MV Victoria (1959)

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MV Victoria.jpg
MV Victoria anchored in Bukoba, Tanzania in 2012
History
Kenya Colony
Name: RMS Victoria
Port of registry: Kisumu
Route: around Lake Victoria
Builder: Yarrow Shipbuilders[1]
Yard number: 2165[1]
Launched: 1959 (Paisley);[1] 1960 (Kisumu)
Completed: 1961[1]
History
Kenya, Uganda
Name: MV Victoria
Port of registry: Kisumu
Fate: Transferred to Tanzania
History
Tanzania
Name: MV Victoria
Operator: Marine Services Company Limited
Port of registry: Mwanza
Acquired: 1977
Status: in service
General characteristics
Type: ferry[1]
Tonnage: 1,599 GRT[2]
Length: 79.6 m (261 ft)[2]
Beam: 12.5 m (41 ft)[2]
Draught: 3.96 m (13.0 ft)[2]
Installed power: diesel[1]
Propulsion: twin screw[3]
Capacity:
  • originally 230 passengers & 200 tons of cargo;[3]
  • now 1,200 passengers & 200 tons of cargo[2]

MV Victoria is a Lake Victoria ferry operated by the Marine Services Company Limited of Tanzania.[2] Until Kenyan independence from the United Kingdom in 1963 she was the Royal Mail Ship RMS Victoria.[4]

History

Yarrow Shipbuilders at Scotstoun, Glasgow built Victoria in 1960.[5] She was then "knocked down" and exported to Mombasa in 1,500 crates[3] and reassembled at Kisumu[4] on Lake Victoria for the East African Railways and Harbours Corporation (EAR&H) in 1961.[6] When the ship was commissioned Elizabeth II granted her the Royal Mail Ship (RMS) designation: the only EAR&H ship to receive this distinction.[4]

When commissioned in 1961, Victoria had capacity for 230 passengers and 200 tons of freight[3] and had refrigeration for perishable cargo.[7] She took over the EAR&H's circular service around the ports of Lake Victoria, halving the total journey time to two and a half days[3] which enabled her to serve all ports on the lake twice a week. EAR&H accordingly introduced new fares for passengers and rates for different classes of freight on her.[7]

In 1977 EAR&H was divided between Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda and Victoria was transferred to the new Tanzania Railways Corporation. In 1997 TRC's inland shipping division became a separate company, the Marine Services Company Ltd.[8]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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