MARAMA SOLD

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23222, 21 June 1937, Page 4

MARAMA SOLD

AN HISTORIC CAREER WAR-TIME ASSOCIATIONS (Per UmrED Press Association) WELLINGTON, June 19. The Union Steam Ship Company has sold the Marama to the Linghau Dock and Engineering Works, Ltd., China, for v>hich country she will leave shortly. Wartime associations of the Marama are recalled by the sale. She was the first hospital ship to pass through the Panama Canal, and five times returned to New Zealand with soldiers wounded at the front. She was engaged in the cross-Chan-nel service, for the most part between Southampton and Havre or Boulogne. As a hospital ship she covered nearly a-quarter of a million nautical mileg, and carried more than 20,000 patients. On one occasion, when two days out from Southampton for New Zealand, she picked up 13 survivors from the British tramp steamer Broadwood, which was sunk by gunfire from a German U-boat. She suffered only 13 deaths during the whole of her service, including two drowned. THIRTY YEARS' SERVICE MARAMA'S LONG CAREER In the 30 years that have elapsed since the Marama was launched from the yards of> Messrs Caird and Co., Ltd., of Greenock, for the Union Company, the vessel has experienced a varied career. Built originally for the intercolonial passenger trade, she entered the Australia-New Zealand service on her arrival in this country/Subsequently she made a number of trips in the Auckland-Vancouver service. When the Maheno was- disposed of! some three years ago the Marama replaced her in the Bluff-Melbourne service, which she carried on for two seasons. Originally a coal-burner, the vessel was converted some years ago to use oil fuel.

J . l '! e .„ Marama is a twin screw vessel of 7050 h.p. She is of 6497 tons gross and has a length of 420 ft while her beam is 53ft and her depth 31ft.