Through the years the Mauretania was the most popular and well-loved
ship, in the eyes of the general public, to sail on the North Atlantic route.
In November 1907,
she won the Blue Riband from her sister ship Lusitania by making the run from Ambrose
Lighthouse to Queenstown in 4 days, 22 hours and 29 minutes at a speed of 23.69 knots.
After losing the title back to her sister, she regained it for a period of two decades in
July 1909 with a crossing eastbound of 4 days, 17 hours and 20 minutes at a speed of 25.89
knots.
She had a busy and varied life, being commissioned as a troop transport in August 1914, and later as a hospital ship. After being de-commissioned, she resumed service on June 27th 1919 but was damaged by fire in 1921 at Southampton. She was subsequently repaired and fitted out for fuel oil. After her hull was painted white in 1931, she was sent cruising and during the following year she made only five transatlantic voyages.
The "Grand Old Lady" increased her speed with age, with a record of 27.65 knots in 1929.
She held the Blue Riband for 22 years, a feat which deserved a more fitting end than
being sold to Metal Industries in April, 1935 for scrap.
Limited to 850 copies, signed and numbered by the artist and counter signed by Captain Bob Arnott.
Price - £20 + carriage.
One of a set of six Cunard Liners prints. Full set only £75 + carriage.
Overall size : 17" x 13.5"
Facts and Figures of Mauretania
Builder : Swan Hunter and Wigham Richardson Ltd., Wallsend-on-Tyne.
Gross tonnage : 30,696 tonnes
Overall length : 790 ft
Breadth : 88 ft
Depth : 61 ft
Engines : 4 direct-action Parson steam turbines; two high pressure and two low pressure.
Completed : October 1907
Propellers : Quadruple
Watertight bulkheads : 11
Decks : 6
Normal speed : 25.50 knots(attained a speed of 27.04 knots on her trials)
Officers and crew : 812
Maiden voyage, Liverpool-Queenstown-New York on 16th November, 1907.