THE M.V. RAKAIA - TECHNICAL DATA

Technical data on Rakaia taken from a copy of her capacity plan, dated as of May 1950, are available for download as a pdf. This capacity plan was obtained from the National Maritime Museum, and it is far too large to scan for download purposes. If anyone has a copy of Rakaia’s capacity plan in the format used for “The Carriage of Cargo” handbook, it would be most gratefully received. This would be scanned for download purposes, and the original returned to the owner.

Any engine that has been described as “very complicated but a thing of beauty when in motion” must be worthy of study, and Rakaia’s engine certainly falls into this category. It was an 8 cylinder, 2 cycle, double-acting Burmeister and Wain type diesel engine built by Harland and Wolff. More details on engines of this type are available for download as a pdf here.

For those interested in learning more about Harland and Wolff engines, C C Pounder's book on "Marine Diesel Engines" contains a wealth of information. An extract from that book, focusing on the type of double acting, two-stroke, opposed piston engine that was installed in Rakaia is available for download as a pdf here.

Andrew Jaggers has kindly provided a copy of the Homeward Cargo Plan for Rakaia’s Voyage 43. This most interesting reminder of the complex nature of cargo stowage in the days before containerisation is available for download as a pdf here.

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