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RUAHINE (1951)
Service dates: 1951-1968
Official number: 184417
Shipping lines: NEW ZEALAND SHIPPING COMPANY LTD.
Ship type:
Passenger/Cargo Ship.
Career
- 11.12.1950
- Launched.
- 03.05.1951
- Delivered as Ruahine to the New Zealand Shipping Company Ltd.
- 22.05.1951
- Maiden voyage London/New Zealand. She carried 259 passengers and 12,000 tons of cargo. Her completion enabled the reintroduction of a regular four-weekly service London/Curacao or Kingston/Panama/Wellington or Auckland, a one-way run taking 34 days. On northward voyages passengers were landed at Southampton, and in later years additional calls were added to increase the service’s attractions - Madiera, Kingston, Tahiti and Pitcairn on southward runs, Kingston, Port Everglades and Bermuda when northbound.
- 07.09.1954
- Broke a piston in her starboard engine shortly before reaching Balboa, bound Wellington to Southampton. She was delayed five days for repairs.
- 1965
- Had her mainmast removed.
- 28.12.1966
- Ownership transferred to Federal Steam Navigation Company (New Zealand Shipping Company, managers).
- 1968
- Passenger accommodation now 229 first class.
- 19.06.1968
- Left Auckland on her final sailing. She was then withdrawn from service along with Rangitane and Rangitoto which brought an end close on a century of New Zealand Shipping Company passenger services to New Zealand.
- 03.09.1968
- Sold for £352,083 to International Export Lines Ltd, Nassau (Island Navigation Corp, managers) and renamed Oriental Rio.
- 10.1968/01.1969
- Rebuilt at Hong Kong and transferred to the Chinese Maritime Trust Ltd, Keelung.
- 16.02.1969
- Entered round-the-world service from San Diego.
- 11.01.1974
- Arrived at Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
- 15.01.1974
- Sold to the Nan Feng Steel Enterprise Co Ltd for breaking up.
- 18.02.1974
- Demolition commenced.