% From the Blue Circle Group, Portland House, Stag Place, London, S.W.I, comes news of an interesting cement application in ship building.

Recently cement mortar covering was applied to the largest yacht in the United Kingdom lo be constructed using ferro cement techniques.

Owned, designed and built by Michael Dodd, the 22 m hull will be rigged as a brigantine.

Ferro cement construction offers considerablesavings in material and weight. On the 200 m2 surface of the hull 5 tons of Blue Circle Group's sulphate resisting cement, Sulfacrete, were used in a 1 -1 mix with dried silica sand. The Sulfacrete mortar will resist the aggressive chemical action of sea water. Lanomix—a Blue Circle admixture—was used to reduce the necessary vater content of the mortar to assist placing and finishing of the skin. The mortar was mixed in a tilting drum mixer and placed using a combination of Mono pump and hand application. The finished hull thickness is 25 mm and the cover to the mesh reinforcement 3 mm.

• An interesting new French life-boat named the Commandant Gaudin (Poyaud class) has been demonstrated in recent months. Details provided by a Paris correspondent state that the boat— she is 15 metres 30 cents, long—was designed by the Office of Works of the Franco-Beige Shipbuilders who also constructed her at their shipyards at Gennevilleirs, near Paris, which is on the Seine.

She is of steel construction with a light metal superstructure (see picture above).

The Commandant Gaudin, which is described as an all-weather boat, is driven by two engines of 225 h.p. each. In addition to having accommodation for four stretcher and eight sitting cases, the boat can be used for firefighting.

She carries all the latest communications equipment. Her first operational beat is expected to be the Bordeaux area where she will have a range of 160 miles at 14 knots..