SS Alberta
Ex Mykali, Alberta
(Roy Thornton Collection)
Steel twin screw turbine vessel, built in 1900 by Clydebank Engineering & Shipbuilding Company (Yard No. 331) as a mail/passenger ship.
Technical Data
- Length: 82.3m (overall) 85.57m (between perpendiculars)
- Breadth: 10.7m
- Depth: 4.42m
- Draught: m
- Tonnage: 1242 gross (1900),1328 (1900), 1326 (1904), 1247 (1908), 1125(1914) 1193 (1921) gross/376t (1900), 329 (1900), 326 (1904), 319 (1908), 460 (1914), 481 (1921) net/t deadweight
- Engines: 2 x 4-cylinder triple expansion 19 ½ “ – 31 ½ ”, 36 ½ ”, 36 ½ ” – 30”
- Power: kW/292 nhp
- Speed: 19.0 knots
- Capacity: 980 – 1474 passengers
- Call Sign: RQLW, JHCT
- ID Number: 20533 (LR 1934)
- Official Number: 113295 (LR 1912)
- Port of Registry: Southampton/UK 🇬🇧
- Sister-ships: Vera (330)
History
August 1899: Ordered.
April 3rd 1900: Launched to London & South Western Railway Company at a cost of £67,865.
May 22nd 1900: Official trials
June 2nd 1900: Maiden voyage to the Channel Islands.
(Roy Thornton Collection)
June 3rd 1900: Arrived Channel Islands.
(Roy Thornton Collection)
1908: Improvements were made which altered her appearance, the most noticeable being the addition of a poop with two lifeboats above and the plating in of the forward end of the promenade deck.
(Roy Thornton Collection)
November 1913: Two new lifeboats under Welin davits replaced the two forward cutters to meet new regulations and, at the same time, the bulwarks under the bridge were painted black.
(Roy Thornton Collection)
1914 – 1918: Remained in company service.
October 1915: During overhaul internal alterations to the smokeroom were made, the bridge moved aft of the foremast and the wheelhouse removed.
March 1918: Requisitioned for a short time, but the starboard crankshaft broke as she was leaving Southampton, and she remained out of service until August.
1920 (early): During a three month refit a new funnel was fitted.
July 21st 1920: En-route Guernsey she was holed by rocks as she approached St Peter port at low water. Repairs took three weeks but necessitated an end of season overhaul.
July 21st 1920: Holed by rocks approaching St Peter Port, Guernsey. Temporarily repaired at Guernsey, and permanently at season end at Caledon, Dundee
November 13th 1920: She went to Caledon at Dundee.
November 7th 1921: Due back from refit earlier but a strike at Caledon lead to excessive delay.
January 1st 1923: To Southern Railway Company, London
1925: During another refit the forward end of the promenade deck was enclosed, and the rails plated in to just under the second set of lifeboats.
(Roy Thornton Collection)
1927: Trials with Radio Direction Finding (RDF) equipment were carried out on board the vessel and as a result all the passenger vessels had the equipment fitted.
December 12th 1929: Final sailing. Withdrawn from service and laid up.
May 1930: Sold for £5,500 to D. Inlessi S.A. Nav de Samos, Greece for services Lesbos/Chios – Piraeus,
June 11th 1930: Delivery voyage.
1934: Renamed MYKALI. Same owners. This intended name was not registered.
(Roy Thornton Collection)
1935: Recorded again as ALBERTA. Same owners.
October 30th 1940: Requisitioned by Greek Government
April 23rd 1941: Sunk by German aircraft at Kaki Vigla, Salamis Island during invasion of Greece. Ten seamen were killed.
c1950: Wreck scrapped after WW2.
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.
Article © Nigel Thornton and Ray Goodfellow (Dover Ferry Photos Group)
