THE Inland Sea of Japan is one of the noted beauty spots of the world. During the past few years a number of medium-sized diesel-engines passenger ships have been built for work on the Inland Sea, and the vessel illustrated above, the Kurenai Maru, which trades regularly between the ports of Kobe and Beppu, may be taken as typical. She was one of the first ships of this fleet to be fitted with diesel engines.
Completed in July 1924, she is owned by the Osaka Shosen Kaisha Company, whose big cargo liners are familiar on the trade routes of the world. The essential features of her design are plentiful cabin accommodation, combined with as large open promenading spaces as the superstructure will permit.
She is a ship with three decks. The upper deck is the main deck, with a forecastle gallery and pantry round the casing, as the drawing shows, and open sleeping spaces for men at the after end. Below this is a ‘tween deck with further open sleeping spaces, and above the upper deck is a promenade, with a fine observation dining-room at the forward end and more open space at the after end. Here are two- and four-berths cabins and some further open spaces, as well as a smoking-room.
The Kurenai Maru was built at the Osaka Ironworks and has a gross tonnage of 1,541. She has a length of 238 ft. 3 in., a beam of 38 feet and a draught of 19 ft. 7 in. Her speed in service is just over 14 knots when drawing 11 ft. 6 in. Of water. Her diesel engines were built in Copenhagen by Burmeister and Wain. The two engines are of the four-cycle single-acting type. Either has six cylinders with a diameter of 19·68 in. and 35·43 in. stroke. The total power developed is 1,600 brake horse-power at 140 revolutions a minute. Electricity is used for auxiliary purposes and the total output on three generators is 150 horse-power.
