RMS Atrato

Atrato
History
United Kingdom
Name:	Atrato
Namesake:	Atrato River in Colombia
Owner:	RMSP Co (1888–1912) Viking Cruising Co (1912–14)
Operator:	Royal Navy (1914–15)
Port of registry:	(1888–1914) (1914–15)
Route:	Southampton – Brazil – Uruguay – Argentina (1889), Southampton – Caribbean (1889–1912)
Builder:	Robert Napier and Sons, Govan
Yard number:	410
Launched:	22 September 1888
Renamed:	Viking in 1912 HMS Viknor in 1914
Identification:	UK official number 95512
Fate:	Sunk 13 January 1915
General characteristics
Type:	ocean liner (1889–1912) cruise ship (1912–14) armed merchant cruiser (1914–15)
Tonnage:	5,347 GRT, 3,069 NRT
Length:	400 ft (120 m) p/p 421.2 ft (128.4 m) o/a
Beam:	50 ft (15 m)
Draught:	25 ft (7.6 m)
Depth:	33 ft 4 in (10.16 m)
Installed power:	1,000 hp
Propulsion:	1 × 3-cylinder triple expansion steam engine; single screw
Sail plan:	3-masted schooner
Speed:	14 knots (26 km/h) service; 16 knots (30 km/h) maximum
Boats & landing craft carried:	5 × 30-foot (9.1 m) lifeboats 2 × 28-foot (8.5 m) cutters 1 × 28-foot (8.5 m) steam launch 1 × 25-foot (7.6 m) gig 1 × 18-foot (5.5 m) dinghy
Capacity:	Passengers including 176 1st class & nearly 400 steerage. Cargo 2,524 tons
Complement:	(as armed merchant cruiser, 1914–15) 22 officers, 273 ratings
Notes:	sister ships: Orinoco, Magdalena, Thames, Clyde

RMS Atrato was a UK steamship that was built in 1888 as a Royal Mail Ship and ocean liner for the Royal Mail Steam Packet Company. In 1912 she was sold and became the cruise ship The Viking. Toward the end of 1914 she was requisitioned and converted into the armed merchant cruiser HMS Viknor. She sank in 1915 with all hands, a total of 295 Royal Navy officers and men.

In the 1880s RMSP introduced a series of larger new ships to improve its scheduled services between Southampton, South America and the Caribbean. The first was the 4,572 GRT Orinoco, built by Caird and Company and launched in 1886. She was RMSP's first new ship to have a hull of steel rather than iron. After her success RMSP ordered two more ships to an improved and enlarged version of the design from Robert Napier and Sons of Govan. Atrato was launched in 1888, followed by Magdalena launched in 1889. Before these were completed RMSP ordered two more from Napier: the slightly larger Thames in 1889 and Clyde launched in 1890.

Orinoco had only a small amount of deck housing and was the last square-rigged sail-steamer to be built for RMSP. The Napier ships were more modern, each with a full superstructure deck and rigged as a three-masted schooner. The smaller sail plan was based on the increasing economy and reliability of their engines.

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