456 



Canadian Forestry Journal, November, 1919 



A new timber raft, built bv a Canadian at Hommelvili, Norway, 360 feet long 42 feet beam, 



18 feet deep whicli outrode a heavy gale in the North Sea. The possibilities of dispensmg 



with ship bottoms in the transport of timber is engaging the attention of 



Canadian timber exporters. 



A CANADIAN RAFT DEFIES NORTH SEA GALES 



The Department of Trade and Commerce, 

 Ottawa, has received a very interesting state- 

 ment from Mr. E. Marshall Amsley, a Canadian, 

 who, o^ behalf of the British Ministry of Ship- 

 ping, handled the construction of a new de- 

 sign of timber raft at Hommelvik, Norway, and 

 thence made the voyage to Ipswich, England, 

 where it was dismounted. Mr. Marshall dis- 

 cusses the chances of timber rafting as follov/s: 



In reference to the rafting of timber from 

 Hommelvik, Norway, to Ipswich, England, dur- 

 ing the winter of 1918-19 ,a large timber raft 

 was constructed at Hommelvik, Norway, T^y a 

 London timber firm. As the British Minititry 

 of Shipping was greatly interested in this ven- 

 ture and the arrival of the timber in Englind 

 being of great importance they gave every aid 

 to help the venture along and to make it a 

 success. I was sent over to Norway last 

 October by the Ministry of Shipping (London) 

 to superintend the construction of the proposed 

 raft. On arrival in Norway I picked out a site 

 for building and also made all arrangements 

 for labor. The raft was built on shipways. 



launched, and then towed over to England. I 

 made the trip over the North Sea for the pur- 

 pose of watching the movements of the raft 

 m heavy seaways. Very rough weather was 

 experienced. However, as the raft "worked" 

 very well, we made the east coast without mis- 

 hap. I was m charge of the unloading of this 

 raft at Ipswich and was therefore in the position 

 to see the results of the timber having been 

 submerged for three months, and also the 

 amount of damage caused by the movement of 

 timbers during heavy seas. 



The raft was 360 feet long, 42 feet beam, 

 and with a depth of 18 feet from top to bottom. 

 The raft consisted of a cargo of 1 ,242 stand- 

 ards of sawn timber of various dimensions. The 

 raft was constructed something like a ship with 

 a bow and stern, a rudder was used for the 

 purpose of aiding the tugboat to manoeuvre the 

 raft through the winding Norwegian Fjords. 



In the construction of the raft a quantity of 

 steel bolts were used for the purpose of strength- 

 ening the construction and to give added 

 strength in seaway. 



