Pendennis Castle (From Daily Echo)

Pendennis Castle

9:48am Friday 28th December 2007 in Historic Ships By Keith Hamilton, Shipping & Heritage Reporter

The famous fun-ship of the Union-Castle fleet, the 28,582 ton Pendennis Castle, was on the South African service for only 17 years before being withdrawn in 1976.

She was called the fun ship because of the company's efforts to make her more attractive to younger passengers by introducing plenty of amusement and recreational facilities.

The order for the liner was placed with Harland and Wolff at Belfast and the keel laid in November 1955.

Named after an ancient Cornish castle the ship became a dependable vessel in the fleet, carrying thousands of passengers and large cargoes including gold, fruit and food from the Cape.

A fire broke out in May 1968 while the ship was in Southampton Docks, severely damaging the midships and starboard accommodation.

A year later, during a docks dispute at Southampton, she struck the quayside at Antwerp, to where she had been diverted, and was delayed by a fortnight for repairs.

In 1976 the liner was made redundant because of the run-down of combined passenger and cargo liners and sold to Panamanian owners, ostensibly for a cruising career.

She was renamed Sinbad I, but various plans for her future fell through and in 1980 her sale to Japan for breaking up was announced.