THE “WAHINE’S” SUCCESSOR

Cue (NZERS), Issue 33, 15 October 1945, Page 5

THE “WAHINE’S” SUCCESSOR

A new, 950-passenger vessel for the Wellington-Lyttelton steamer-ex-press service, is at present under construction for the Union Steam Ship Company of N.Z. Ltd. She is being built in the yards of Vickers Armstrong Ltd., at Barrow-in-Fur-ness from which the Rangatira and Awatea were launched. It is hoped that she will be ready to enter the service, replacing the Wahine, at the end of 1946. The Wahine is at present engaged l in transporting members of the R.N.Z.A.F. home to New Zealand for demobilisation. Dimensions of the steamer are much the same as those of the Rangatira, overall length 400 ft. and beam of 58 ft. being identical but the gross tonnage will be 6,900 compared with the 6,152 tons of the Rangatira. She will be a five decker and will embody many improvements-— result of wartime experience.—including radar equipment among her new navigational devices and will be equipped with a radio telephone, in

addition to normal radio equipment, for communication with shore. The greatest innovation will be in her accommodation .arrangements. Passenger accommodation will be laid out for one class only, the faros being graded from the present second class upward, according to size of cabin, number of berths and position, There will be approximately 30 oneberth cabins, 235 two-berth cabins, 20 three-berth cabins and 70 four-berth cabins. • Instead of the dining .saloon being below as in former vessels there will be a cafe on the promenade deck, together with a large smoking room. Special consideration has been given to the carrying of motor vehicles and she will have room for about sixty-two. The main propulsion units will develop 13,500 shaft horse-power and it is expected that a speed of 23 knots will be obtained in trials. This New Zealand vessel will very likely be the first outstanding postwar passenger steamer to emerge from British shipyards.