MV Cape Don Society

The Ship

MV Cape Don line drawing
Line drawing of the MV Cape Don

MV Cape Don was built at the Newcastle State Dockyards, NSW, and completed in January 1963, one of a unique class of ships purpose-built to service navigational aids (including manned lighthouses), primarily along the Western Australian coast.

To fulfil these tasks, she was built as a mini-liner, with the lavish passenger accommodation necessary to carry officials, technicians, relief lighthouse crews and their families, sometimes for quite prolonged periods.

She is powered by a 5 cylinder Australian Polar M65T diesel engine developing 2000 bhp at 250 rpm, driving a 4-blade, 5 tonne Kamewa controllable pitch propeller, 9.2' (2.75 m) diameter.

Cargo handling: the ship is equipped with one Clark Chapman electric crane SWL 12.5 ton (12.7 metric tonnes).

Specifications of the MV Cape Don
Length (over all)	243' 7"	74.25 m
Length (between perpendiculars)	220' 0"	67.05 m
Extreme breadth	42' 1.75"	12.846 m
Moulded breadth	42' 0"	12.802 m
Depth to upper deck	23' 6"	7.16 m
Depth to main deck	16' 0"	4.88 m
Bridge to stem distance	88' 0"	26.8 m
Height of foremast above Load Water Line	83' 0"	25.3 m
Height of bridge above LWL	28' 0"	8.53 m
Light ship draft	9' 3.25"	2.83 m
Maximum summer draft	14' 4"	4.37m
Fresh water allowance	3.5"	88.9 mm
Gross tonnage	2106.24 t	2139.8 mt
Nett tonnage	714.6 t	726.07 mt
Light ship displacement	1565 t	1590 mt
Capacities: Fresh water Water ballast Oil fuel	377 t 254 t 132 t	383 mt 258 mt 134 mt
Capacities, cargo: Hold 'Tween deck Lockers	276 t 145 t 14 t	281 mt 147 mt 14 mt
Daily consumption: Fuel: steaming Fuel at anchor Fresh water	6.0 t 0.5 t 7 t	6.1 mt 0.6 mt 7.1 mt
Service speeds: at 230 rpm DP at 200 rpm DP	12.7 knots 10.2 knots
Complement: Crew Passengers	39 12

For photographic tour of the ship in her current state, see the Photo Tour page.

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