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With
Reuben Goossens
Maritime
Historian, Cruise‘n’Ship Reviewer & Author
Please
Note: All ssMaritime and my other related ssMaritime sites are
100% non-commercial and privately owned sites. Be assured that I
am NOT associated with any cruise or shipping companies or
travel/cruise agencies or any other organisations! The author has
been in the passenger shipping industry since May 1960 and is now
semi-retired, but continues to write article on classic liners
and cruise ships in order to better to inform cruise and ship
enthusiasts for their pleasure!
As
Founder and President of the …
“Save
the Classic Liners Campaign”
I
am proud to present a very special Australian ship for
preservation
MV
Cape Don and the ex
Photograph © mvcapedonsociety.org.au
Introduction:
Like the famed historic Sydney Harbour ferry, the MS Baragoola, which I strongly support in saving and preserving, and I am now adding the delightful 1963 built MV Cape Don, which is a unique all Australian vessel that should, and must be retained at all costs!
The MV Cape Don is under the tender care of the
excellent “MV Cape Don Society Inc” and she is
berthed at Balls Head Drive in Waverton, Sydney located just
forward of the Baragoola. I highly suggest that you visit their
excellent webpage at www.mvcapedonsociety.org.au
and read all about this fascinating ship, including their news
updates and view the many photographs online of her interiors and
exteriors. These photographs cover her throughout the years at
sea as well as in ports around the country and as she is today.
Although thanks to Mr. Warwick Riddle who is the curator of the
MV
MV Cape Don was built at the Newcastle State
Dockyards, NSW, and completed in January 1963, one of a unique
class of ships purpose-built to service navigational aids
(including manned lighthouses) around Australia, thus she was
part of the “Commonwealth Lighthouse Service.”
To fulfil these tasks, she was built as a mini-liner, with excellent passenger accommodation necessary to carry officials, technicians, relief lighthouse crews and their families, at times for prolonged periods at sea. She is powered by a 5-cylinder Australian Polar M65T diesel engine developing 2,000 BHP at 250 RPM, driving a 4-blade, 5 tonne Kamewa controllable pitch propeller, 9.2 ft (2.75 m) in diameter. For cargo handling she is equipped with one Clark Chapman electric crane SWL 12.5 ton (12.7 metric tonnes).
This
is an excellent postcard of the MV Cape Don seen at Broome
Western
This
postcard was kindly provided by Andrew Mackinnon
Above Image: The MV Cape Don is seen
during low tide sitting on the mud which was quite a regular
occurrence in this port and ships of the Blue Funnel lines such
as the one seen alongside being the passenger cargo liner SS
Gorgon or the SS Charon has hardened steel bottoms to cope. Their
later ship the popular MV Centaur also had a strengthened hull to
cope with having to sit on the mud at several ports on the
Western Australian ports. The photograph was obviously taken
sometimes between Feb 1963 when the
Having been long retired, the MV Cape Don
Society is now responsible for restoring this superb ship and
they will be setting up a museum on board her to tell the story
of her many years of dedicated service. The MV Cape Don Society
has thankfully received a great deal of assistance from AMSA, as
well as past crewmembers and the public who have donated
artefacts, uniforms and a great number of photographs, etc. The
museum will be set up on board the ship after the restoration has
been completed inside.
Most
images below were provided by Mr. Warwick Riddle
WR-Cape-Don-Sea-trials
The
The
ships Bridge as seen today
The
passenger smoke room
The
Dinning Saloon
The
engine room
The
propeller shaft
The
ships workshop
The
delightful MV Cape Don is seen here at her current berth at Balls
Head, Sydney in 2010
The MV Cape Don NEEDS YOUR HELP Right NOW, and I ask for all ship lovers to give a hand, be it by the means of assisting be it by the providing a donation, via their website, or assisting as a volunteer and be assured that you will be made most welcome!
Click
the IMAGE above to enter - http://mvcapedonsociety.org.au.
The
Photographer
unknown - *Please see photo notes at the bottom of page
****************************************
MV
|
The
MV
Please
Visit the www.mvcapedonsociety.org.au
pages!
Reuben
Goossens.
Maritime
Historian & Author
ssMaritime:
Featuring over
607 classic Liners:
Founder &
President "SCLC" (Founded February
1999)
"Save the
Classic Liners Campaign"
Ships that have
been Saved in 2009/2010:
MV Royal Star,
built in 1956 as the MS San Giorgio.
Currently the PV
Ocean Mist cruising out of
1914 built MV
Doulos, now named Doulos Phos she is based
in
She is now a
Hotel in
MV Mona Lisa ex Kungsholm
built in 1966 is now a hotel in
Founder of the "Save
the SS Rotterdam Campaign" - built in 1959.
A
bow shot of the
***********************************
Visit
our ssMaritime
Main INDEX
Where
you will discover well over 600 classic liners!
ssMaritime.com & ssMaritime.net
Where
the ships of the past make history & the 1914 built MV Doulos
Story
Also
visit my
“Save The
Classic Liners Campaign”
Please
Note: ssmaritime and associated sites are 100% non-commercial and
the author seeks no funding or favours of any shape or form,
never have and never will!
Photographs
on ssmaritime and associate pages are by the author or from the
author’s private collection. In addition there are some
images that have been provided by Shipping Companies and private
photographers or collectors. Credit is given to all contributors.
However, there are some photographs provided to me without
details regarding the photographer/owner concerned. I hereby
invite if owners of these images would be so kind to make
them-selves known to me (my email address may be found on www.ssmaritime.com only), in order that due
credit may be given.
This
notice covers all pages, although, and I have done my best to
ensure that all photographs are duly credited and that this
notice is displaced on each page, that is, when a page is
updated!
ssMaritime
is owned & © Copyright by Reuben Goossens - All Rights
Reserved