RMS Strathnaver

{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2018}}

{{Use British English|date=January 2018}}

{{Infobox ship begin}} {{Infobox ship image |Ship image= StateLibQld 1 170511 Strathnaver (ship).jpg |Ship caption= RMS Strathnaver in 1937 }} {{Infobox ship career |Hide header= |Ship name=*RMS Strathnaver; SS Strathnaver |Ship namesake= Strathnaver in Sutherland, Scotland |Ship country= United Kingdom |Ship flag= {{shipboxflag|United Kingdom|civil}} |Ship owner= File:P&O-house flag.svg P&O Steam Navigation Co{{cite book |url= https://plimsoll.southampton.gov.uk/shipdata/pdfs/37/37b0833.pdf |year=1937 |title=Lloyd's Register of Shipping |location=London |publisher=Lloyd's Register |access-date=30 April 2013}} |Ship operator= File:P&O-house flag.svg P&O Steam Navigation Co |Ship route= Tilbury — Brisbane{{harvnb|Talbot-Booth|1942|p=397}} |Ship ordered=January 1930 |Ship builder= Vickers-Armstrong, Barrow |Ship original cost= |Ship yard number= 663{{cite web |url= http://www.poheritage.com/Upload/Mimsy/Media/factsheet/94606STRATHNAVER-1931pdf.pdf |title=Strathnaver (1931) |work=poheritage.com |access-date=5 October 2019}} |Ship way number= |Ship laid down= |Ship launched= 5 February 1931{{cite web |url= http://www.simonstown.com/archives/stdc_aa_02-011.htm |title=R.M.S. Strathnaver in Simon's Town |work=Simon's Town Archives |access-date=30 April 2013}} |Ship completed= September 1931 |Ship christened=5 February 1931 by Lady Janet Bailey |Ship acquired= |Ship maiden voyage= 2 October 1931 |Ship in service= |Ship out of service= |Ship registry= {{flagicon|United Kingdom|civil}} London |Ship identification=*UK official number 162619 Call sign GRPZ {{ICS|Golf}}{{ICS|Romeo}}{{ICS|Papa}}{{ICS|Zulu}} |Ship homeport= Tilbury |Ship fate= Scrapped in Hong Kong, 1962 |Ship notes= }} {{Infobox ship characteristics |Hide header= |Header caption= |Ship class= "Strath" class ocean liner |Ship tonnage=*{{GRT|22283}} 12,675 tonnage under deck {{NRT|13,361}} |Ship displacement= |Ship length= {{convert|638.7|ft}} |Ship beam= {{convert|80.2|ft}} |Ship height= |Ship draught= {{convert|29|ft|2|in|1}} |Ship depth= {{convert|33.1|ft}} |Ship decks= |Ship deck clearance= |Ship power=*6,315 NHP 28,000 shp |Ship propulsion=*turbo-electric transmission; twin screw |Ship speed=*{{convert|22|kn}}{{sfn|Harnack|1938|p=560}} or {{convert|23|kn}} |Ship sensors=*direction finding equipment, echo sounding device, gyrocompass |Ship capacity=*as built: 498 1st class, 670 tourist class after 1948 refit: 1,252 tourist class |Ship crew= |Ship notes= sister ship: {{RMS|Strathaird}} }}

RMS Strathnaver, later SS Strathnaver, was an ocean liner of the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company (P&O).

She was the first of five sister ships in what came to be called the "Strath" class. All previous P&O steamships had black-painted hulls and funnels but Strathnaver and her sisters were painted with white hulls and buff funnels,{{sfn|Talbot-Booth|1942|p=534}}{{sfn|Harnack|1938|p=559}} which earned them the nickname "The Beautiful White Sisters" or just "The White Sisters". Strathnaver and her sister ships {{RMS|Strathaird}} and {{RMS|Strathmore}} were Royal Mail Ships that worked P&O's regular liner route between Tilbury in Essex, England and Brisbane in Queensland, Australia.

Strathnaver remained in service for just over 30 years, being scrapped in 1962.

==Building==

File:RMS Strathnaver lifeboats in davits, 1934.jpg lifeboats in their davits in 1934]]

The Vickers-Armstrong shipyard at Barrow-in-Furness built all five "Strath"-class liners. Strathnaver was launched on 5 February 1931, completed in September 1931 and left Tilbury on her maiden voyage on 2 October.

In 1929 P&O had introduced its first large turbo-electric liner, {{RMS|Viceroy of India}}. The company chose the same propulsion system for Strathnaver and Strathaird, but the "Straths" were slightly larger ships, their turbo-electric equipment was much more powerful and they were about {{convert|3|kn|km/h}} faster than Viceroy of India.

Strathnaver and Strathaird were very similar. Each had four water-tube boilers and two auxiliary boilers. The boilers had a combined heating surface of {{convert|56000|sqft|0}} and supplied steam at 425 lb_f/in² to two turbo generators. These supplied current to two electric motors with a combined rating of 6,315 NHP or 28,000 shp. British Thomson-Houston of Rugby, Warwickshire built the turbo-generators and motors. The motors drove a pair of inward-rotating screw propellers. Strathnaver and Strathaird had three funnels but only the middle one served as a smoke stack: the first and third funnels were dummies.

Strathnaver and Strathaird were each equipped with direction finding equipment, an echo sounding device and a gyrocompass As built, Strathnaver had accommodation for 498 first class and 668 tourist class passengers and 476 crew.{{Cite newspaper The Times |title=P. And O. Liner Launched |date=6 February 1931 |page=11}} In first class the ship had 262 single-berth rooms with the rest double-berthed, a special suite on "D" deck had 12 de luxe cabins each with a private bathroom.{{Cite newspaper The Times |title=The Strathnaver |date=5 September 1931 |page=7}} The tourist-class cabins were either two or four-berthed.

The ship was launched at Barrow on 5 February 1931 by Lady Janet Bailey, daughter of Lord Inchcape, the Chairman of P&O.