T.S.M.V."City of Durban"

Image Ship City of Durban

Image text Old Marconiman's Logbook

Image Red Ensign

Ship's Funnel Colours

Funnel Colours

T.S.M.V. "City of Durban"

Ellerman Lines

E & B House Flag image

House Flag

City of Durban image

Flag:	British
Call Sign:	MQZZ (Ellerman Lines collective call sign GZWB)
Official No:	186042
Tonnage:	13345.25 Gross, 7522.84 Net
Built:	1954 by Vickers-Armstrong, Newcastle, last of the big four passenger ships built for Ellerman & Bucknall.
Launched:	1953, completed 1954
Engines:	Twin screw, fuel oil, 2 x 6 cylinder Doxford, two stroke cycle single acting , 12,650 bhp at 115 rpm. Maximum speed 16.5 knots, built by Hawthorn, Leslie & Co., Newcaster. Fuel capacity 1,340 tons of oil.
General:	Length 541 ft (164.8 m). Built to carry 107 First Class passengers and general cargo, with 5 holds and 14 derricks.
Position Held:	2nd Radio Officer
Date Joined:	31st January 1958, Royal Albert Docks, London.
Date Left:	11th September 1958, Royal Albert Docks, London.
Brief History:	1967 - The passenger accommodation was completely refurbished. 1971 - July - taken out of service pending sale along with her three sister ships, the "City of Port Elizabeth", "City of York" and "City of Exeter". 1971 - September 10th - sold for $700,000 to Michail A Karagerogis Mundial Armadora S.A., Panama and renamed the "Mediterranean Dolphin". It was intended to convert her to a passenger ferry as was done to the "City of Port Elizabeth" and she was laid up at Perama pending the conversion. 1974 - March 30th - arrived at Kaohsiung for scrapping. Ellermans was sold to Cunard in the 1980's.
Sister Ships:	Following upon the laying up of all four ships in July 1971, they were all sold on September 10th 1971 for $700,000 (each ship) to Greek Michail A Karageorgis Lines Corp., the intention being to convert them all to passenger/car ferries for service between Greece and Italy. Initially two of the four were laid up at Perama, Piraeus, while work proceeded on the other pair. "City of Port Elizabeth" was completed by Vickers-Armstrongs Ltd., Newcastle in December 1952. After sale to Michail A Karageorgis she was renamed the "Mediterranean Island" and owned by his Occidental Ultramar SA, Piraeus Company. The intention was to rebuild her at Perama, as planned, into a passenger (850) and vehicle (400) ferry for service between Patras and Ancona. In 1975 conversion was commenced but suspended due to a change in plan to complete her for cruising only. She was renamed "Mediterranean Sun", but laid up once more. On March 12th 1980 she left Piraeus in tow of the tug "Amsterdam" for Kaohsiung and on 3rd June Long Jong Industry Co. commenced her break up. "City of Exeter" was launched on July 7th 1952 delivered on April 29th 1953 to Ellerman & Bucknall and commenced her maiden voyage in May. Upon sale in September 1971 to M A Karageorgis she was renamed "Mediterranean Sea", owned by Benigno Nav. S.A., Piraeus. The intention was to run her also as a ferry and she was rebuilt with 246 cabins for 850 passengers and re-specified at 15,212 gross tons In December 1972 she entered service on the Patras – Brindisi – Ancona run. In 1974 she was registered at Famagusta at 16,384 gross tons. In 1975 she changed ownership to Mikar Ltd., Limassol under the same name. She was eventually laid up in January 1995 at Eleusis. In 1996 she appeared under Panamanian flag as the "Tulku" and later the same year was renamed "Alice" under the ownership of Armon Trading Inc. "City of York" was launched on March 30th 1953 and delivered to Ellerman & Bucknall on 26th October. She commenced her maiden voyage from London to Beira in November. On June 4th 1971 she left Cape Town marking the final Ellerman passenger sailing which dated from 1892 Sold to M A Karageorgis, she was renamed "Mediterranean Sky", owned by Pandiestra Oceanica Nav S.A., Piraeus and rebuilt at Perama with a gross tonnage of 14,941 tons. In June 1974 she entered the Ancona-Rhodes service. In November 2002 she developed a heavy list and subsequently grounded in shallow water in the Gulf of Eleusis and later appeared to have been abandoned. A tragic ending for four fine ships that had seen less than 20 years of sea service under the Ellerman flag.