SS Ruahine

SS Ruahine was a passenger ship that operated during the 20th century, primarily in line service between Great Britain and New Zealand for the New Zealand Shipping Company.

For other ships with the same name, see SS Auriga.
History
United Kingdom
Owner: New Zealand Shipping Company
Builder: William Denny and Brothers
Launched: 1909
In service: 1910
Out of service: 1949
Fate: Sold
History
Italy
Name: Auriga
Owner: Fratelli Grimaldi
Acquired: 1949
Fate: Scrapped 1957
General characteristics
Tonnage: 10,758 gross tons
Length: 497 ft (151 m)
Beam: 60 ft (18 m)
Propulsion: Steam
Capacity: 520 passengers (as built)

Ruahine was built by William Denny and Brothers, and was launched in 1909.[1] She entered service for the New Zealand Shipping Company the following year, sailing from London to Auckland and Wellington via the Panama Canal.[1] Her primary passenger traffic were immigrants outbound from London, and she transported cargo in both directions—finished goods to New Zealand and raw foods on the return.[1] On 4 February 1938 she was involved in a collision with the Royal Fleet Auxiliary's tanker RFA Broomdale, which was undergoing sea trials at Glasgow. Broomdale underwent repairs at Greenock.[2] Ruahine operated on the UK—New Zealand route until 1949, when she was sold to the Italian firm Fratelli Grimaldi, renamed Auriga, and began operating on immigrant routes from Italy and France.[1] In 1957, she was retired from service and scrapped.[1]

Ruahine measured 10,758 gross tons, and was 497 feet (151 m) long, with a beam of 60 feet (18 m).[1] She was powered by triple-expansion steam engines which drove two screws, giving her a service speed of 14 knots (16 mph).[1] As built for line service, she had a three-class passenger configuration with a total capacity of 520; in her later Italian-flagged service she could carry 800 passengers.[1]

References
  1. Miller Jr., William (2001). Picture History of British Ocean Liners 1900 to the Present. Mineola, NY: Dover Publications. p. 10. ISBN 0-486-41532-5.
  2. "RFA Broomdale". Historical RFA. Royal Fleet Auxiliary Historical Society. Retrieved 23 February 2019.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.