ship 'Whakatane' of the NZ Shipping Co., London

Seen in Sydney during a regatta on 31 January 1955 (can you imagine a cargo ship taking part in one today?) This ship had only been delivered to the NZSCo from builders Alexander Stephen & Sons of Glasgow 8 months earlier. After 10 years with the NZSCo. she was sold to the USSCo and renamed Waiktaki for whom she served for 6 years. Eventually, while laid up in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, in 1977--at the time owned by the Truthful Shipping Co. SA, Panama, and named Truthful--she was damaged in a collision during a typhoon and was scrapped there 2 years later.

Capacity: 8726 grt
Length: 472 ft (144 metres)
Breadth: 63 ft (19.2 metres)
Depth: 30.5 ft (9. metres)
Propulsion: Six cylinder 2SCSA Doxford~type opposed-piston oil engine, 7,200 bhp, single screw
Speed: 15.5 knots