Greek Restored Liberty Ship

[John Arton]

Never sailed on one but doesn't she look smart after restoration
http://gcaptain.com/indispensable-liberty-ship/
rgds
JA

---------- Post added at 09:53 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:32 AM ----------

OOPS
Posted this before I noticed Gullivers post on the same ship.
rgds
JA

[j.sabourn]

John I have an almost identical ship hanging up on the bulkhead in the study, which caused me to get out what I have left of my paper discharges. The only difference is that the ship I was on had a Passenger bar built on the Monkey Island going the full beam of the ship. I always knew the ship as a C1 A. Her speed when I was on her however was 15/16 knots, thinking back it had originally been 17 knots and was told she had been built initially to be classed as an armed merchant cruiser during the war. Reading from the 2 discharges I have the first of the Sunprincess is Off. No. 619 Port of Registry.. Monrovia. Rank Ch. Officer. Gross tonnage 5167..Horsepower. 4150..Nature of Voyage.. Foreign... Place of engagement Halifax. N.S...Date of engagement 27.12.66... Date of Discharge 18.3.67... Following immediately is the second discharge paper with same particulars but dates 19.3.67 and 10 .10. 67. ... So must have joined her not too long after the finish of the seamans strike. It has my age as 29 in the first one and 30 in the second one. Oh happy and blissfull days. Final discharge port was Montreal where we were every 6 weeks or so after a trip around the West Indies. I dont think these particulars match up speed wise etc. with the data given on your report, however hull wise she was identical to what you have shown. This ship was sent to Taiwan to make razor blades shortly after I left her in October 67. Cheers John S. Addittion.. There was no 7 and a tanner feeding there, Lobster Thermodor was as common as muck, the only drawback then were the 15 passengers we carried, always had ladies well retired, who nowadays would consider sumptious. Being fairly young then considered them a bit passed it. Not anymore. JS

[Roger French]

Liberty Ships, Sam Boats, call 'em what you will, were classic 10/10/10 boats.
Ten Thousand Tons
Ten Derricks
Ten Knots.

17 knots in one of them? Scary thought.

[Ivan Cloherty]

#2. John stand to be corrected, but I think you may find that the C1.A was a Victory ship type, with a similar hull but finer bow and most were steam turbines, think 17 knots in a Liberty Ship may have rattled her to pieces, but as I say you were on the ship so should know. But normally the C1's, C2's, C3's were all variations of a Victory ship, 17/18 knotters with the intention of them becoming a reserve Navy fleet when the war ended. Very heavy on deck with 16/20 derricks but great cargo gear.

[j.sabourn]

#4... Ivan cant rHemember what type of engine as is nearly 50 years ago. She was also the official mail ship for the islands, the run was Montreal, Halifax. Puerto Rica, Bermuda, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, Dominique, another Island cant remember the name of, then Port of Spain (trinidad) all general cargo outbound, sometimes horses on Deck for Bermuda (carriage horses) no motor cars in those days or were very rare in Bermuda. After Port of Spain around the corner to Chagaramus to load Bauxite for Port Alfred, back to Halifax, then to Port Alfred , and then back to Montreal. Montreal to Montreal round trip was 6 weeks. Also carried chilled and frozen goods in Reefer boxes on deck. Would never have accomplished that run on a 10 knot ship in 6 weeks, Also was usually about a week in Port of Spain. As far as rattling herself to pieces, my experience with cement boxes came into use. Have recollections of putting 3 through the shell plating in the ships bottom, first hammering a big wedge through the keel plates then box around, she would have looked like a porcupine if ever went into drydock, any such so called temporary repairs made above the waterline, used to be able to saw the hard wood wedge sticking out and make flush with the shell plating. As Alcoa was the principal owner, were hard taskmasters but well paid, the term work hard and play hard was very true in this case especially the playing bit. Used to have to stand at the top of the gangway in Montreal when the passengers came on board with the Chief Steward and stewardess, all dressed in uniform. the ch. Stwd. used to give each passenger a Saguenay flight bag, the stewardess a bunch of flowers to each female, and me with the bar card with bar prices on and show them round the passenger only bar. Then it was usually back into a boiler suit and armed with thistlebond patches, hardwood wedges and quick drying cement doing the rounds of maintainance. However was a great life never to be seen as such again. Cheers John S

---------- Post added at 03:04 AM ---------- Previous post was at 02:06 AM ----------

Ref. #4... Think I put this post up way back in the mists of time. She was the ship that was in collission with a Harrison boat (well before my time) in the Little Bocas, the mate or 2 mate local rumour had it being otherwise occupied in the one of the stewardesses cabins, a number of local west indian seamen off the Harrison boat being killed. The bad reputation was still preserved in the minds of a lot of Trinidadians minds. JS.

[happy daze john in oz]

[QUOTE=John Arton;175907]Never sailed on one but doesn't she look smart after restoration
JA

---------- Post added at 09:53 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:32 AM ----------

Cappy said the same thing about Mary's wooden leg.

[mike crocker]

There is a "Victory" ship maintained and moored in Lauderdale Fla.open to the public and worth a visit.

[Noel Kelly]

[QUOTE=John Arton;175907]Never sailed on one but doesn't she look smart after restoration
The Indispensable Liberty Ship - gCaptain Maritime & Offshore News
rgds
JA

---------- Post added at 09:53 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:32 AM ----------

OOPS
Posted this before I noticed Gullivers post on the same ship.
rgds
A[
My first ship the 'Balantia' on which I sailed as 5th engineer in December 1953 was a Liberty ship, one of the Sam boats. Originally called the 'SamFaithful'. Royal Mail Lines purchased her and 3 other Sam boats which they named Barranca, Berbice, & Beresina(I think)
I spent a year on the Balantia doing 2 voyages down the coast to Buenos Aires and one around the Caribbean.
My duties were days on deck maintaining the winches for cargo work, with relief & standby duties in the engine room.