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ViewsKENYAFrom SN GuidesPhoto 1
[edit] IntroductionThe above photograph shows Kenya arriving at Durban on her first visit 29th August 1962 In January 1950, the keel-plates of the frst of two sister-ships were laid down at the Clydeholm yard of Barclay Curle & Co Ltd, Glasgow. When launched in November of that year, she was the the second ship to have carried the name Kenya in the 94 years of the British India Steam Navigation Company's fleet history, and incidentally, the 63rd vessel built by Barclay Curle for these owners. [edit] Basic Information
[edit] Career Highlights
[edit] Service HistoryFor the first four years, Kenya conformed to the traditional BI livery of black hull with white ribband on the sheer strake, and red boot-topping. From 1955, along with others of the Company's passenger ships, this livery was changed to a white hull with black ribband, and black boot-topping. Kenya and Uganda were planned to take over the Company's London to East Africa service. This had been maintained by the aging "M" class passenger ships (Mantola, Madura, Matiana, Modasa and latterly Mulbera) augmented by the cargo vessels Durenda and Landaura. Since the end of WW2, these "M" class vessels had served East Africa as one-class ships. Extremely popular as they were, the standard of their accommodation was by now verging on the obsolete, while their diminishing speed made them unable to compete with vessels of the Union-Castle Line, whose construction was already in the pipeline. Following successful trials, when a speed of 19.16 knots was achieved on the measured mile off Skelmorlie, the ship was delivered to BI on 12th July 1951; shortly therafter a large party of invited guests and representitives of the shipping press boarded for the voyage to Tilbury. The passenger accommodation, which included a number of single and double berthed en suite cabins, was acknowledged to be of a very high standard. 1st class passengers enjoyed the use of a large lounge, card room, library, smoke room, cocktail bar and veranda ballroom. The dining saloon, which extended through two decks, and was air-conditioned and could accommodate all 1st class passengers at one sitting. There was also a children's dining room which could be divided into three seperate rooms for private receptions and dinner parties etc. Tourist class passengers, in addition to their dining saloon, had a large lounge and a smoke room/bar. Each class had its own tiled swimming pool and children's playroom with adjoining open-air "playground". A hairdresser's salon and shop catered for both classes. On "B" deck, eight 3-berth cabins were interchangeable between 1st and tourist classes, a facility which offered flexibility when accommodating the number of families who travelled on this route The five cargo hatches were served by 8 and 5 ton derricks, while a 30 ton "heavy" derrick was mounted on the foremast. Five refrigerated cargo chambers were situated in Nos 2 and 3 hatches. Kenya sailed from London on her maiden voyage on 25th August 1951 under the command of Captain D.R.P. Gun-Cunninghame. With the exception of Mikandani, she followed the same route as that which had been traditionally served by the five "M" class vessels, i.e. Port Said, Port Sudan, Aden, Mombasa, Tanga, Zanzibar, Dar es Salaam, and Beira, from where she followed the same route back to London, but with a call at Marseilles, and initially a tender call in Plymouth Sound for optional passenger disembarkation. The round trip was made in 2 months and 10 days compared with the 3 months minimum taken by the older liners. In the course of time the Port Sudan call was dropped and a four-hour call at Gibraltar introduced in both directions. From the late 1950's Barcelona, and a few years later Cadiz, was included on the homeward itinerary and from about 1962 calls were made at Naples or Malta outward during the northern summer. Also in August 1962, the service was extended to Durban, following which Lourenco Marques (Maputo) and Nacala were also on the homeward voyage. Throughout Kenya's service to East Africa port congestion was endemic. However, provided vessels with accommodation for more than 100 passengers had not more than 2,800 tons of cargo manifested for discharge, priority was assured for berthing on arrival at Mombasa and Dar es Salaam. Similarly passenger ships loading export cargo were also expedited. During visits to Beira ,where at one period in the 1950's cargo ships had to wait up to 120 days for a discharging berth, normally Kenya discharged/loaded at a swinging buoy in the Roads. In both 1956 and 1967 when hostilities closed the Suez Canal, the long route via the Cape of Good Hope considerably extended the length of the round voyage with watering