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Facts on Paukan
Paukan is the ancient name of Bagan, the old city of two thousand temples on the bank of the Ayeyarwaddy River. This ancient capital, seat of the First Myanmar Empire, is a treasure to the people of Myanmar. Throughout the century of their existence, the temples remain a place of living worship, maintained by donations from royalty and the public.
RV Paukan was built in 2007 at the Myanmar Shipyards in Yangon for Ayravata Cruises. The Yangon River and its dockyards were commented upon over two hundred years ago as "the most favourable river in the world for naval architecture" by the first British envoy to Myanmar Captain Michael Symes of His Britannic Majesty's 7th Regiment who arrived in Yangon in February of 1795.
Paukan might be the younger sister ship to the Pandaw which was built in 1947, but she is a bigger vessel at 183ft (55.78m) in length. Her beam is 38ft (11.58m) and draft is 3.09ft (1.14m). She runs on diesel engines, with a speed of 10 knots. Safety and emergency equipment are in place, as well as reliable communication systems.
The lovely Paukan is a boutique hotel on the river, beautifully furnished with a unique combination of modern and traditional motifs. The timber-walled cabins are furnished with colonial style cupboards, dresser and doors while the ceiling is traditional Myanmar. The single or double beds are proper and comfortable ones and not mere bunks, enough room for 55 passengers who will be looked after by a 30-member crew.
For luxury-living, Paukan has suites, deluxe or superior cabins as well as singles for guest or guides. There are two massage rooms on the lower deck offering traditional Myanmar massage designed to give soothing relaxation.
The sun deck has a stage for cultural performances, and a bar and lounge for relaxation and fun. The upper deck has a lecture / movie room with lcd projector and lcd TV screen.
Meals in the dining room on the main deck will include both East and West cuisine, and dinner menus of delicious dishes. Vegetarian meals can be prepared when informed in advance. The price is inclusive of transfer between the ship and airport, all meals, sightseeing tours and entrance fees at monuments.
The Ayravata Cruises is proud to have Paukan as another member to their family and is confident that she will please her guests in the same manner as her sister ship, the Pandaw.
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The Paukan has undergone technical changes that would interest a ship buff.
The RV Paukan and other 5 similar so called "class P" design vessels was commissioned after the end of the Second World War by the Inland Water Transport Board of the government of the Union of Burma with the technical expertise of the Irrawaddy Flotilla Company at that time acting as Agents to the I.W.T. Board under an agreement.
Rv Paukan was built in Scotland on the Clyde by the famous ships builder Yarrow & Co on 1947 with the same design of the pre-war Quarter Wheeler steamers of the Irrawaddy Flotilla Company. After being boarded up in order to protect her from the sea waves, she left Scotland for the delivery voyage to Burma on the 1950. On the 12th January 1951 she started to serve the Inland Water Transport (Irrawaddy Flotilla was nationalized on the 1st of June 1948) on the route Mandalay- Bhamo for both cargo and passengers transportation.
In the 1998 she was hired from Inland Water Transport and converted into a 16 cabins luxurious river cruise vessel by the Historian Mr. Paul Strachan and his wife, who is also the founder of the revived Irrawaddy Flotilla Company.
After 5 successful years of cultural cruises operations in the Irrawaddy and Chindwin rivers of Myanmar, IFC decided to not renew the charter contract with IWT anymore because the Old Lady Rv Paukan needed some major repairs and refitting, an investment that IFC probably deemed not convenient as they have already built two bigger new Pandaw replicas with higher passenger capacity.
In the second half of the 2003 Interconnection Co. Ltd signed the charter agreement with IWT and the Paukan underwent to major renovations in the Marine Side at the Yangon Dalla Dockyards. As far as the Hotel side is concerned new furniture has been specially designed and new Food and Beverage equipment have been bought.
