Friday, December 10, 2010

"...nothing fundamentally wrong with it."

Woof! Woof! I'm a DOG!!
...that may well prove to be the understatement of the year!: RNZN captain of fleet operations Captain Dean McDougall commenting on the fault-prone offshore patrol vessel HMNZS Otago, which has had to return to Auckland AGAIN, after another problem in one of its engines (the third fix-it job since delivery in February).
HMNZS Otago and sister ship(wreck) HMNZS Wellington were in heavy seas way down in the sub-Antarctic region when the fault developed - not the best place for problems. They headed back home straight away to have the engine repaired, under warranty.
This problem is similar to one HMNZS Wellington experienced on her maiden voyage from Melbourne...but this time the Governor-General and his missus were on board! Nice one!
Defence Minister Wayne Mapp says a full review will be conducted into the problems the new ships are experiencing: he says too many have occurred over a short time. Too right - if this was a car, we'd have called in Consumer months ago!
Meanwhile Fleet commander Commodore Ross Smith says the latest engine fault is a teething problem.
Oh come ON!! What will it take for you to turn "teething problems" into major dental surgery???

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