# RMS Tahiti

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UK Royal Mail Ship

Port Kingston in 1905 History United Kingdom Name 1904: Port Kingston 1911: Tahiti Owner 1904: Imperial Direct West Mail Co 1911: Union Steam Ship Co of NZ Operator 1904: Imperial Direct West Mail Co 1911: Union Steam Ship Co of NZ Port of registry 1904: Bristol 1911: London Route 1904: Bristol – Kingston, Jamaica 1911: Sydney – Wellington – San Francisco Builder Alexander Stephen and Sons, Clydebank Yard number 403 Launched 19 April 1904 Acquired 1911 Identification Official number 117715 Code letters VTWG Fate Sank 17 August 1930 General characteristics Type Ocean liner Tonnage 7,585 GRT, 4,155 NRT Length 460 ft (140 m) Beam 55.5 ft (16.9 m) Draught 27 ft (8.2 m) Depth 24.4 ft (7.4 m) Installed power 1,443 NHP Propulsion 2 × triple expansion engines 2 × screws Speed 17 knots (31 km/h) Capacity 515 passengers (as built) 36,370 cu ft (1,030 m3) refrigerated cargo Crew 135

**RMS *Tahiti*** was a [UK](/source/United_Kingdom_of_Great_Britain_and_Ireland) [Royal Mail Ship](/source/Royal_Mail_Ship), [ocean liner](/source/Ocean_liner) and [refrigerated cargo ship](/source/Reefer_ship). She was launched in 1904 in Scotland as **RMS *Port Kingston*** for a subsidiary of [Elder Dempster Lines](/source/Elder_Dempster_Lines). In 1911 the [Union Steamship Company of New Zealand](/source/Union_Company) bought her and renamed her *Tahiti*.

In the [First World War](/source/World_War_I) she was a [troop ship](/source/Troopship). In 1918 an outbreak of [Spanish flu](/source/Spanish_flu) resulted in exceptionally high mortality amongst the troops aboard her. After the war she was returned to her owners.

In 1927 *Tahiti* [collided with a ferry](/source/Greycliffe_disaster) in [Sydney Harbour](/source/Port_Jackson), killing 40 ferry passengers. In 1930 *Tahiti* sank without loss of life in the South [Pacific Ocean](/source/Pacific_Ocean) due to flooding caused by a broken propeller shaft.

## Characteristics and construction

Alexander Stephen and Sons of [Govan](/source/Govan) on the [River Clyde](/source/River_Clyde) built the ship as *Port Kingston* for the Imperial Direct West Mail Company, which was a subsidiary of Elder Dempster Shipping Limited. She was [launched](/source/Ceremonial_ship_launching) on 19 April 1904[1] and completed that August.[2]

She had berths for 277 first class, 97 second and 141 third class passengers on four decks and had a crew of 135.[3] She had refrigerated holds with a capacity of 36,370 cu ft (1,030 m3)[4] to carry fruit.

## Early career

*Port Kingston* served the [Bristol](/source/Port_of_Bristol) to [Kingston, Jamaica](/source/Kingston%2C_Jamaica) route, which she was able to cover in ten-and-a-half days.[5] *Port Kingston* was beached in the [1907 Kingston earthquake](/source/1907_Kingston_earthquake) but was successfully refloated. She was laid up in 1910.[3]

## To New Zealand

In 1911 the Union Steamship Company of New Zealand bought *Port Kingston*, had her refitted at Bristol and renamed her *Tahiti*. She was intended for the route Sydney to San Francisco via [Wellington](/source/Wellington), [Rarotonga](/source/Rarotonga) and [Tahiti](/source/Tahiti). She began her first voyage on her new route on 11 December 1911.

## World War I

When the First World War began in 1914, *Tahiti* was requisitioned as the troop ship HMNZT ("His Majesty's New Zealand Transport") *Tahiti*. She was part of the convoy transporting the First Detachment of the [Australian and New Zealand Imperial Expeditionary Forces](/source/Australian_and_New_Zealand_Army_Corps#World_War_I), which left [King George Sound](/source/King_George_Sound_(Western_Australia)), [Albany, Western Australia](/source/Albany%2C_Western_Australia) on 1 November 1914. On 11 September 1915 she reached Wellington with the first casualties from the [Gallipoli campaign](/source/Gallipoli_campaign).[3]

## The 1918 influenza pandemic

*Tahiti* left New Zealand on 10 July 1918 with 1,117 troops and 100 crew aboard, bound for England. When she met the rest of her convoy at [Freetown](/source/Freetown) in [Sierra Leone](/source/Sierra_Leone_Colony_and_Protectorate), reports of disease ashore led to a quarantine order for the ships. However, the ships were resupplied by local workers, and officers attended a conference aboard the [armed merchant cruiser](/source/Armed_merchantman#Armed_merchant_cruisers) [HMS *Mantua*](/source/HMS_Mantua), which had experienced an influenza outbreak three weeks earlier.

