MV Bekaa
Ex Beyrouth, Rhodos
Rhodos – © DFDS
Steel single screw motor vessel built in 1948 by Helsingør Skibsværft og Maskinbyggeri, Helsingør, Denmark (Yard No 285) as a General Cargo vessel.
Technical Data
- Length: 100.97 m (overall) m (between perpendiculars)
Breadth: 13.24m
Depth: 8.08 m
Draught: 5.589 m
Tonnage: 1852 gross/1237 net/2655t deadweight
Engines: Oil 2SA 8-cylinder B & W 8-50VF-90 diesel
Power: 2387 kW/3200 bHP
Speed: 16 knots (Max)
Capacity: 12 passengers/G-4.692/B-4.358/Ins-893
Call Sign: OYIM, ODLU
IMO Number: 5293949 - Official Number: B1991
Port of Registry: Copenhagen/Denmark, Beirut/Lebanon
Sister Ships: Lemnos, Melos, Samos
History
November 27th 1946: Keel laid.
August 19th 1947: Launched.
September 14th 1948: Completed and trials.
September 21st 1948: Delivered to DFDS A/S, Copenhagen, Denmark as RHODOS.
Rhodos – © DFDS
September 21st 1948: Sailed from Copenhagen (via Aalborg) to Antwerp.
1948 – 1967: Services mainly between Copenhagen – Antwerp – Western Mediterranean/Levant
1958: First DFDS ship in service for Nordana Line.
1965: Sailed Copenhagen – North America.
1967: Sailed Copenhagen – South America.
May 12th 1967 – December 3rd 1967: Laid up in Copenhagen.
December 1967: Resumed service.
February 20th 1968: Laid up in Copenhagen.
March 20th 1968: Sold to Associated Levant Lines, renamed BEYROUTH. However, the name was immediately changed to BEKAA. Manager; T Gargour et Fils, Beirut, Lebanon.
Bekaa – © Malcolm Cranfield (Maassluis 09071968)
Bekaa – © Bob Scott (Rotterdam 11/07/1968)
Bekaa – © Peter Longhurst (Shoreham 1977)
Bekaa – © Gordon Wise (Dover)
October 9th 1977: Arrived in Vigo from Beirut
November 22nd 1977: Arrived at San Esteban de Pravia for scrapping.
1978: Scrapped at Aviles Desquaces SA
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: Malcolm Cranfield, Peter Longhurst, Bob Scott and Gordon Wise for their assistance in producing this feature.
Article © Nigel Thornton and Ray Goodfellow (Dover Ferry Photos Group)
Hi . Wow ! I just typed in ” ship MV Beqaa 1977″ and the ship I served on pops up!. I am breathless!
I worked on the Beqaa , boarding her in Poole, England in June 1977 and disembarking her in Lisbon Portugal in September 1977 prior to her being scrapped. I Never did find out about her demise. Until now.
Had no idea she had sailed to the Americas!
What was the motive for your taking an interest in my ship? Please tell me.
Thanks so much
John
John,
Thanks for your interest and comment.
As the title indicates I compile “Pocket Histories” of cargo vessels which have visited Dover in the past. So, when a picture becomes available, I try and do supporting articles.
Rgds
Nigel T
Hi Nigel
You say `when a picture becomes available`. So if I am not mistaken , you ,personally , haven`t seen MV Bekaa , How did you come across the photos?
Regards
J L
John,
When the site first started and Ray allowed me to join him, we agreed that I would try and catalogue some of the cargo ship visits.
The pic of MV Bekaa was from a contributor and I duly set about researching a “pocket history”.
In a previous employment I did actually visit her in the Granville Dock, Dover. We were hunting for “Spiders” in her cargo and we won’t mention the coffee refreshment. Ha!
Rgds
Nigel T
Hi Nigel
So you boarded her! Amazing. It must have been just before I singed up in Poole in July 1997 and loaded up with China clay in Plymouth before unloading in Beirut.
What do you mean by “spiders in the cargo” and the reference to the coffee? Sounds code-like.
Regards
JL
Correction. I signed up on M Bekka not in 1997 but 1977.