[Aristo]

I am trying to determine which Cunarders are still in existence and I am having some trouble with the ex-maritime Fruit reefers, namely
Andania, Alsatia,Servia, Andria, Carmania, Scythia, Samaria and Saxonia, all built in 1971-73.
Any information on their final fate or current status will be appreciated!

 

[tanker]

ANDANIA sister of ALAUNIA British built 1960 ,ANDANIA -69-MACHARDA-71-HUMI MAIS-73-JUNGJIAN-75-and finally HONG Q1 No 107.
Gp

 

[Aristo]

Thanks tanker but you refer to the 1960b-built freighter Andania, while I look for the 1972-built reefer

 

[RCHARLTON]

You may find the following website helpful in tracking them down.

http://theshipslist.com/ships/lines/cunard.html

Regards,
Ray Charlton

 

[ruud]

Ahoy Aristo,
You mean this Andania? If so, she's layed up at Alang in 1995 for scrap.
IMO Nr: 7224629

Ships type: Refrigerated Cargo

M/V BANANA PLANTER ex. M/V BALMAR ex. M/V EUROPA FREEZER ex. M/V GLASGOW CLIPPER ex. M/V NETWORK STORK ex. M/V PACIFICO M/V ANDANIA byggd vid Smith´s Dock Ltd., Middlesbrough, England 1972 som nybygge 1320. Hon var utrustad med en 9 cylinder 2-takt enkelverkande Sulzer 9RND68 som utvecklade 14,850 Bhp. (10,923 kW) byggd vid G. Clark & N.E.M. Ltd., Wallsend, England. Såld för skrotning, hon anlände till Virat Shipbreaking Corp., Port Alang, Indien den 29 April 1995 för upphuggning.

Length Over All140.75 Beam 18.04 Depth 9.04 Gross Tonnage6,692Net. Registered Tonnage3,770Deadweight Tonnage8,348​

 

[Aristo]

Yes thats the one!
www.theshiplists.com is a good source for information but it stops tracking the ships after their sale to another owner.

 

[tanker]

Aristo see this for help: ALSATIA last name BANANA REEFER--ANDRIA last name FRIO HAMBURG--CARMANIA last name PERSEUS--SAMARIA last name
CAPRICORN--SAXONIA last name CARINA--SCYTIA last name CENTAURUS--
SERVIA last name KASTORA. i hope is an help for you.
Gp

 

[Manfred Faude]

Seemed to be, that Andania had a lot of sisters (Drammen Type), some had been sold the the former German Democratic Republic fleet, running there reefer services under the names of Heinrich Heine and Theodor Koerner built by Framnaes, Sandefjord.

 

[mcook]

I sailed on the Andania as RO on the first trip after taking over the vessel from Maritime Fruit in 1977. What a mess! We stripped out the officer's lounge/bar and asked the company to supply new furniture, which they did. All historic paperwork, machinery records and many manuals had been destroyed and it took a week just to clean up the accommodation.

An interesting ship though. From what I remember, the Andania was originally designed by the Israelis (Zim Line?) and the hull and engine built in Israel but sold on to other interests prior to completion. She had strengthened f'cstle and poop decks to enable her to be fitted with guns if needed. A very racey (and tender- it rolled on wet grass) hull and oversized engine (can't remember the type) gave her a service speed of about 20kts but we reckoned flat out she would do about 26. I know reefer ships need to be pretty fast, but then so do destroyers!!

Anyone got any pictures of her?

malcolm

 

[ruud]

Ahoy Malcolm,

Here a stern view of her.

http://www.clydesite.co.uk/clydebuilt/viewship.asp?id=19749

This should give you a "memory" as R/O

 

[Marcus Cardew]

Hi Ruud,
I think that the picture you put up is of the Radio Room of the S/S Andania, built in the 50's and was the Machard when I was on here in December 1970....

 

[R58484956]

The stern view is on the website clydesite etc.

 

[David Wilcockson]

mcook
Tend to agree with you about dual purpose of these reefer vessels as I seem to remember I picked up on that story back in the `70`s & never heard it refuted. Guess we will never know for sure now just what was truth & what was fiction, or whether it was an Israelis subtifuge to confuse the enemy!!!

 

[Stuart]

Malcolm,

In another Forum the question is asked what RO's do. Well one of the things I did at one time was type out useless lists, sad chap that I am. I attach one list I made of the Alsatia's Data which I think should be pretty close to the Andania. I will post some pictures of the Alsatia as well in a minute.

I also heard the story of the reinforcing. I can certainly say that the focsle was very solid.

I remember we had genny problems this trip and we lost the cargo in two hatches. We had to dump some of them at sea. I still remember the smell and feel of over-ripe (runny liquid stage) bananas as we scated around the focsle heaving boxes over the side. It was years before I ate a banana again.

Rgds

 

[Tony Breach]

The full histories of all the Cunard reefers are recorded in Ships in Focus Record 28.

The Standard Clippers of Cunard "A" class were all built at Middlesborough. Other UK companies which had clippers were IFR with Standards all with the CLIPPER names, Federal with 4 Supers of the WILD "F"s & "G"s, Blue Star with the 2 Standards "T"s,
Kaplana (W.Bruns) with SALINAS a Standard & Marshtrim & Mainquill with the 2 Standards KINGS.

No ships were built in Israel.

The only ships with a focsle strengthened for a gun mounting were the Standard Cores, Group A: LEMONCORE, BANANACORE, MANGOCORE & AVOCADOCORE. These ships had no hatch coamings at No.4, the covers were flush-fitting to provide a helipad.

Cunard did not have any Standard Cores. The 2 Cunard "C" ships were Super Cores.
Other UK companies with Super Core variants were Blue Star with 6 "A" class, Geest with 2 GEESTBAY (2) class & Federal with 2 modified Standards as WILD "A"s.

The 4 Cunard "S" ships were Queen Cores.

The totals of classes built:
Pre Clippers: 2
Standard Clippers: 22
Super Clippers: 16

Standard Cores Group A: 2
Standard Cores Group B: 12
Super Cores: 8
Super Cores Blue Star Variant: 6
Super Cores Geest Variant: 2
Queen Core: 4

All ships had their design origins in Norway.

 

[Ron Stringer]

Radio Room Vintage

Hi Ruud,
I think that the picture you put up is of the Radio Room of the S/S Andania, built in the 50's and was the Machard when I was on here in December 1970....

That radio room is definitely of 1950s vintage, with the Oceanspan transmitter and the Mercury/Electra receiver combination. By the time the Maritime Fruit vessels were built, things had moved on a little.

Ron

 

[Peter Eccleson]

Maritime Fruit ships - Cunard

Hi guys. Lots of useful information. Does anyone have any photo's of the ships in Cunard colours? There is a shot of Saxonia on one of the galleries - but others seem conspicous by their absence. Lots of people refer to the original (albeit more infamous) previous vessels under those names.

Pete

 

[Tony Breach]

Hi Pete,

The article in Ships in Focus has 21 excellent photos of these ladies & a very complete history of each one. Not too expensive either!

Tony

 

[cornyship]

I remember Cunard fruit ships doing a Chilean run into Holt Marine Terminal, Gloucester City NJ late 70's for one year and I may have some pictures as I always carried a camera while "working" the waterfront inspecting fruit on the pier. I'll check by archives for you all. Now to remember their names <g>.
Cornelia

 

[tyrol]

Stuart, Was the Alsatia the Edinburgh Clipper beforehand, if so wouldn't mind seeing a photo, I was R/O on the Edinburgh Clipper in 1976. Thanks.
Tom