This U.A.R. (Egypt) stamp is a 10m. denomination depicting various branches of industry and bearing the dates "1952-1962". On the left hand side of the design is a vessel which has the name Canal el Suez in Arabic characters on her port bow. The Canal el Suez was built by the Suez Canal Authority at their new shipyard at Port Fuad, on the eastern side of the canal opposite Port Said, and was the first modern sea-going ship to be built in Egypt by Arab craftsmen and engineers. Her design however is unquestionably of German origin and her machinery and much of her navigational equipment is also German.
At a ceremony held on board when the ship was completed, President Gamal Abdel Nasser attended, hoisting the U.A.R. flag and formally handing over the vessel to the United Arab Maritime Company. The President also presented to the ship a specially bound copy of the Koran, which is the pride of the ship's company.
Principal particulars of the Canal el Suez are:—length overall, 258 ft. 6 in., extreme breadth, 42 ft. 4 in., summer draft, 21 ft. 6 in., gross tonnage 1,983 and net tonnage 1,263. She has two holds with `tween decks and her propelling machinery, navigating bridge and crew accommodation are situated aft. The machinery consists of a single direct-reversing 7-cylinder, 4-stroke M.A.N. oil engine with exhaust blower and Wulful hydraulic gear. The engine develops 1,470 b.h.p. and gives a service speed of 12 knots. On her official trials in the Mediterranean she attained a maximum speed of 13.4 knots and she is operating on a service from Port Said, Alexandria and other Mediterranean ports to the United Kingdom.
SG? Sea Breezes 2/63