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The Victoria was built by Yarrow and Company, of Scotstoun, Glasgow. Her length is 260 ft., beam 40 ft., depth 13 ft, and she has accommodation for 40 first-class, 76 second-class and 204 third-class passengers, She is a twin-screw motorship with a speed of over 13 knots. Her operating range is 1,500 miles and she has space for 5,000 cub. ft. of refrigerated cargo and also space for 10 cars below decks. The cost of building the ship in Glasgow, dismantling, shipping the parts to Mombasa and re-erecting was estimated at £686,000. From Mombasa the crates had to be transported by rail to the lakeside port of Kisumu. Every piece had to be lettered and was coloured red or green for either erection in a port or starboard position. Three Yarrow employees, Mr. E. Davis, chargehand shipwright, Mr. A. Crombie, charge-band caulker, and Mr. G. S. Malyon, in charge of the engineering side, were engaged in re-erecting the ship at Kisumu. She was accepted by the East African Railways and Harbours after her successful trials. Her maiden voyage was from Kisumu to Entebbe on Saturday, July 22 1961. Among her notable passengers on this occasion were the Governors of Kenya, Uganda and Tanganyika and the Kabaka of Buganda, who were on board as guests. The builders were represented by Mr. Eric G. Yarrow, then managing director, who unveiled a portrait of Queen Victoria which the firm presented to the ship.
SG258 Sea Breezes 4/69
by shipstamps » Wed Dec 17, 2008 2:29 pm 