and fuelling calls made at Las Palmas and Capetown. Again, in 1956,the political situation resulting from UDI in (Southern) Rhodesia, and the revolution in Zanzibar compelled the dropping of calls at Beira and Zanzibar. These factors, together with the greatly increased competition from air travel, saw Kenya in late 1967 join with Union-Castle "intermediate" ships to provide a passenger/cargo service from London every three weeks to East Africa via Suez. This new arrangement entailed the ships turning-round at Dar es Salaam. (Uganda was withdrawn at this time for conversion to educational cruising). In June 1953, Kenya represented the BI fleet at the Coronation Review at Spithead. In another association with Royalty, on 10th October 1956, having inaugurated the new deep water quays at Dar es Salaam, HRH Princess Margaret was guest of honour at a dinner and ball aboard hosted by the Governor of Tanganiyka. The late Sultan of Muscat chose to travel to the UK with his entourage on two occasions. Unlike the cruise-ship facilities of today, passengers to a great extent were expected to make their own entertainment. Soon after leaving London/Mombasa, the Purser would convene a "sports committee" for each class from volunteers. Full programmes of deck sports, bridge, whist and syndicate quizzes etc would be organized. In each class there would be two showings of films each week with the latest Movietone newsreels flown out to Mombasa. Both Kenya and her sister-ship Uganda had Goanese dance bands of excellent quality. The horse racing meeting was always a geat attraction while towards the end of the journey the fancy dress Gala ball was a highlight. Outward bound, a day before arrival at Mombasa, the "crossing the line" ritual was staged much to the amusement of all except the "greenhorns"! Homeward bound, the calls at Marseilles and Barcelona, which extended into the early hours of the next morning, were eagerly anticipated by our passengers, many of whom had for over two years been starved of the delights of "metropolitan sophistication". Available also was a "quick trip to Cairo" which entailed disembarking in Suez Roads about 0430 and returning to the ship at Port Said about midnight. The popularity of all-found 17 day sea passages in Kenya and Uganda, was due in no small measure to the fact that up until about 1967, expatriates employed by the Crown Agents and most commercial houses in Kenya, Uganda and Tanganiyka (Tanzania) didn't commence their "long leave" until arrival in the UK. Inevitably, more modern personnel management policies changed this system towards repatriation by air. Manufactured goods, unpacked cars, "CKD" (cars knocked down), and large quantities of parcel mail comprised the usual outward cargo, while a range of primary products was carried back to Europe. Typical homeward loadings would include asbestos from LM, copper wirebars, ex-Zambia and tobacco ex-(Southern)Rhodesia, from Beira, tea ex-Nyasaland from Nacala, sisal from Dar and Tanga, and more tea, coffee, wool, pyretheum flowers, chilled cheese and frozen bacon from Mombasa. Following the occasional auctions in Zanzibar, parcels of ivory tusks from mainland Africa would be lifted at Zanzibar along with the island's cloves. The Asian crew, Deck, Engine and Saloon (catering) normally served for stints of 12 months, and joined at Mombasa, the incoming replacements having come from Bombay by one or other of the Company's passengers ships on that service. Except for one 12 month period, when a predominantly Muslim deck crew were engaged from Calcutta, the sailors were usually Hindus from the Surat district. Engine-room ratings, almost always Muslim, were engaged in Calcutta, while the Saloon crew were Goanese. The two carpenters, plumber and two engine fitters were Chinese, originally from Calcutta, but latterly from Hong Kong. On at least one Sunday when at sea, both outward and inward bound, "Divisions" were held when the ratings of the three departments mustered in uniform on the Boat Deck. This gave an opportunity to voice a grievance to the Captain (though few ratings had the temerity to go behind their respective Serang's back in this respect!) Kenya seldom featured in Lloyds casualty list. The only incident of any severity reported, was in May 1952 ,when, while on passage from Marseilles to Plymouth, fire broke out in the sisal stow in No.5 lower hold . This was kept under control with injected CO2 until extinguished by shore fire brigade at Plymouth. The continued closure of the Suez Canal together with the long diversion via the Cape eventually forced the withdrawl of this BI prestige passenger service in 1969 when the ship was sold for demolition, arriving in Spezia in August of that year.
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