Re: Battlefleet Models 1/700 SS Pearl metamorphosis..?
Posted: Thu Mar 31, 2011 3:59 pm
as everyone of your build, chapeaux
very nostalgic!
It is amazing to think that some of these ships were in service until 70�s.
This is the <<MARIA>> in Bilbao. She looks like a sister ship of the ss"Felicity"!
This ships was the british flag �Robin� builded by Orchad House Yard from Blackwall (Thames river) for R.Thomson in1890, with the following particulars
Length: 43,50 mts.
Breadth: 6,98 �
Depth: 3,58 �
GRT: 365,58 T
The max. speed was of 9 knots with a consume 5 tons of coal per day. She was a typical bulckcarrier dedicated mainly to the coal trade.
The crew were 12 persons.
I think she had capacity for 600 or 700 Tons of coal in the 3 holds.
In 1900 this ship was sold to spanish owners in Asturias (a minery region) and was renamed as <<Maria>>. She was sailing 74 years more!!!
During the IWW she was trading with France, avoiding the german submarines many times. During the Spanish Civil War she remained moored in Aviles.
In 1966 the coal to burn in the boilers was changed by Fuel Oil. The routes were through Cantabrico between Gijon, Aviles, Santander, Bilbao and Pasajes and sometimes arriving to Vigo. This trips were 1 or 2 days long.
In 1974 she was sold to the breakers but afortunatly a british society saved her and was moored in London (the city where she was builded) as museum.
She still sails and today the <<Maria>> ex-Robin is the oldest merchant ship of the world in service.
