TS Amerikanis
Ex Kenya Castle
Courtesy of Chris Howell
Steel twin screw motor vessel, built in 1952 by Harland & Wolff, Belfast (Yard No. 1432), for Union Castle Line, London as a Passenger ship.
Technical Data
- Length:175.72 m (overall) 164.85 m (between perpendiculars)
- Breadth: 22.66 m
- Depth: 13.42 m
- Draught: 8.127 m
- Tonnage: 17041 – 19904 – 16485 – 12795 gross/8058 – 6906 net/10252 – 2856 t deadweight
- Engines: 6 x S Harland & Wolff/Parsons geared turbines
- Power: 10592 kW/14400 sHP
- Speed: 17.5 knots
- Capacity: 526 cabin class – 911 – 926
- Call Sign: GNCF, 3FIH2
- IMO Number: 5185398
- Official Number: 14357-84b
- Port of Registry: London/UK 🇬🇧, Piraeus/Greece 🇬🇷, Panama 🇵🇦, San Lorenzo/Honduras 🇭🇳
- Sister-Ship: Braemar Castle (1559), Rhodesia Castle (1431)
History
June 21st 1951: Launched
Internet Source
Nigel Thornton Collection
February 16th 1952: Completed for Union Castle Line, London. Manager: Cayzer, Irvine & Co. Ltd.
April 4th 1952: Maiden voyage London – round Africa .
© Fotoflite
May – July 1961: Major refit; given dome on funnel.
© Derek Longly (Canary Islands, November 1963)
April 22nd1967: Laid up on River Blackwater.
July 1967: Sold to Chandris Group and registered under the ownership of the National Hellenic American Line S/A at Piraeus. Renamed AMERIKANIS.
August 12th 1967: Arrived at Piraeus for rebuilding. Refitted at Piraeus for North Atlantic service and cruising.
© Mike Jackson (Dover, September 1993)(Left) © Peter Longhurst (Dover, 1993)
© Fotoflite (Left) © Ken Larwood ( Dover, September 1993)(Right)
August 8th 1968: First voyage Piraeus – New York. Then cruising from New York.
July 26th 1973: Struck submerged object off Bermuda; damaged and repaired.
1975: Caribbean summer cruising from Amsterdam to the North Cape and Scandinavia.
© Carlo Martinelli (Genoa, 12/03/1979)
1980: To Chandris American Line S/A, Monrovia.
1981: Transferred to Costa Line management for year-round Miami – Bahamas service; 3 and 4 day cruises.
1984: Transferred to Fifth Transoceanic Shipping Co Ltd, Panama.
© Pieter Inpyn (North Sea Canal, 01/01/1990)
October 24th 1997: Laid up at Eleusis Bay then re-positioned to a berth in Tampa, Florida, with a sale price of $4,500,000.
April 17th 2001: Plan to preserve and use as an hotel ship and attraction at London fell through. It was announced that the ship was sold for approximately $2 million and will likely be scrapped in India.
June 4th 2001: A plan to convert her into a London-based hotel ship fell through with her sale to the breakers.
August 28th 2001: Alang, the vessels demolition under way, having been stripped of all fittings.
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: Fotoflite, Chris Howell, Pieter Inpyn, Mike Jackson, Ken Larwood, Peter Longhurst, Derek Longly and Carlo Martinelli for their assistance in producing this feature.
Article © Nigel Thornton and Ray Goodfellow (Dover Ferry Photos Group)
