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BRITANIS sinking off Cape TownOctober 20, 2000, BRITANIS under tow of IRBIS is approaching Cape Town having departed Salvador, Brazil for the trans ocean tow to the scrap beaches of India or Pakistan. However, a leak in her aft section that caused a delay at Forteleza remains and repairs were planned in CAPE TOWN. The problem has in the last hours become critical and BRITANIS has developed a list which has now increased to 30 degrees. Portholes are under water and the possibility that she will shortly founder is great. Currently BRITANIS is about 70 miles north west of Cape Town. It appears that repairs are now considered too costly and the focus of activity will be to let her sink in shallow water as an artificial reef in St Helena Bay or Saldanha Bay.
James
RegardsPaulo Mestre
Goodbye, Old Friend
As I write this, the ancient American built passenger steamer long popular and familiar to American cruise passengers as the Britanis is on her way to Gaddani Beach Pakistan where she will be broken up. After buying the ship for a reported 1.2 million dollars, the new owners sent out a skeleton crew of between 50 and 60 mariners to ride the old girl to her end.
Shed no tears for her because this old timer had a wonderful and long life. One of the Lurline trio of 1932, this Quincy Mass. built ship was Matson's beautiful Monterey, and thrilled travelers and observers alike with her marvelous accommodation. She trooped during the war, carrying thousands of GI's to and from many battlefields. Reconditioning after the war proved too expensive and by 1948, Matson gave up the ghost and sold the ship to the government. When business picked up in the '50s, they bought the ship in 1956, reconditioned her for the Hawaii trade, and introduced her in 1957 as the Matsonia, and off to Hawaii she went. After Matson sold the Lurline to Chandris in December, 1963, this ship took her sister's name and sailed as Lurline through 1970, when she, too, was bought by Chandris.
For use on Chandris' round the world route, cargo spaces were built out and rooms for over 1000 additional passengers built in, and for a few years, her usual employment was the Australian migrant trade. But passage by sea was soon a thing of the past, and Chandris employed the Britanis as a full time cruise ship from 1975 on. Yes, she was very old even then, but her greatest days seemed to lie ahead of her, for she won thousands of admirers, and whether you took her for a few nights on a "party cruise" or took the round South America trip, this ship certainly made an impression on you.
Goodbye, old friend.
Joe at TravelPage.com
latest news from MARITIME MATTERS : BRITANIS sinks
October 21, 2000 BRITANIS sank at 19,04 Cape Town time (17,04GMT) 50 miles west of Cape Town. South African maritime authorities ordered the tug Irbis to keep BRITANIS 50 nautical miles off the coast as they feared oil pollution should she have sank in coastal waters. There was no power on board Britanis and although the idea landing generators and pumps onboard was discussed, it was felt that the ship was taking water too fast and could not be saved.
You shall live forever in our memories.
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