Rover (yacht)
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| History | |
|---|---|
 United Kingdom | |
| Name | Rover |
| Builder | A Stephen & Sons, Linthouse |
| Renamed | Southern Cross, Orizaba (1939) |
| Fate | Scrapped c. 1960 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Steam yacht |
| Tonnage | 2,115 Thames Measurement[1] |
| Length | 266 ft 5 in (81.20 m) |
| Beam | 40 ft 4 in (12.3 m) |
| Draught | 20 ft (6.1 m) |
| Installed power | 3,000 shp (2,200 kW) |
| Propulsion |
|
| Speed | 16 knots (30 km/h) |
Rover (later renamed Southern Cross, Orizaba) was a steam yacht built in 1930 by Alexander Stephen and Sons in Linthouse, Glasgow, Scotland for Lord Inchcape, then chairman of the P&O. Built as yard number 527, she was 265 feet 5 inches (80.90 m) long with a beam of 40 feet 1 inch (12.22 m) and a tonnage of 2,115, and was considered "the most luxurious ever built on the Clyde".[2]
The yacht's figurehead was a likeness of Lord Inchcape's daughter, Elsie Mackay, who disappeared while trying to fly the Atlantic in 1928.[3] With accommodation for up to 14 guests, the yacht was painted green and white at launch with a predominantly silver-coloured dining room.[4]
Rover's staterooms featured en-suite marbled bathrooms. Dancing and games were staged on the open decks. Long-distance fuel tanks permitted long round-the-world voyages. In Cowes Week in August 1930, she was visited by the then King George V and Queen Mary.[5]