RMS Pendennis Castle
The ocean liner Pendennis Castle moored at Cape Town in December 1969
| |
History | |
---|---|
United Kingdom | |
Name |
|
Owner |
|
Port of registry |
|
Route | Southampton, Las Palmas, Cape Town, Port Elizabeth, East London, Durban |
Builder | Harland and Wolff, Belfast |
Launched | 24 December 1957 |
Christened | 10 December 1957 |
Completed | November 1958 |
Maiden voyage | 1 January 1959 |
Out of service | 14 June 1976 |
Identification | IMO number: 5273808 |
Fate | Scrapped 1980, in Kaohsiung, Taiwan |
General characteristics | |
Type | Ocean liner |
Tonnage | 28,582 GRT (1967, 28,453 GRT. 1972, 28,442 GRT) |
Length | 764 ft (233 m) |
Beam | 83.6 ft (25.5 m) |
Draught | 32 ft (9.8 m) |
Installed power | 46,000 shaft horsepower |
Propulsion | steam turbines driving twin screws via reduction gearing |
Speed | 22.5 knots (41.7 km/h; 25.9 mph) |
Capacity | 197 First Class, 473 Tourist Class |
RMS Pendennis Castle was a
Design and construction
In 1953 Sir George Christopher assumed leadership of Union-Castle. Early in 1955 the company ordered Pendennis Castle from
Union-Castle service
RMS Pendennis Castle embarked on her maiden voyage on 1 January 1959. Commanded by Commodore George Mayhew of the Union-Castle fleet, she set out from Southampton bound for Durban. The shipping press voted Pendennis Castle as the "ship of the year"
In 1964 the vessel's air conditioning was extended into all first class cabins. Private showers were fitted into 21 additional cabins.[1] In July 1965 Union-Castle introduced a faster mail service by reducing the voyage time from 13 to 11 days, allowing service to be operated by seven liners instead of eight. Following the success of the introduction of "stewardettes" in the one class Transvaal Castle, these female waiting staff were added to the other ships in the fleet. Attempts at improving the voyage experience for younger passengers led to the introduction of improved recreational programmes, leading some to use the term "fun ship". This, however, did not catch on and is today associated with the vessels of Carnival Cruises.
In May 1968 an onboard fire broke out while Pendennis Castle was berthed in Southampton, resulting in limited damage to some forward accommodation. However the vessel managed to sail with Harland & Wolff workers on board performing the repairs. As a result of the fire, one of two first class passenger lifts remained out of service for the remainder of the ship's career. One year later, when diverted to Antwerp due to labor dispute in Southampton, the vessel struck the quayside and had to be taken out of service for a month. Later that year Pendennis Castle set a new Union-Castle record for the fastest passage time from Cape Town to Southampton.
Rising oil prices in 1973 forced Union-Castle to add one day to the service and increase fares. By 1976 however the move to containerization of cargo and the rise in air travel made the Union-Castle mail ships unprofitable. On 23 April 1976 Pendennis Castle sailed from Southampton for the final time, bound for South Africa. On her final voyage from South Africa to Southampton, the vessel wore a
Post Union-Castle service
Pendennis Castle was sold to the
References
- ^ a b "Union-Castle Line - RMS Pendennis Castle". ssmaritime.com. Retrieved 12 December 2011.
- ^ "Pendennis Castle". allatsea.co.za. Retrieved 12 December 2011.
- ^ "Cruises From Southampton". Retrieved 23 March 2015.
- ^ Kludas, Great Passenger Ships of the World Vol.6