SS Arakaka sabotage?

May - June 1946  S.D.Co completed the S/S “ARAKAKA” for Liverpool owners.  The first sea trial was marred by hot bearings.  A second trial run a few days later and the bottom ends again gave trouble.  It was decided to renew all the white metal in the engine bearings and due to scoring of the journals the crankshaft was removed from the ship and returned to Fife Forge for reconditioning.  This meant the renewal of the LP Crank pinand the aftermost journal of the shaft.  Samples of the white metal were sent for analysis to King’s College, Newcastle and to the white metal manufacturers and both reports independently agreed that embedded in the white metal was small pieces of some steel balls.  A whole small ball being found in one sample.  The composition of the white metal being quite normal.  This seemed to point to sabotage by someone having inserted the steel in the bearings purposely.  No definite proof could be obtained as to how it had occurred.  After re-white metalling, etc. the final sea trial was run about five weeks later.  This caused much delay, expense and work.

14-20.07.46  Smith’s Dock holiday week.  Very moderate weather all the week.  Two days of sea trials, TSS `Geomitra’ A/s Tanker.  Some half days holiday.