The first soldiers suffering from Spanish flu began reporting to the hospital aboard *Tahiti* on 26 August, the day that she left Freetown. By the time she arrived at [Devonport](/source/HMNB_Devonport) on 10 September 68 men had died and a further nine died afterwards, an overall [mortality rate](/source/Mortality_rate) of 68.9 persons per 1,000 population. It is estimated that more than 1,000 of those on board had been infected with the disease. A later enquiry found that mortality was worst in those over 40 years and that those over 25 had a higher mortality than those under 25. Mortality was also higher in those sleeping in [bunk beds](/source/Bunk_bed) rather than in [hammocks](/source/Hammock).

The conclusion of the enquiry was that overcrowding and poor ventilation had contributed to the exceptionally high infection rate and death toll.[6] It was one of the worst outbreaks worldwide for the 1918/19 pandemic in terms of both [morbidity](/source/Morbidity) and mortality.[7]

## The Greycliffe disaster

Hull section of *Greycliffe* dragged to Whiting Beach, [Sydney Harbour](/source/Sydney_Harbour).

Main article: [Greycliffe disaster](/source/Greycliffe_disaster)

In 1919 *Tahiti* was returned to her owners.[3] In 1920 her furnaces were converted from coal firing to [oil](/source/Bunker_fuel)[8] and she made one voyage to [Vancouver](/source/Vancouver), British Columbia. The next year she reverted to the San Francisco route.[3]

On 3 November 1927, *Tahiti* collided with the [Watsons Bay](/source/Watsons_Bay) ferry *Greycliffe* off [Bradleys Head](/source/Bradleys_Head) in Sydney Harbour. The crowded ferry was split in two and sank within three minutes.[9] Of 120 passengers on the ferry, 40 were killed.[10]

## Sinking

[Lifeboats](/source/Lifeboat_(shipboard)) carry passengers from the sinking *Tahiti*, 17 August 1930

On 12 August 1930 *Tahiti*, carrying 103 passengers, 149 crew members, and 500 tons of general cargo, left Wellington to continue a voyage from Sydney to San Francisco. She was about 480 [nautical miles](/source/Nautical_mile) (890 km; 550 mi) southwest of [Rarotonga](/source/Rarotonga) at [20°43′S 166°16′W / 20.717°S 166.267°W / -20.717; -166.267 (RMS *Tahiti*)](https://geohack.toolforge.org/geohack.php?pagename=RMS_Tahiti&params=20_43_S_166_16_W_&title=RMS+%27%27Tahiti%27%27) at 4:30 a.m. on 15 August 1930 when her starboard [propeller shaft](/source/Drive_shaft#Marine_drive_shafts) broke, opening a large hole in her [stern](/source/Stern) and causing rapid flooding. Her wireless operator transmitted a distress call, and her crew launched distress signal rockets, prepared the passengers for the possibility of abandoning ship, and fought the flooding in an effort to save the ship.[11]

At 10:10 p.m. on 16 August, the Norwegian steamship [*Penybryn*](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=SS_Penybryn&action=edit&redlink=1) arrived to assist. *Penybryn* stood by *Tahiti* through the night of 16–17 August with her [floodlights](/source/Floodlight) illuminating *Tahiti* and her boats ready to go to the assistance of *Tahiti*'s passengers and crew if needed.[11]

At 9:30 a.m. on 17 August, *Tahiti*'s passengers and some of her crew abandoned ship, with all [lifeboats](/source/Lifeboat_(shipboard)) away in 13 minutes. Some of her crew remained aboard in order to continue efforts to slow the flooding. The US steamship [*Ventura*](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=SS_Ventura&action=edit&redlink=1) was just arriving on the scene, having signalled that she could take *Tahiti*'s passengers and crew aboard, and she picked them up soon after they abandoned ship. Members of *Tahiti*'s crew, aided by a boat from *Penybryn*, then returned to *Tahiti* in *Tahiti*'s boats and began to try to save the first class mails and luggage from the sinking ship.[11]

By 1:35 p.m. on 17 August, *Tahiti* was settling rapidly, and it became too dangerous for her crew to remain aboard. They abandoned ship, having saved the ship's papers and [bullion](/source/Bullion). *Tahiti* sank, without loss of life, at 4:42 p.m. on 17 August 1930 at [24°44′S 166°15′W / 24.733°S 166.250°W / -24.733; -166.250 (RMS *Tahiti*)](https://geohack.toolforge.org/geohack.php?pagename=RMS_Tahiti&params=24_44_S_166_15_W_&title=RMS+%27%27Tahiti%27%27), about 460 nautical miles (850 km; 530 mi) from Rarotonga.[11][12][13]

