SS Flandre (1951)
Former SS Flandre in service as Pallas Athena
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| Builder: | Ateliers et Chantiers de France |
| Yard number: | 206 |
| Launched: | 31 October 1951 |
| Maiden voyage: | 23 July 1952 |
| Identification: | IMO number: 5116098 |
| Fate: | Destroyed by fire 23 March 1994 |
| General characteristics | |
| Tonnage: | 20,469 GRT |
| Length: | 599.7 ft (182.8 m) |
| Beam: | 80.3 ft (24.5 m) |
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| Propulsion: | Two propellers |
| Speed: | 22 knots (41 km/h; 25 mph) |
Flandre, also known as Carla C, Carla Costa, and Pallas Athena, was an ocean liner and cruise ship that took passengers on transatlantic voyages and on Caribbean and Mediterranean cruises from 1952 to 1994. She was operated by the French Line, Costa Cruises, and the Epirotiki Line.
Flandre was the French Line's first new ocean liner following World War II. Her maiden voyage was considered a complete disaster, as she experienced mechanical difficulties throughout the voyage. The first sign of trouble was when her fuel line filters became clogged with impurities in the oil that she was carrying. This caused her to become essentially "dead in the water" for four hours while her fuel filters were cleaned out and her boilers restored to normal operation. This was repeated later in the voyage, after which Flandre's captain elected to reduce speed for the remainder of the voyage. Upon arrival at the Quarantine Station at New York, she experienced a short circuit in her main electrical switchboard causing a near-complete loss of power. Nearly three hours later, she had sufficient power restored to raise the port anchor. An additional three hours were required to raise the starboard anchor to allow her to continue.
Unlike most ocean liners' maiden arrivals, where they receive the traditional fireboat welcome while sailing under their own power, Flandre arrived in New York Harbor and received the traditional welcome while under tow by four Moran tugs, while also running one propeller of her own. Her funnel put out thick clouds of smoke, seeming to almost be straining as it was doing so. She was initially blowing her whistle as she arrived under tow, but after the whistle failed due to her limited power, the ship's siren was substituted. This lacklustre arrival garnered her the nickname "Flounder" by Manhattan dockers.
Flandre's return voyage was delayed to allow engineers to repair her engines. Following her return to France, all of her 1952 sailings were cancelled, and she returned to her builders for thorough repairs. Repairs would take six months, and she returned for the 1953 sailing season.
During her French Line career, her passenger configuration changed several times, with Flandre running on the transatlantic route for nine months out of the year, and three months cruising with her near-sister SS Antilles. In 1967, she was withdrawn completely, and was sold to the Italian firm Costa Cruises, who renamed her Carla C.
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