SS King Orry (1871)

PS (RMS) King Orry (II) No. 45479 – the second vessel in the company's history to bear the name – was an iron paddle-steamer operated by the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company.

Construction and dimensions
King Orry was built by R. Duncan & Co., at Port Glasgow in 1871, with engines by Rankin & Blackmore, and launched on Monday March 27th, 1871. Length 260'; beam 29'4"; depth 14'7", King Orry had an original tonnage of 809 GRT, and this was later increased to 1,104. Her original speed was 15 knots.



In 1888, King Orry was refitted by Fairfield & Co at a cost of £8,246 (£0 as of 2024). She was lengthened by 30 feet, and at the same time she was reboilered by J. Jones & Co for £4,080 (£0 as of 2024).

This thorough refit gave her a new boiler pressure of 110 psi, her diagonal compound engine now had a stroke of 78 inches with a high-pressure cylinder of 52 inches and low pressure 92. Consequently her speed was now increased from 15 kn to 17 kn.

In 1895 she was given a complete electric lighting installation costing £575 (£0 as of 2024).

Service life
Considered an exceptionally well appointed ship, King Orry saw service on the wide range of routes the Steam Packet Company then operated.

A contemporary report of the time stated she had:-

For her operation the latest advancements in technology had been introduced. Part of this was the provision for telegraph communication with the engine room from both ends of the bridge, a speaking tube in the center and a third telegraph at the Captain's look-out house on the fore part of the hurricane deck. The vessel could therefore either been steered from the hurricane deck or the aft part of the ship.

At the time King Orry entered service approximately 100,000 passengers were being conveyed by the Company, thanks in no small measure to the newly constructed low water landing pier at Douglas (now named the Victoria Pier), prior to the construction of which required passengers to disembark by boat.

After 41 years of service – the longest service record up until that time in the history of the Steam Packet Fleet – the decision was made to withdraw her. She was taken by Captain Quine to Llanerchymor for breaking, but before scrapping commenced she was opened for public inspection with the proceeds of this been donated to the Honeywell Cottage Hospital.

Disposal
King Orry was broken up at Llanerchymor, Wales, in 1912.