MS Straat Banka 1952

M.S. Straat Banka was built in Rotterdam for Royal Interocean Lines and launched in December 1951. At just over 9,000 gross tons and 472 feet long, she was designed as a passenger-cargo liner with space for 48 first-class guests in staterooms that rivaled luxury liners of her era.

Her voyages stretched from Asia to Africa, South America, and Australia, and after a 1961 refit she carried 40 passengers with added comforts including a swimming pool. She became especially popular on the India–Australia run before being sold in 1971, renamed Mercury Lake, and finally scrapped in Shanghai in 1978 after only 26 years of service.

The ship’s strength came from a 9-cylinder Burmeister & Wain two-stroke diesel engine, license-built by P. Smit in Rotterdam. This powerhouse generated close to 9,000 horsepower, driving a single screw at a steady 16-knot service speed with a maximum of 17 knots. Each cylinder was enormous, nearly a meter across, delivering direct drive torque without gears.

The engine consumed about 28–30 tons of heavy fuel oil per day, which was efficient for its time, and was cooled and scavenged with advanced oil and air systems that gave long service life. It was this engine that gave Straat Banka the stamina to cross oceans reliably, making her a fine example of postwar Dutch shipbuilding.

Source: Naval nostalgia