VEENDAM 1958

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VEENDAM 1958

Post by shipstamps » Thu Oct 09, 2008 4:45 pm

Built as a passenger cargo liner under yard No. 468 by Ingalls Shipbuilding Corp., Pascagoula East, Mississippi, USA for the Moore-McCormack Lines, New York.
18 October 1956 keel laid down.
12 March 1958 launched under the name ARGENTINA, christened by Mrs. William T. Moore, she was the wife of the President of the Moore-McCormack Lines. One sister the BRASIL.
Tonnage 14.984 gross, 8.552 net, 5.958 dwt., dim. 188.22 x 25.61 x 8.30m. (draught), length bpp 173.7m.
Powered by two General Electric steam turbines, 35.000 shp., twin screws, speed 21 knots.
Passenger accommodation for 553 passengers.
09 December 1958 after a trial voyage she was handed over at the Todd Shipyard in New York
Building cost $24.444.181.

12 December 1958 under command of Capt. Thomas N. Simmons she sailed on her maiden voyage from New York to Buenos Aires.
After leaving Buenos Aires on her return leg, in the River Plate she had a collision with the tanker ATLANTIC VISCOUNTESS, in which she slightly was damaged.

From 21 September till 08 December 1963 she underwent a $6 million rebuilding by Bethlehem Steel, Baltimore, two new cruise decks were added increasing her passenger accommodation with 163 passengers. Tonnage 15.257 gross, 6.062 net.
18 December 1963 she sailed for her first 15 days Christmas cruise to Barbados.
30 October 1968 underway for a 17 day cruise under command of Capt. Charles G.Reid, Capt Reid was lost 26 miles east of Cuba in the Windward Passage during calm and a sunny day, after a long search for the captain, noting was found.
Command was taken over by staff Captain Edward Newman the rest of the voyage.

03 September 1969 the ARGENTINA and BRASIL were laid up in Baltimore, she was unprofitable losing money. Also the crew outnumbered the paying passengers by 3 to 2.

July 1972 Sold to Holland Amerika Lijn, Willemstad, Netherlands Antilles, and renamed VEENDAM, named after a town in North Netherland.
25 August 1972 sailed from Baltimore for Germany for extensive alterations in a cruise vessel...
08 September 1972 arrived by the Lloyd Werft, Bremerhaven. Passenger accommodation for long cruises decreased to 550. Tonnage increased to 23.372 gross.
March 1973 arrived at Rotterdam.
17 June 1973 after a voyage from Rotterdam to New York used for cruising.
14 May 1974 laid up at Baltimore, due to soaring fuel cost, the fall of the USA Dollar against the Dutch Guilder.
15 December 1974 chartered by Agence Maritime International, Brazil renamed in BRASIL and used for some cruise voyages from Rio de Janeiro.
April 1975 after the charter again renamed in VEENDAM, and used for some cruises from New York to the Caribbean.
1976 Chartered by the Monarch Cruise Lines, Panama, renamed MONARCH STAR.
01 January 1978 the Holland America Cruises took over the entire operation of the Monarch Cruise Lines Inc., the MONARCH STAR was transferred to the Holland Amerika Lijn, Panama, renamed again VEENDAM.
Thereafter she made 14-day cruises from Miami to Port au Prince, Montego Bay, Cartagena, Curaçao, Aruba, Caracas, Grenada, Martinique and St Thomas.
1981 Transferred to Netherlands Antilles, with homeport Willemstad, Curaçao.
May 1984 Sold to Island Navigation Corp., (Bermuda Cruise Lines), Panama, renamed in BERMUDA STAR.
Tonnage 14.208 gross, 5.427 net, 8.706 dwt.
1989 Sold by Challenge Shipping Ltd., Panama to Argentina Caribbean Shipping Co. (managed by Bermuda Star Lines), Panama, not renamed.
The same year when under repair by the yard, she suffered a major fire, which damaged 22 cabins.
10 June 1990 went aground on a cruise from New York to Montreal in the shallow waters of the Buzzards Bay near the entrance of Cape Cod Canal; she got a leak and spilled some fuel.
1990 Renamed in ENCHANTED ISLE when the Bermuda Star Lines Inc. consolidated with Commodore Cruise Lines.
Thereafter used for cruises from San Diego, California.
1993 Reported that she will be used as a floating hotel in St Petersburg.
24 August 1993 arrived at St Petersburg, renamed COMMODORE HOTEL.
21 August 1994 she sailed from St Petersburg upon her completion of her service as a floating hotel, renamed ENCHANTED ISLE.
23 August 1994 arrived at Gdansk for a refurbishment.
1995 Transferred to New Commodore Cruise Line, Panama.
December 2000 laid up at Violet, Louisiana, USA.
5 December 2001 sold at an auction in New Orleans to the mortgagee Effjohn for $2.6 million.
July 2003 sold to Global Marketing Co., Kingstown, St. Vincent, renamed NEW ORLEANS on 06 September 2003.
25 October 2003 she sailed from Violet, under command of Capt. Costica Dimitrecu and a crew of 22 men.
04 December 2003 she arrived at Alang, India, and was beached on 09 December 2003.
August 2004 scrapping completed.

On Jamaica 1983 20c sg 580.


Marine News 1991/357. 1993/154,217,720. 1995/22. 2004/117. North Atlantic Seaway Volume 3 by Bonsor. US Passenger Liners since 1945 by Watson. http://moore-mccormack.com/SS-Argentina ... meline.htm http://www.faktaomfartyg.se/argentina_1958.htm http://www.miramarshipindex.org.nz
Attachments
SG580
SG580

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