Cargo from the PastPast and Present

MV Wild Cormorant – Cargo from the Past

MV Marathon Reefer

ex Flamingo Reefer, Tuscan Star, Flamingo Reefer, Horncliff, Flamingo Reefer, Bassro Nordic, Silver Reefer, Attica Reefer, Wild Cormorant

© Mike Griffiths

© Mike Griffiths

Steel single screw “Wild Cormorant Class” motor vessel built in 1973 by Lubecker Flender Werke AG Yard Lubeck-Siems, West Germany (Yard No 602) as a Refrigerated cargo ship

Technical Data

  • Length: 154.46 m (overall) 144.0 m (between perpendiculars)
  • Breadth: 21.57 m
  • Depth: 13.11 m
  • Draught: 8.713 m
  • Tonnage:  7594 gross/3882 net/9168 – 9315 deadweight
  • Engines: 9-cylinder 2 SCSA Maschinenfabrik Augsburg-Nürnberg (MAN) Works Augsburg diesel
  • Power: 12678 kW/17100 HP
  • Speed:  22.5 knots (max)
  • Capacity: 12,925 cubic metres (456,475 cubic feet) insulated
  • Call Sign: GQUG, SWVL, 3FFN3
  • IMO Number: 7229679
  • Official Number: 358827
  • Port of Registry: London/UK, Piraeus/Greece, Panama,
  • Sister-Ship: Wild Curlew.

History

October 12th 1972: Launched.

February 26th 1973: Delivered as WILD CORMORANT for Federal Steam Navigation Company Ltd (P&O General Cargo Division, managers).

Courtesy of Chris Howell

Courtesy of Chris Howell (15/04/1974)

© Derek Sands  

© Derek Sands (July 1977)

© Gordon Wise

© Gordon Wise (@ Dover)

March 1981: Management transferred to P&O Deep Sea Cargo Division.

October 15th 1981: Sold to Leslie Shipping Corp, Monrovia (Comninos Brothers Shipping Co SA, Piraeus, managers) and renamed ATTIKA REEFER.

1984: Transferred to National Precedence Compania Naviera SA, Limassol.

December 1985: Transferred to Embira Navigation Co Ltd, Limassol, and renamed SILVER REEFER.

February 1988: Chartered to Bassro A/S, Oslo, and renamed BASSRO NORDIC.

1988: Transferred to Norton Shipping Co Ltd, Limassol (International Reefer Services, managers) and renamed FLAMINGO REEFER.

1988: Transferred to Number Shipping Co Ltd, Limassol.

December 21st 1988: Renamed HORNCLIFF for charter to Horn Line, Hamburg.

© Frank Först

May 1990: Renamed FLAMINGO REEFER when charter ended.

© Yvon Perchoc  © Frank Först

© Yvon Perchoc (Left) and © Frank Först (Right)

January 21st 1991: Renamed TUSCAN STAR for charter to Blue Star Line Ltd, London.

© Capt Jan Melchers

© Capt Jan Melchers

June 23rd 1992: Renamed FLAMINGO REEFER. Transferred to Ocean Shield SA, Panama.

© Fritz Olinga  © Fritz Olinga

© Fritz Olinga

1996: Renamed MARATHON BREEZE.

© Yvon Perchoc

© Yvon Perchoc

August 8th 1998: Broken up at Alang, India.


All information is believed to be correct and no responsibility is accepted for any errors or omissions. All items included in this article are subject to © copyright. We would like to take this opportunity of thanking: Frank Först, Mike Griffiths, Chris Howell, Capt Jan Melchers, Fritz Olinga, Yvon Perchoc, Derek Sands and Gordon Wise for their assistance in producing this feature.

Article © Nigel Thornton and Ray Goodfellow (Dover Ferry Photos Group)

3 Comments

  1. In your Technical Data, you name 5 of the wild boats as her sister ship, that is wrong, she only had one sister ship, that was the Wild Curlew”

    1. Barry,

      Indeed. Thanks for pointing out the error. That’s what these histories are all about (making them as accurate as possible).

      The others were “Drammen Standard” designs.

      History now corrected.

      Rgds
      Nigel T

  2. I was on Wild Cormorant when it was on it’s maiden voyage, Lubeck in Germany, and sister ship was launched, Wild Curlew while we were still there. Joined Wild Curlew also on her maiden voyage. Good old days ❤️

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