Page 47 - Greystones Archaeological Historical Society
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GREYSTONES ARCHAEOLOGICAL & HISTORICAL SOCIETY JOURNAL      VOLUME 8

          harbour. A Marconi 12-watt radio transmitter, which operated in
          Morse or wireless telegraphy, provided radio communications.
          Radar was also fitted.

              The main feature of this ferry was her open stern to allow
          vehicles to be driven on and off the 170 ft. long car deck which
          ran the full length of the ship.

              Located  in  the  middle  of  the  car  deck  was  a  turntable  to
          enable vehicles driven on engine first to be turned around so that
          they could drive off engine first if required. 18 scuppers (drains)
          varying in size from 2½ ins. to 3½ ins. were fitted on both sides
          of the car deck to drain surface water.

              Across the stern of the car deck were 2 steel doors, each 5
          ft. 6 ins. in height which closed it off to the sea.  These doors
          opened inwards on each other when open and were held in place
          by three steel stays when closed, one in the middle of each door
                                         and one where they met, and could
                                         be  locked  by  dropping  steel  bolts
                                         into the deck. However these doors
                                         meant that the car deck was open
                                         to the elements, unlike today when
                                         ferry car decks are totally enclosed
                                         and sealed from the weather. And,
                                         as  events  later  turned  out,  this
                                         open portion of the car deck at the
                                         stern  was  to  be  this  vessel’s
              Stern layout (showing
               vertical steel plate)     weakest  link  and  the  major
                                         contributor to her subsequent loss.
          In 1949 a vertical steel sliding door 4ft. 3ins. in height, which
          could be lowered on top of the existing two doors, was added
          with the aim of trying to reduce the amount of spray coming over
          the top of them.


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