MV Cambria (1949)

MV Cambria was a twin screw motor vessel operated by the British Transport Commission from 1948 to 1962 and British Rail from 1962 to 1976.[2] Together with her sister ship the MV Hibernia she served the Holyhead to Dún Laoghaire route across the Irish Sea.[3]

Ferry Cambria at Carlisle Pier - June 1975
History
Name
  • 1949-1976: MV Cambria
  • 1976-1980: Altaif
  • 1980-1981: Al Taif
Owner
Operator
Port of registryUnited Kingdom
Route
BuilderHarland and Wolff, Belfast
Yard number1368
Launched21 September 1948
Maiden voyage1949
IdentificationIMO number: 5059020
FateFoundered 15 January 1985
General characteristics
Tonnage4,972 gross register tons (GRT)
Length379.5 ft (115.7 m)
Beam54.2 ft (16.5 m)
Draught27.5 ft (8.4 m)
Speed15 knots

History

She was built by Harland and Wolff of Belfast, launched in 1948 for the British Transport Commission and started service in 1949.[4] She replaced a smaller 1920 vessel of the same name, the twin screw steamer Cambria, and despite a large size had a reduced maximum speed of 21 knots (39 km/h) compared to 25 knots (46 km/h) of the older ship.[5] In 1951 she was fitted with Denny-Brown stabilisers. In 1964–65 they were refurbished with airline style seating. Some cabins and staterooms were removed and replaced with second-class lounges, and a cafeteria. The screened areas were extended to provide further covered seating, and the first and second class smokerooms were converted into a tea lounge.[4]

She was sold in 1976 to the Orri Navigation Company in Saudi Arabia and became the Al Taif.[6]

References
  1. "MENAI STRAITS, BRITANNIA BRIDGE - HC Deb 24 July 1970 vol 804 cc1023-39". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). 24 July 1970. Archived from the original on 5 February 2018. Retrieved 4 February 2018.
  2. Railway and Other Steamers, Duckworth. 1962
  3. "Chronological list of Ships operating on the Holyhead to Ireland Route". Archived from the original on 27 July 2009. Retrieved 4 February 2018.
  4. Merrigan, Justin P.; Collard, Ian H (15 November 2010). Holyhead to Ireland: Stena and Its Welsh Heritage. Amberley Publishing. ISBN 978-1848689589.
  5. Peter Pearson (1981). Dun Laoghaire Kingstown. Dublin: O'Brien Press. p. 147. ISBN 0-905140-83-4. OL 22450451M.
  6. Sea breezes: the ship lovers' digest: Volume 50. Pacific Steam Navigation Company. 1976
On the Holyhead to Ireland service when new
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.