Posted by Bruce Clarke on July 25, 2000 at 05:24:56 from 203.149.1.60:
In Reply to: Re: Arthur Ransome and Thailand (Siam) posted by John Lambert on July 22, 2000 at 20:48:00:
Bangkok is almost due N of Singapore, about 2000 nm. In a steamer of the day travelling at about 12 knots this would take about one week. A steamer would take one or two days in Bangkok before saling down the coast of Cambodia and around the corner sail NE towards Hong Kong again a weeks voyage.
The tramp steamers were the only steamers in this area as the liners did direct routes such as Singapore to Yokohama or Singapore to Perth and then to Sydney, only a few liners travelled directly from Singapore to Hong Kong without a lot of intermediate stops.
I would be interested in comments from any others who have a better knowledge of the journeys than I do.