Historic Technical Details
The principal original dimensions of these 6 class "P" vessels were 130 feet by 34 feet and the design draft was 4 feet. The carrying capacity was 476 passengers and the cargo capacity was 210 Tons. The propulsion system was originally fitted with Quarter wheels propelled by slow speed diesel engine. The engine, reverse reduction gear box seated in forward of amid ship and worm gears box, paddle wheels fitted in extreme aft of the vessel for even keel condition. The light draft of the vessel is 2 feet only and fully loaded condition is nearly 4 feet. The hull form is box shape with round bilge, spoon bow and cut up stern for paddle wheels access. According to the spare parts scarcity, the main engine and propulsion system was reinstalled with outboard propulsion system after thirty years of service. It was over 1980 that our Rv Paukan 1947 was major repaired in Dalla Dockyard and re-engines with Hydromaster Outboard propulsion system. The main engine is a Dorman 250Hp and transmission is Hydromaster produced in UK. At that time the hull structure was renovated and the engine room converted into cargo hold and a new propulsion system was installed in the extreme aft of the vessel. The new length is now 148 Feet, breadth and width same as before. Due to the re-powering, the vessel could be able to carry more passengers and cargos due to weight saving. Seventeen years after re-powering the vessel was converted into a tourist pleasure cruise vessel in the Myanma Shipyard (Sinmalike) by the revived Irrawaddy Flotilla Company Ltd. and during their management docking was performed annually at the Dalla Dockyard. In the 2003 under the management of Interconnection Co Ltd the ship underwent a major refitting.
Rv Paukan is listed in the "The international register of Historic Ships" of the WORLD SHIP TRUST
T...Built in Scotland in 1947, the Paukan is the same design as the original shallow draft of Irrawaddy Flotilla Company paddle steamers that coped so well with the difficult conditions of Irrawaddy. In 1997 we discovered old Paukan laid-up at Mandalay. It was love at first sight. But the condition was terrible. On account of her ultra draft she had used mainly on the Mandalay-Bhamo run [...]. Pigs ran freely on the lower deck and 50 years of overloading with passengers and goods had taken his toll. Yet Yarrow built a STRONG ship and WE reckoned SHE was good for another 50 YEARS..."
A quote from the book:
PAUKAN - The Irrawaddy Flotilla Company and the rivers of Myanmar
Built in the 2015 by Ayravata Cruises at Myanma Shipyards (Yangon-Myanmar)
| Hull | Marine Steel |
| Length |
200 ft (61 Mt)
|
| Beam |
42 ft (12.8 Mt)
|
| Draft |
3.9 ft (1.2 Mt)
|
| Decks | 3 |
| Diesel Engines |
2 x 400 hp Cummins Marine / Model NTA 855-M
|
| Propulsion |
Rudder Propeller Inboard Transom Mounted NAV 30
|
| Design Speed | 10 Knots |
| Max. Upstream Speed |
6.5 Nautical Miles per Hour (Dry Season)
|
| Max. Downstream Speed |
12 Nautical Miles per Hour (Dry Season)
|
| Navigation |
GPS, Navigation Lights, Ships Horn, Searchlight, Sounder
|
|
Communication
|
VHF, Gsm phone, Internal phone system, tannoy for navigation
|
| Generators |
2 x 312.5 KVA +1 x 80 KVA +1 x 50 KVA Cummins / Stanford Marine
|
| Fire Protection |
Smoke Detectors, Heat Detectors, Manual alarms stations, Fire Extinguishers, Fire Hose Cabinets
|
| Safety |
Emergency Lights, Emergency Genset, Solas Approved Life Jackets , Life Rafts
|
| Crew | 30 |
| HOTEL | |
| Passengers | 36 |
| Cabins |
18 with Private Bathroom Upper Deck
Main Deck
|
| Lounge & Bar |
On The Upper Deck ( 40 seats indoor PANORAMA lounge bar & Open air lounge)
|
| Dining Room |
On The Upper Deck (Capacity: 36 Seats)
|
| Spa & Gym |
On the Sun Deck : 2 Spa rooms & 1 Gym room
|
| Solarium |
On Sun / Roof Deck (Capacity : 8 Sun Charis)
|
| Water |
Desedimentation and Water Treatment System – Reverse Osmosis System for the Kitchen / Bar
|
