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Examination for Form and Colour Vision. These examinations are held at Auckland, Wellington, Lyttelton, and Dunedin. During the year 94 candidates were examined, of whom 8 failed. " New Zealand Nautical Almanac and Tide Tables." This publication for 1941 (thirty-ninth edition) was issued for sale on the due date, Ist November. The publication provides mariners and others with much necessary and useful information, in addition to sailing directions and information concerning various ports of the Dominion. Port information is corrected by the various Harbour Boards, and at the time of going to press, about the middle of October, is the latest available. Subsequent alterations are made by Notices to Mariners. Notices to Mariners. Fifty-three Notices to Mariners concerning changes in navigational aids, dangers to navigation, and other general information for the use of mariners were published during the year. Engagement of Seamen. This service has been maintained. A record of seamen applying for work is kept for the purpose of filling vacancies. Sick and Injured Seamen. The total amount paid by shipowners to sick and injured seamen under the provisions of the Shipping and Seamen Act, 1908, and its amendments, was £18,564 12s. 4d., as against £16,567 Ob. 9d. for the previous year, an increase of £1,997 lis. 7d. Registration of Shipping. On the 31st December, 1940, there were on the register of vessels in the Dominion 47 sailing-vessels of 3,592 net tons register, 144 steamers of 75,102 net tons register, and 305 motor-vessels of 20,095 net tons register, as compared with 48 sailing-vessels of 4,288 net tons register, 155 steamers of 76,905 net tons register, and 301 motor-vessels of 19,926 net tons register at the end of the previous year. The number of seamen employed on board was 2,990, as compared with 2,954 for the year 1939. Survey of Ships. The following table shows the number of certificates issued to ships during the year, the figures for the previous year being shown in parentheses : — Sea-going steam and motor ships .. ... .. 150 (158) Restricted limit steam and motor ships . . .. . . 327 (345) Total certificates .. .. .. .. 477 (503) Two sea-going steamships not previously surveyed in the Dominion were surveyed and certificated during the year. For the first time for many years, no new ships from abroad or new ships built in New Zealand were surveyed for sea-going certificates. Six restricted-limits ships, all of which were new, were surveyed for the first time for the issue of certificates. One ship, " Manuwai," is a small tug 42-9 ft. long by 12'3 ft. beam built by the owners, Messrs. Roose Shipping Co., at Mercer, for towing services on the Waikato River. The construction of this small ship was of particular interest. Butts and seams in plating and hull structure, including stem and stern frame, were welded by the electric-welding process. This is the first all-welded ship built in the Dominion to the Department's requirements. The " Manuwai "is single screw, and is powered with a six-cylinder Diesel engine of 132 b.h.p. supplied by Messrs. Bergius Co., Ltd., Glasgow. Another small tug, " Maro," 47-5 ft. long by 12*9 ft. beam, was built of wood by the Colonial Sugar Refining Co., Ltd., Auckland, and is used in the company's towing workin Auckland Harbour. She is powered with a single set of eight-cylinder Diesel engines of 136 b.h.p. supplied by Messrs. L. Gardner and Sons, Ltd., Patricroft, England. A new oyster-trawler, s.s. " Torea," was built at Auckland for the Stewart Island Canneries, Ltd., Invercargill, and is now engaged in the oyster-dredging industry out of Bluff. Her registered dimensions are: Length, 64-75 ft.; breadth, 17-16 ft.,; and depth, 7-38 ft. ; and her tonnage is 42 tons gross and 13-1 tons register. She is of composite construction with frames, floors, and deck beams of steel, and stem, keel, stern frame, and hull planking of wood. " Torea " is powered with steamengines and boiler formerly used in s.s. " Omaua." A new steel tug, " Lyttelton 11," owned by the Lyttelton Harbour Board, was surveyed for the first time during the year. The ship arrived in New Zealand in June, 1939, and carried on in service for twelve months from the date of completion of building under a classification certificate issued by Lloyd's register of shipping. " Lyttelton 11 " is a very handy tug of 303 tons gross and 106 tons register built by Messrs. Lobnitz and Co., Ltd, Glasgow. She is twin screw, and powered with steam-engines of 1,250 i.h.p. receiving steam from two Scotch boilers designed for a pressure of 200 lb. per square inch, and working at 180 lb. per square inch. The ship is fully equipped for fire-fighting and salvage services. In addition to the annual surveys, 228 seaworthiness, efficiency, and tonnage surveys were made during the year. Thirty-one seaworthiness and efficiency surveys were made to overseas vessels not registered or normally surveyed in the Dominion. Three of these surveys were connected with very extensive hull damage sustained in collisions at sea under war conditions. The repairs required in each case were of a major nature, and complete repairs were satisfactorily carried out by engineering firms at Wellington and Auckland.

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