TRADE between South Africa and Northern Europe is increasing and, in addition to big mail liners for this service, cargo liners of the highest class have recently been built. Active in this connexion is the Transatlantic Steamship Company of Gothenburg, which owns some of the fastest medium sized vessels trading between Gothenburg and South and East African ports.
The ships carry general cargo outwards and homewards, and in addition on the homeward voyage a great deal of fruit. For this purpose No. 2 Lower Hold in this ship is refrigerated throughout. The vessel shown above is the Klipparen, which was completed by the Swedish shipbuilding firm of Götaverken, at Gothenburg, in July 1935.
She has a deadweight tonnage of 5,970, a length of 379 ft 4 in, a beam of 50 ft 1 in and a depth of 20 ft 3 in. In service her speed is about 15 knots when loaded down to 23 ft 5½ in. Propulsion is by two diesel engines, with eight cylinders of 21·69 in diameter and 39·37 in stroke. These engines deliver to the two shafts a total of 4,080 horse-power at 175 revolutions a minute.
The vessel has two complete decks fore and aft - one a shelter deck and the other a ‘tween deck. Slightly abaft midships is a structure streamlined at the forward end. This contains accommodation for deck and engineer officers on either side of the motor casing at shelter deck level, and a dining saloon and two passenger cabins at the forward end. Above this is a further arrangement of passenger cabins, with a smoking-room at the forward end.
There is a long forecastle of what is known as sunken type - the forecastle floor is slightly below the level of the shelter deck. The four holds are served by five hatches with dimensions as shown on the plan, No. 1 Hatch being on the forecastle deck immediately abaft a breakwater. The vessel has a raking stem and a spoon stern. She has a strong appearance, which is improved by the curved superstructure, the streamlined funnel and the two pole masts, with derrick posts alongside in either instance.
