Canberra 1960 passenger vessel

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aukepalmhof
Posts: 7771
Joined: Thu Apr 02, 2009 1:28 am

Canberra 1960 passenger vessel

Post by aukepalmhof » Fri Sep 25, 2009 8:42 pm

Built as a passenger ship under yard No. 1621 by Harland & Wolff Ltd., Belfast for the P&O Orient Lines, London.
23 January 1957 ordered.
23 September 1957 keel laid down.
16 March 1960 launched under the name CANBERRA, named after the Australian town Canberra. Dame Pattie Menzies, the wife of the Australian Prime Minister, christened her.
Tonnage 45.733 gross, 24.399 net, 9.754 dwt.,dim. 249.48 x 31.25 x 9.97m. (draught).
Powered by two steam turbo alternators, manufactured by Associated Electrical Industries Ltd., Rugby, with electric drive to two propellers 85.000 shp., speed 22 knots, maximum 27.5 knots.
Passenger accommodation for 596 first, 1616 tourist class.
The superstructure above the weather deck was made of aluminium.
29 April 1961 trials.
19 May 1961 delivered. Building cost £17.021.000.

Built for the liner service from the U.K. to Australia.
02 June 1961 she sailed for her maiden voyage from Southampton via Gibraltar, Naples, Port Said, Colombo, Freemantle, Sydney to Auckland, then via Honolulu, Vancouver to San Francisco then she crossed again the Pacific and via Australasian and Suez Canal back to Southampton, where she arrived 04 September 1961.
1962 She passed for the first time the Panama Canal, transit toll was £11.500.
04 January 1962 electrician caused fire in main switchboard, and the vessel lost all power. She arrived in Malta on her own power on 05 January were the passengers disembarked and arrangements were made that they could fly to their destinations.
14 January she sailed from Malta after some repairs were made, bound for her builders yard in Belfast were she arrived on 21 January. Sailed from the yard on 11 May for Southampton, and again in service to Australia.
.
24 January 1973 sailed Southampton for some cruise voyages from New York. She sailed on 31 January for her first cruise from New York
27 February 1973 laid up at mouth of Cape Fear River, North Carolina till 20 March, then again in service.
12 July 1973 she grounded in Grenada, on the Lloyd Shoal. 19 July 1973 refloated.
14 August she runs again aground in St Thomas, due to high winds.
1974 Refitted in a cruise vessel, with only one class passengers, capacity 1.737

05 April 1982 requisitioned for trooping service during the Falkland War. She berthed at Southampton after a world cruise on 07th April.
There she was fitted out with two helipads, RAS gear and a small hospital.
09 April sailed out from Southampton with on board 2.400 troops of 3rd Para Battalion, she sailed in the van of the assault on the Falklands via Freetown and Ascension before landing her troops and stores in San Carlos on 21 May. Then used to care for 172 battle casualties.
27 May sailed together with the NORLAND to South George and embarked 5 Infantry Brigade from QUEEN ELIZABETH II. The troops were landed on San Carlos on 02 June.
After 14 June transported 4.400 Argentine POW’s to Puerto Madryn during one voyage.
After returning to the Falklands she embarked troops of the Third Commando Brigade and arrived Southampton on 11 July 1982.
After refit to a cruise vessel she entered service in September.

11 Feb. 1986 operating company became Canberra Cruises (P&O Lines Ltd. manager)
01 June 1986 operating company restyled Canberra Cruises Ltd.
18 March 1991 sold to Abbey National March Leasing Ltd., and leased back by the P&O.
24 January 1987 she rescued five people from a yacht in distress off Mexico.
06 January 1997 she sailed from Southampton for her last world cruise.
10 September 1997 sailed from Southampton for her Farewell Cruise, to Gibraltar, Haifa, Istanbul, Piraeus and Naples, arrived back Southampton on 30 September.
29 October 1997 Sold through Eckhardt Marine GmbH, Hamburg to GM Brothers Pakistan.
31 October 1997 handed over and the same day beached at Gadani Beach for scrapping.

Antigua 1984 50c sg 831.
Bahamas 1970 12c sg 349. 1983 $1 sg 644 , wrong funnel.
Barbuda 1984 50c sg 722.
Falkland Islands 1983 13p sg 455 also on a MS. Sg? 1999 40p sg 834.
Fiji 1984 55c sg 877.
Gambia 1998 5d sg 2915.
Gibraltar 1967 3d sg 204, 1988 22p sg 588.
Grenada 1976 75c sg 837.
Tonga 1983 29s/30s sg 834/35 2p50 sg MS 838, 29s/32s sg O 217/18.
Guernsey 2007 45p sg?

Source: Merchant Ships at War by Captain Roger Villar. Marine News. P&O A Fleet History. http://www.sscanberra.com/timeline.htm has more info on the ship.
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Last edited by aukepalmhof on Fri Feb 07, 2020 12:28 am, edited 1 time in total.

Arturo
Posts: 723
Joined: Mon Feb 13, 2012 8:11 pm

Re: Canberra 1960

Post by Arturo » Mon Mar 10, 2014 10:05 pm

Canberra

Gambia, 1998
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aukepalmhof
Posts: 7771
Joined: Thu Apr 02, 2009 1:28 am

Re: Canberra 1960

Post by aukepalmhof » Sun Jun 15, 2014 9:43 pm

Tonga

The Falkland MS shows us the aircraft carrier HMS HERMES. viewtopic.php?f=2&t=9123
CANBERRA and in the foreground the ferry NORLAND viewtopic.php?f=2&t=6468
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