MS Ruahine

MS Ruahine was a passenger ship that operated in the mid-20th century, primarily for the New Zealand Shipping Company.

MS Ruahine
History
United Kingdom
Owner:	New Zealand Shipping Company (1951–1966) Federal Line (1966–1967)
Builder:	John Brown & Company
Launched:	11 December 1950
Completed:	3 May 1951
In service:	1951
Out of service:	1967
Fate:	Sold
History
Hong Kong
Name:	Oriental Rio
Owner:	Orient Overseas Line
Acquired:	1968
Fate:	Scrapped 1974
General characteristics
Tonnage:	17,851 gross tons
Length:	584 ft (178 m)
Beam:	75 ft (23 m)
Propulsion:	Diesel
Capacity:	267 passengers

Built by John Brown & Company for the New Zealand Shipping Company, she was launched on 11 December 1950 and entered service in May 1951.[1] She operated in combined passenger and cargo trade from London to Auckland and Wellington, arriving in New Zealand in November 1951.[1][2] At the end of 1966, she was transferred to the fleet of New Zealand Shipping subsidiary Federal Line, but operated under the British flag for only one more year, making her final New Zealand voyage in late 1967.[1] She was subsequently sold to the Orient Overseas Line and renamed Oriental Rio, sailing under the Hong Kong flag until she was scrapped in 1974.[1][3]

Ruahine measured 17,851 gross tons, and was 584 feet (178 m) long, with a beam of 75 feet (23 m).[2] She was powered by Doxford diesel engines driving two screws, which gave her a service speed of 16.5 knots (19.0 mph).[2] She had a passenger capacity of 267 in a single-class configuration.[2]

References

1. "58 years since`Ruahine' delivery". Otago Daily Times. 4 May 2009. Retrieved 10 September 2018.
2. Miller Jr., William (2001). Picture History of British Ocean Liners 1900 to the Present. Mineola, NY: Dover Publications. p. 87. ISBN 0-486-41532-5.
3. OOCL Marks Half a Century of Operations Ships Monthly February 2019 page 8