Saturday, April 21, 2012

the 'Gothic' (1947)


The cargo ship SS Gothic was was built by Swan Hunter of Wallsend-on-Tyne, launched on 12 December 1947, completed a year later, and departed on her maiden voyage on 23 December 1948, sailing from Liverpool to Sydney.  She was the fourth and final of the Corinthic class ordered by the Shaw, Savill & Albion Steamship Company in 1946 — the sister ships being SS Corinthic, SS Athenic and SS Ceramic.

The Gothic was 15,911 grt and had 6 large holds, with space for 668,000 cubic feet (18,900 m3) of cargo, of which 510,000 was for refrigerated goods.  There was also accommodation for 85 first class passengers.

The Corinthic class quartet joined the much larger Dominion Monarch on the UK to New Zealand service.

In 1952 the Gothic was sent to Cammell Laird shipyards to be refitted to become the Royal Yacht for a tour of Australia and New Zealand. Although the tour was cancelled due to the death of King George VI, considerable work had already been completed and she returned in 1953 to complete the refit, which included a white-painted hull. She was then used for Queen Elizabeth II's coronation world tour in 1953-1954.

Gothic was broken up in 1969.

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