THE RIMUTAKA

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 119, 22 May 1930, Page 11

THE RIMUTAKA

SALE REPORTED

The New- Zealand .'Shipping.: Company's lindr JRiinutaka is ..-.reported to have been sold in England. The Rimutaka is weir known to New. Zealanders, as she was for over thirty-years on the New Zealand-England run. She carried colonial troops to the Great War. ■When the Riinutaka left New Plymouth on 18th January this year on her final trip to England it was expected that she would, bo sold as a cargo vessol, her passenger-carrying licence having expired. The Biniutaka had accommodation for 70 first-class and 80 third-class passengers, but carried only 12 passengors on her final trip to England. She had been in the England-New Zealand service ever since her .construction, and had made 61 voyages to New Zealand. In the early days she voyaged to and from New Zealand round Cape Horn, calling'at a few. Australian, ports, although later she sailed via' Panama. The Bimutaka was built by Messrs. W. Denny and Bros., Dumbarton, and is a twin-screw vessel, with two sets of triple reciprocating engines developing 4000 h.p.NHer gross tonnage is 8997, length 457.7 feet, beam 58.2 feet, draught 30.8 feet. When first launched the vessel's tonnage was 7700, but alterations accounted for an. increase of 1200 tons. A remarkable thing about the old liner was her ability to maintain the samo speed as that for which she was built, 12 knots.

The first commander of the ship was Captain Greenstreet. He was followed by Captain F. A. Hemming, now retired, who1 was in command for 18 years. Captain Barnett was next in charge, and he was succeeded by Captain C. B. Lamb, who had been with the Eimutaka for only two voyages to New Zealand.