## Court of inquiry

A court of inquiry convened in Wellington, New Zealand, published its findings on the sinking in a report on 15 September 1930. The report was issued by the [United Kingdom](/source/United_Kingdom)'s [Board of Trade](/source/Board_of_Trade) in [London](/source/London) on 11 December 1930. The court found that the sinking resulted from a breakage of the starboard propeller shaft that not only punctured *Tahiti*'s [hull](/source/Hull_(watercraft)) at her stern, admitting water to her shaft tunnel – which the court deemed survivable – but also tore a hole in the bulkhead that divided the shaft tunnel from her [engine room](/source/Engine_room) and number 3 [hold](/source/Hold_(ship)). The court found that the latter hole ultimately caused the ship to sink, as the increasing weight of water flooding the shaft tunnel widened the hole in the bulkhead despite the crew's effort to contain the flooding and eventually overwhelmed their damage control efforts.[11]

The court found both the crew and officials who had certified the ship's compliance with standards of seaworthiness blameless in the sinking, stated that the breaking of a propeller shaft was a common event at sea but the level of damage sustained by *Tahiti* in the breaking of her propeller shaft was exceedingly rare, and determined that *Tahiti*'s sinking was "due to a peril of the sea which no reasonable human care or foresight could have avoided."[11]

The court commended *Tahiti*'s [Master](/source/Master_mariner), TA Toten, for showing "resource and cool accurate judgment worthy of the highest praise," said that "all ranks under him responded to the example that he set,"[11] and noted the efforts of the ship's engineering staff, stating:

On the engineers and the engine room and stoke hold staff under them fell the brunt of the fight. For close on sixty hours, without sleep and without respite the engineers directed and waged a gallant losing fight against the relentless waters, working for long periods deep in water and in imminent danger of the collapse of the strained and partly rent bulkhead that imprisoned the wall of water high above them. It was their courage and endurance that made it possible for the master to delay until the propitious moment, the giving of the final order to abandon the ship.[11]

The court concluded its report by stating "We deem it our duty to place on record this appreciation of the conduct of the master and all those under him."[11]

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** ["Port Kingston"](http://clydeships.co.uk/view.php?year_built=&builder=&ref=16086&vessel=PORT+KINGSTON). *Scottish Built Ships*. Caledonian Maritime Research Trust. Retrieved 15 December 2020.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-LR30_2-0)** "Steamers & Motorships". [*Lloyd's Register*](https://plimsoll.southampton.gov.uk/shipdata/pdfs/30/30b1157.pdf) (PDF). Vol. II. London: Lloyd's Register. 1930. Retrieved 15 December 2020 – via Plimsoll Ship Data.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-FA_3-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-FA_3-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-FA_3-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-FA_3-3) [***e***](#cite_ref-FA_3-4) ["HMNZT New Zealand Transport Ships"](https://web.archive.org/web/20140614154934/http://www.flotilla-australia.com/hmnzt.htm#04). *Flotilla Australia*. Archived from [the original](http://www.flotilla-australia.com/hmnzt.htm#04) on 14 June 2014. Retrieved 15 December 2020.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** "List of Vessels Fitted with Refrigerating Appliances". [*Lloyd's Register*](https://plimsoll.southampton.gov.uk/shipdata/pdfs/30/30a0643.pdf) (PDF). Vol. I. London: Lloyd's Register. 1930. Retrieved 15 December 2020.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** Tombs, RC (1905). [*The King's Post*](http://www.gutenberg.org/files/28533/28533-h/28533-h.htm#Page_162). Bristol: WC Hemmons. p. 162.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** Summers, Jennifer; Wilson, Nick; Baker, Michael; Shanks, Dennis (December 2010). ["Mortality Risk Factors for Pandemic Influenza on New Zealand Troop Ship, 1918"](https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/16/12/10-0429_article.htm). *Emerging Infectious Diseases*. **16** (12). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: 1931–1937. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.3201/eid1612.100429](https://doi.org/10.3201%2Feid1612.100429). [PMC](/source/PMC_(identifier)) [3294590](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3294590). [PMID](/source/PMID_(identifier)) [21122224](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21122224).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** Summers, Jennifer; Wilson, Nick; Baker, Michael; Shanks, Dennis. ["Mortality Risk Factors in an Outbreak of Pandemic Influenza on a New Zealand Troop Ship in 1918"](http://www.otago.ac.nz/wellington/otago023015.pdf) (PDF). University of Otago.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** ["Shipping. Otago Daily Times"](https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/ODT19200604.2.10). *paperspast.natlib.govt.nz*. 4 June 1920. Retrieved 22 September 2024.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** ["The 'indescribable horror'"](http://anmm.wordpress.com/2012/10/19/the-indescribable-horror/#more-8370). *Blog*. Australian National Maritime Museum. 19 October 2012.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** Donahue, James. ["The Greycliffe-Tahiti Disaster of 1927"](http://perdurabo10.tripod.com/ships2/id49.html). *Ships 2*.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-casualty19300915_11-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-casualty19300915_11-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-casualty19300915_11-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-casualty19300915_11-3) [***e***](#cite_ref-casualty19300915_11-4) [***f***](#cite_ref-casualty19300915_11-5) [***g***](#cite_ref-casualty19300915_11-6) [***h***](#cite_ref-casualty19300915_11-7) [***i***](#cite_ref-casualty19300915_11-8) [*"Tahiti" (S.S.) Report on a shipping casualty to the steamship "Tahiti"*](https://plimsoll.southampton.gov.uk/SOTON_Documents/Plimsoll/14053.pdf) (PDF). London: HMSO. 15 September 1930 – via Plimsoll Ship Data.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-12)** ["RMS Tahiti (+1930)"](http://www.wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?32137). Wrecksite.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Times190830a_13-0)** "The Tahiti". *The Times*. No. 45595. London. 19 August 1930. col. D, p. 10.

