SS Orcades (1947)
SS Orcades was an ocean liner serving primarily the UK – Australia – New Zealand route. She started service as a British Royal Mail Ship (RMS) carrying first and tourist class passengers. Orcades carried many migrants to Australia and New Zealand [1] and was later used as a cruise ship, and is featured in the British Pathe films "I am a passenger" on youtube. She also made several voyages from Canada (Vancouver). "Orcades" is the Latin name[2] for the Orkney Islands.
Orcades leaving Southampton, Christmas Eve 1967 | |
History | |
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United Kingdom | |
Name: |
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Owner: |
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Port of registry: | London |
Route: | UK – Australia via Suez, later transpacific and via Panama Canal to UK (also cruises) |
Builder: | Vickers Armstrongs, Barrow-in-Furness, England |
Cost: | £3,418,000 |
Yard number: | 950 |
Launched: | 14 Oct 1947 |
Completed: | 14 Nov 1948 |
Maiden voyage: | 14 Dec 1948 |
Out of service: | 13 Oct 1972 |
Identification: | IMO number: 5264247 |
Fate: | Broken up 1973, Kaohsiung, Taiwan |
General characteristics | |
Tonnage: | As built: 28,164 GRT; 1959: 28,396 GRT; 1964: 28,399 GRT |
Length: | 709ft (216.1 m) |
Beam: | 90.6ft (25.0 m) |
Draught: | 31ft (9.4 m) |
Installed power: | 34,000shp |
Propulsion: | Geared turbines, twin screws |
Speed: | 22 knots (41 km/h) service speed |
Capacity: | As built, 773 1st class, 772 tourist class (1959, 631 1st class, 734 tourist class. 1964, 1,635 tourist class) |
Notes: | Originally corn coloured hull; white from 1964 refit |
Built at the Barrow-in-Furness yard of Vickers-Armstrong, Orcades (yard no. 950) had an identical hull and machinery to P&O's Himalaya (yard no. 951), but differed in superstructure and interior layout. The vessel's near-sister ships were Oronsay and Orsova
In 1952 Orcades was fitted with a 'top hat' funnel extension to clear smoke from the after decks. On 7 May 1952, she ran aground in Port Philip Bay half a mile off Rosebud Pier, Victoria, Australia.[3][4] She was refloated and returned to service.[5]
During the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne, Australia, Orcades served as an accommodation ship.[1]
Orcades was refitted in 1959 and 1964. In the 1964 refit, Orcades became a single-class vessel and her hull colour changed from "Orient corn" to white.
Gallery
- Orcades c.1950 from a promotional postcard
- Orcades 1959 in yellow livery
- Orcades at Port Said 1957
Footnotes
- Post World War II Migrant Ships: Orcades, Museums Victoria
- Encyclopædia Britannica Archived 2009-07-12 at the Wayback Machine
- "The Orcades Aground". The Times (52305). London. 7 May 1952. col C, p. 6.
- "ORCADES RELEASED FROM SANDBAR". The Dubbo Liberal and Macquarie Advocate. 41 (377). New South Wales, Australia. 8 May 1952. p. 3. Retrieved 23 April 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
- "Orcades Refloated". The Central Queensland Herald. 21 (1204). Queensland, Australia. 8 May 1952. p. 7. Retrieved 23 April 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
References
- Latimer, David W (2002) Passenger ships of the 20th century: an illustrated encyclopedia, p. 259, Colourpoint Books ISBN 1-898392-70-6
- Museum Victoria
- Ocean liner museum
- Photographs and deck plans
- ssMaritime