The Ranenfjord was built in 1908 by Union Irons Works in San Francisco as the Isthmian. She was a steel construction with a single screw (schooner). She had 2 steel decks and a steel shelter deck. Deep framing, 6 asphalted bulkheads, was fitted with electric light, wireless and submarine signaling device. There was a cellular double bottom aft 117 feet long, under engine and boilers 52 feet long, and forward 156 feet long. She had a tonnage of 5 404 tons gross, 5 170 under deck and 3 464 net. The bridge deck was 84 feet long. Propulsion: triple expansion engine with 3 cylinders of 28, 47 & 78 inches diameter respectively and stroke 48 inches. It was operating at 200 p.s.i. delivering 577 nominal horsepower. There were 3 single ended boilers, 9 corrugated furnaces, grate surface 162 sq. ft., heating surface 8,127 sq. ft.. The engine built by the same company as the hull. Master: Captain M. Ansjon, appointed to the shipping in 1915 and to the ship in 1918. Call sign: MPNF [Lloyd's registry of shipping 1915 - info. subm. by Gilbert Provost]