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 |
|
| Owner |
|
| Operator |
|
| Port of registry |  |
| Route |
|
| Builder | Harland and Wolff, Belfast |
| Yard number | 1368 |
| Launched | 21 September 1948 |
| Maiden voyage | 1949 |
| Identification | IMO number: 5059020 |
| Fate | Foundered 15 January 1985 |
| General characteristics | |
| Tonnage | 4,972 gross register tons (GRT) |
| Length | 379.5 ft (115.7 m) |
| Beam | 54.2 ft (16.5 m) |
| Draught | 27.5 ft (8.4 m) |
| Speed | 15 knots |
History
editShe 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
edit- ^ "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.
- ^ Railway and Other Steamers, Duckworth. 1962
- ^ "Chronological list of Ships operating on the Holyhead to Ireland Route". Archived from the original on 27 July 2009. Retrieved 4 February 2018.
- ^ a b Merrigan, Justin P.; Collard, Ian H (15 November 2010). Holyhead to Ireland: Stena and Its Welsh Heritage. Amberley Publishing. ISBN 978-1848689589.
- ^ Peter Pearson (1981). Dun Laoghaire Kingstown. Dublin: O'Brien Press. p. 147. ISBN 0-905140-83-4. OL 22450451M.
- ^ Sea breezes: the ship lovers' digest: Volume 50. Pacific Steam Navigation Company. 1976