor driven hoist of Lidgerwood design and con- struction. The superstructure, of steel con- struction, is located mainly over the after half of the vessel, leaving a spacious foredeck for handling buoys and other lighthouse equipment. The pilot house is located on the forward end of the superstructure. Complete control for the maneuver- ing of the vessel is possible from the pilot house. The propelling motor may be directly controlled from this point or locally in the engine room at the will of the operator. By the use of diesel electric drive the utmost flexibility of operation is combined with minimum fuel expense. Pacific Freight Market A change for the better was ob- ‘served in the Pacific fréight and char- ter market for the month of May according to a statement issued by the chartering department of the General Steamship Corp. Ltd. While actual improvement has been more or less inclined to business between American ports, nevertheless, it is felt that with something at least ap- proaching stabilization of exchange, this improvement will be extended to export business to foreign desti- nations. At the moment, however, charter- ing for foreign ports is limited to spot orders as charterers, shippers and buyers abroad do not seem in- clined to speculate on the future, but appear to be waiting stabilization of exchange before committing them- selves for any large amount of fu- ture business. Ss eae / GOT a ee a re 1 Y faualae ate asc ae a aert - oes aa MARINE REVIEW—July, 1933 15