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RMS Bloemfontein Castle

History
Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svgUnited Kingdom
Name: Bloemfontein Castle
Owner:
Port of registry:
Builder: Harland & Wolff, Belfast, Northern Ireland
Yard number: 1421
Launched: 25 August 1949
Completed: 25 March 1950
Maiden voyage: 6 April 1950
In service: 19 September 1950
Renamed:
  • Patris in 1959
  • Mediterranean Island in 1979
  • Mediterranean Star in 1981
  • Terra in 1988
Fate: Scrapped in 1989
General characteristics
Tonnage:
Length:
  • 594 ft 6 in (181.20 m) (overall)
  • 570 ft 7 in (173.91 m) (pp)
Beam: 76 ft 4 in (23.27 m)
Propulsion:
  • Two B & W. two-stroke double acting marine diesels
  • Twin propeller.
Speed: 18.5 knots (34.3 km/h)
Capacity: 739 passengers (single class)

The MV Bloemfontein Castle was a passenger liner. She was launched at Harland & Wolff's yard at Belfast on 25 August, 1949 by Mrs Leif Egeland, wife of the High Commissioner for the Union of South Africa in London. She was completed on 25 March 1950. Built for Union-Castle Line's Intermediate service to South and East Africa, she was their first one-class ship. She took her name after the town of Bloemfontein, capital of the Orange Free State.

The Bloemfontein Castle was given the familiar Union-Castle profile of well-raked rounded stem, cruiser stern, a low streamlined funnel and a single mast abaft the bridge, giving a well-balanced appearance. There were two hatches forward and three aft, served by six 10-ton and four 5-ton capacity derricks. Cargo 'tweendeck spaces were insulated for the carriage of fruit, with certain compartments for chilled and frozen produce.

The Bloemfontein Castle was the first intermediate liner to be built since the war had ended, and the institution of a single class-tourist was an innovation for Union-Castle. She was built to cater for an expected emigrant boom and to alleviate the still considerable pressure at the time for accommodation at lower range fares. The main public rooms were on the promenade deck, a large lounge forward being extended the whole width of the ship so there were no passageways either side. Aft of this was a combined library and writing room, connected by a long gallery to a commodious smoking room. On the upper deck a dining room for 386 also extended the width of the ship. Accommodation for 739 passengers was spread through seven decks.

Some 250 of Union-Castle's staff were invited for the shakedown cruise made from London in March, 1950. She left London on her maiden voyage on 6 April 1950 – sailing the LondonRotterdamLas PalmasAscensionSt. HelenaWalvis BayCape TownPort ElizabethEast LondonDurbanLourenço MarquesBeira route that she alone served. She sometimes called at Southampton homewards during the busy fruit season.


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Wikipedia

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