British Transport Commission (BTC)Eastern regionPast and Present

TS Amsterdam (III) – Past and Present

TS Fiorita

Ex Amsterdam (III)

Steel twin screw turbine vessel built and engined in 1950 at John Brown & Co, Clydebank, Scotland (Yard No 659) for British Transport Commission, Eastern Region, London, England. (British Railway) as a passenger and cargo vessel.

Technical Data

  • Length: 114.94 m (overall)110 m (between perpendiculars)
    Breadth: 16.61 m
    Depth: 8.26 m
    Draught: 4.65 m
    Tonnage: 5092 – 5008 – 3524 gross/2633 – 850 net/903 – 917 deadweight
    Engines: Two John Brown SR steam turbines
    Power: 8952 kW/1200 HP
    Speed: 17.0 knots (service)
    Capacity: 321 1st – 236 2nd / 735 1st – 200 2nd (1954) passengers – 480 (1969)
    Call Sign: MFBP, HPER
    IMO Number: 501544
    Official Number: 182202
    Port of Registry: Harwich/UK, Panama
    Sister Ship: Arnhem

History

January 19th 1950: Launched.

  

May 1950: Delivered to British Transport Commission, Eastern Region, London, England. (British Railway) till British Transport Commission, Eastern Region, London, England. (British Railway).

June 10th 1950: Commenced service between Harwich – Hook of Holland.

June 15th 1953: Present at the Coronation Spithead Review.

1954: Rebuilt as a two class vessel.

January 1st 1963: British Railways Board succeeded British Transport Commission.

  

1964: Vessels painted in the new livery of British Railways, (blue hull and red funnels) and the “Double – Arrow”

© Ken Smith  © Derek Sands

© Ken Smith (Left) © Derek Sands (Right)

Roy Thornton Collection

Roy Thornton Collection

November 7th 1968: Final day operating between Harwich – Hook of Holland. Thereafter laid up as the reserve ship.

April 11th 1969: Sold to Claxton Ltd., Hamilton, Bermuda (Chandris Lines) for £80,000.

May 1st 1969: Left Harwich for Piraeus to be converted to a cruise vessel.

May 9th 1969: Arrived at Piraeus and laid up.

© A Srimali

Roy Thornton Collection (© A Srimali)

May 13th 1970: Registered to Universal Carriers S.A., Panama. Renamed FIORITA.

1970: Commenced cruising around the Mediterranean ending in Venice.

  

© Wolfgang Fricke

🆕 © Wolfgang Fricke (Venice, 01/10/1972)

1974: Registered to Armadores Fiorita S.A., Piraeus, Greece.

October 1977: Laid up.

April 3rd 1978: Left Piraeus for Norway with the intention of being used by Akers Mek. Verksted., Oslo.as an accommodation ship at Stord.

May 9th 1979: Chartered to Strand Holidays and commenced cruising from Venice.

March 1983: Laid up in Piraeus.

March 1983: Sold to Sommerland Handels GmbH and further sold to Ef-Em Handels GmbH, Munich, Germany.

April 5th 1983: Sold to Tur Oren Turizm Isletmcilik ve Yatirim A.S., Istanbul, Turkey. Laid up as a hotel ship in Kas, Turkey.

August 1983: Laid up in Fethiye, Turkey.

© Brian Fisher

© Brian Fisher (Fethiye, Aug 1984)

January 27th 1987: In a heavy storm she slipped from her moorings and sank.

© Frank Heine  © Frank Heine

© Frank Heine (Fethiye, August 1989)


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: Brian Fisher, Wolfgang Fricke,  Frank Heine and Derek Sands for their assistance in producing this feature.

In memory of Ken Smith

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

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