ORATAVA

Passenger vessel "Oratava", built in 1889 by Vickers-Armstrongs, Barrow for the Orient-Pacific Line. She was designed for the P.S.N. Co for the Valparaiso Trade and was later reallocated to the Australasian Service in 1890. She was a single screw steamer with 2 funnels and four masts. She had a triple expansion engine on 7,000 IHP and gave 16.5 knots on trials. In 1896 she capsized and sank in Tilbury Dock and was raised and chartered for the Boer War Trooping until 1903. In 1906 with the withdrawal of P.S.N. Co the royal Mail Steam Packet Co took over her and she was repainted and her main mast and mizzen masts were removed. In 1909 she was placed on the West Indian run and in 1914 she was comissioned as a liner - cruiser until 1919. Tonnage: 5857 gross