SS Tauranga

New Zealand coastal trading steam ship

History
New Zealand
Name| Tauranga
Owner| Bay of Plenty Steam Navigation Co
Builder| Fraser & Tinne, Auckland
Launched| 27 March 1867
Completed| 21 June 1867
Stricken| 23 July 1870
Homeport| Auckland
Identification| 52439
Fate| Sank after collision with schooner Enterprise between Cape Rodney and Sail Rock
General characteristics
Type| Topsail schooner
Tonnage| Registered 95 tons, 70 tonsdwt
Length| keel 108 ft (33 m), overall 120 ft (37 m)
Beam| 17 ft 6 in (5.33 m)
Draught| 7 ft 6 in (2.29 m)
Depth of hold| 8 ft (2.4 m)
Propulsion| 75 horsepower steam engine
Speed| 10.75 mph (17.30 km/h)
Capacity| 24 passengers

SS Tauranga was the first coastal trading steam ship to be built in New Zealand,[1] though a harbour steamer, Governor Wynyard, had been built at Auckland in 1851.[2]

She was launched at Henry Niccol's North Shore yard[3] in Auckland on 27 March 1867.[4] Tauranga was a kauri-built, twin screw, 70 ton dwt, top-sail schooner,[5] built for Bay of Plenty Steam Navigation Co.[5]

Engines and other fitting out works were done by Fraser & Tinne's Phoenix Foundry at Mechanics Bay. Tauranga's engines had a jet condenser 20-inch (510 mm) cylinders, an 18-inch (460 mm) stroke and ran at 25 psi (170 kPa) to produce 30 to 35 hp (26 kW)[3] and, although only designed for 7kn,[6] she achieved a trial speed of 8 kn (15 km/h; 9.2 mph)[3]

She was built for the Auckland-Tauranga-Opotiki service, but also followed the 50 mi (80 km) Auckland–Thames route.[7] She replaced an earlier schooner on the Auckland-Tauranga route, also called Tauranga.[8]

She made a trial trip on 13 June 1867. With the exception of the imported shaft forgings, all the machinery was built by Phoenix Foundry, the first marine condensing engines constructed in the colony. The engine design was by Mr. Lowenhagen, who was formerly connected with E. and W. Hawthorne, of Newcastle-upon-Tyne. The contract price for the work, £2,000. The engine, weighing about 30 tons, had to be moved over a poor road to the beach and lifted from the beach in Mechanics Bay with a flax rope spun by Fraser and Tinne's machinery. on the downward trip eight miles and a quarter per hour, and returning, with one screw, six and a half miles. Her performance during this time was 3+5⁄8 miles (5.8 km) in 20 minutes, or 10+3⁄4 miles (17.3 km) an hour, with 23+1⁄2 lb (10.7 kg) of steam, and 20 inches (510 mm) vacuum.[1] The boiler was a 20 ton three-furnace, multi-tubular boiler, with flat top and sides. To cope with the marine work they erected workshops in Mechanics Bay.[3]

Tauranga sank, somewhere in Bream Bay, after a night-time collision on 23 July 1870 with an unlit ketch, Enterprise, with the loss of all 5 passengers and 14 crew.[9][10][11] Initially she was replaced on the Tauranga route by SS Go Ahead.[12] A fund to provide for the families of those drowned raised over £1,000.[13]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b "TRIAL TRIP OF THE B.P.S.N. COMPANY'S S.S. 'TAURANGA.' DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 14 June 1867. Retrieved 22 August 2020.
2. ^ "NEW ZEALANDER". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 21 January 1852. Retrieved 12 September 2020.
3. ^ a b c d "GEORGE FRASER AND SONS, LTD. NEW ZEALAND HERALD". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 26 September 1900. Retrieved 20 August 2020.
4. ^ "PORT OF AUCKLAND. MISCELLANEOUS. DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 28 March 1867. Retrieved 25 August 2020.
5. ^ a b "PIONEERING ENGINEERING HISTORY GEORGE FRASER & SONS PHOENIX FOUNDRY. AUCKLAND STAR". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 31 October 1939. Retrieved 17 August 2020.
6. ^ "[Before his Honor Mr. Judge Beckham.] DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 21 April 1868. Retrieved 27 August 2020.
7. ^ "Shipping Intelligence. NEW ZEALAND HERALD". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 5 October 1867. Retrieved 27 August 2020.
8. ^ "PORT OF AUCKLAND. DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 15 June 1867. Retrieved 27 August 2020.
9. ^ "OBITUARY. AUCKLAND STAR". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 5 November 1934. Retrieved 17 August 2020.
10. ^ "ENQUIRY INTO THE LATE COLLISION. AUCKLAND STAR". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 3 August 1870. Retrieved 17 August 2020.
11. ^ "SUPPOSED FOUNDERING OF THE STEAMER 'TAURANGA' WITH PASSENGERS AND CREW. DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 1 August 1870. Retrieved 28 August 2020.
12. ^ "DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 10 August 1870. Retrieved 24 September 2020.
13. ^ "AUCKLAND STAR". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 24 August 1877. Retrieved 17 September 2020.

36°07′26″S 174°46′05″E﻿ / ﻿36.124°S 174.768°E﻿ / -36.124; 174.768