v t e Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in 1927 Shipwrecks 25 Feb: Artemis 11 Mar: El Sol 27 Jun: Craster Hall 5 Aug: Chiyoda, O-2 18 Aug: Hennepin 22 Aug: Prince Rupert 24 Aug: Warabi 21 Oct: Irene 25 Oct: Principessa Mafalda 28 Oct: Fortuna 3 Nov: Greycliffe 21 Nov: Georgia 7 Dec: Kamloops 17 Dec: USS S-4 30 Dec: Seneca Other incidents 29 Jan: Celtic 6 Mar: USCGC Seminole 11 Mar: Sac City 1 May: USS Colorado 2 May: Astoria 5 Jul: RMS Ebro 15 Jul: Veendam 24 Aug: Jintsū 25 Sep: Minnekahda 6 Oct: Domala 19 Oct: Irene 20 Oct: Irene, HMS L4, HMS L5 3 Nov: Tahiti 8 Nov: Catala 20 Nov: Pierre Chailley 27 Nov: Wahehe November (unknown date): Hougomont 12 Dec: Fylgia 16 Dec: Equity 17 Dec: USCGD Paulding 29 Dec: Galatée 29 Dec: J. A. Moffett Jr. 31 Dec: Consul Horn Unknown date: America Unknown date: Pelican 1926 1928

v t e Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in 1930 Shipwrecks 4 Jan: Edgar Quinet 17 Jan: Arctic 23 Jan: Monte Cervantes 1 Feb: Edgar F. Coney 11 Feb: München 28 Feb: HMCS Thiepval 29 Mar: HMS L1 10 Apr: St. Sunniva 21 May: Asia 25 May: City of Honolulu 13 Jun: Miss England II 26 Jun: John B. King 3 Aug: Akashi 17 Aug: Tahiti 24 Nov: HMAS Torrens 10 Dec: Empress of Scotland Unknown date: Baymaud, Half Moon Other incidents 10 Jan: Edward Luckenbach 31 Jan: Minnekahda 17 Feb: El Paraguayo 18 Feb: Iron Monarch 6 Mar: Arabia Maru 28 Apr: Fresnel 29 Apr: Gairsoppa 22 May: SS Kaisar-I-Hind May (unknown date): USFS Widgeon 6 Jun: Arpha 27 Jun: Pierre Chailley June (unknown date): Equity 2 Jul: Mona 14 Jul: Pengreep 19 Jul: Minnekahda 7 Aug: Tregenna 8 Aug: Penguin 15 Aug: Tahiti 3 Sep: USC&GS Oceanographer 8 Sep: Maria M. 21 Sep: MV Penguin 26 Sep: HMS Conquest 21 Nov: Frederik VIII 1 Dec: Georges Philippar 12 Dec: Arcturus 18 Dec: Ceramic Unknown date: HMS Peterel 1929 1931

[24°42′S 166°15′W / 24.70°S 166.25°W / -24.70; -166.25](https://geohack.toolforge.org/geohack.php?pagename=RMS_Tahiti&params=24.7_S_166.25_W_)

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [RMS Tahiti](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RMS_Tahiti) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RMS_Tahiti?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.