The 'Rania'

 

The 'Rania' was a general cargo ship built in 1966 in the prolific Rendsburg shipyard in West Germany under its original name, the 'Barken'.

With its distinctive design, the vessel had 3 goalpost masts and 3 derricks (small cranes to off-load cargo). She could carry up to 1800 tons and she sailed under the flag of Sweden.

The vessel traded under two additional names before becoming the 'Rania' from 1982 to 1993. Under this new name, she completely changed her profile, and her masts were replaced by 2 uprights used to lift hatch covers.

She ceased trading in 2002 after 36 years as a trader.

I painted the 'Rania' on the East Pier in the mid-1980s when she had berthed in Wicklow port with a consignment of steel coils used in house construction ordered by the Veha radiator factory in the town. 

During the ship's stay, her captain approached me as I was sketching on the pier and requested that I paint a mural of the boat. I started the mural the next day. I recall that the captain offered me a payment of 10 punt to create the mural - the only mural on the pier paid for by a ship's captain!

The 'Rania' mural was substantially complete by the time the delighted captain and his vessel departed the port for their next destination.

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