b SPIRIT FLAME The 45.2m training ship Spirit of New
Zealand has had regular surveys and refits since she was launched in 1986 as a unique environment for youth development.
become a familiar sight around our coast, especially her home waters, the Hauraki Gulf. Replacing her engine and propulsion unit, a major
E
upgrade, is the first part of a $1.9 million life enhancement programme to extend her economic life by 20 years. Her repower project started when Tony Whiting
from Whiting Power helped the Spirit of New Zealand Trust evaluate the propulsion design. They considered numerous engine brands and drives before deciding a Yanmar diesel and a Hundested variable-pitch propeller were the most compatible fit. The 11-week refit was carried out at Ship Repair New Zealand's yard in Whangarei, where she has undergone her annual refits in recent years. It began by focusing on components below the waterline. A six-cylinder Yanmar 6AYM-STE rated at 490kW at
1900rpm continuous was chosen, as it enables the Spirit of New Zealand to maintain 10 knots and gives increased safety margins on coastal passages. The new propulsion system effectively tripled the available thrust compared
76 NZ WORKBOAT REVIEW 2012
with the original 8L3 Gardner, and naval architect Captain Ted Ewbank had to redesign and strengthen the stern.
The new drive train aids in manoeuvring and the
variable pitch reduces the engine's fuel burn when motorsailing. Her cruising speed under power is now 10 to 10.5 knots, with a top speed of 12.8 knots, compared with seven knots, or four knots if the wind was on the bow, with the Gardner.
The Hundested CPG325.11:1 reduction gearbox is a combined gear and pitch control incorporating a fully controllable pitch propulsion system and a new 1700mm diameter Hundested VP9.5 four-blade propeller. The engine was dropped into the ship from directly
above through an opening in the crew's lounge, rather than by cutting a hole in her topsides.
ach year the steel three-masted barquentine makes about 25 voyages, carrying 40 boys and girls aged between 15 and 18, plus special voy- ages for those who have a handicap, and has
urns for two more decades
