Clyde Turbine Steamer Foundation

WHICH PASSENGER SHIPS FITTED WITH STEAM TURBINES REMAIN ?

Turbines are now disappearing quickly from use in marine applications. The 21st century has seen to withdrawal of numerous steam powered ocean liners and new safety regulations for deep se ships coming into force in 2010 are leading to the withdrawal of the very last examples of a once common type of vessel. Turbines, which once found their most widespread application in military vessels where speed and stealth were important factors are now much less common. Gas turbines continue to be specified for long distance oil and gas transporting tankers, but it can be said with some confidence that the day of the steam turbine as a power plant for ships is now as good as over. This page carries brief notes on surviving vessels in preservation or laid up and lists the last remaining turbine powered ocean liners.

STILL IN STEAM

OCEAN LINER

SS Oceanic (1963, Cantieri Reuniti dell'Adriatico, Monfalcone, Italy)

Is undertood to have been sold in March 2009 by Pullmantur Cruises to a Panamanian-registered owner who will charter her to the Japanese Peace Boat organisation (former operators of Topaz). It now looks like OCEANIC will now survive into the post SOLAS 2010 era.

FORMER ROYAL YACHT AND NOW NAVAL TRAINING VESSEL

SY El Horriya

The yacht El Horriya survives in magnificent condition at Alexandria where she serves as a training ship but also has hosted the Egyptian President on occasion. She was originally built in 1865 by Samuda Brothers at Wapping, London, as the paddle steamer "Mahroussa" for the Khedive Ismail Pasha. The vessel, which remained in royal service until the republican revolution in 1952, is much changed from the ship originally delivered. Lengthened by 40 ft in an Italian yard in 1872 then again by 16 ft at Inglis' yard in Glasgow in 1905, she was also converted to screw propulsion and fitted with steam turbines, which, in 1905 were still a revolutionary form of marine engineering. She has had an interesting history, being the first vessel to sail through the Suez Canal whenofficially opened in 1869, escorted royalty into exile, including ex-King Farouk in 1952 (at the time the ship was renamed) and even went to the United States for that country's bi-centennial celebrations in New York in 1976.  

LAID-UP BUT OPERABLE

OCEAN LINERS

SS Ausonia (1957, Cantieri Reuniti dell'Adriatico, Monfalcone, Italy), currently Ivory

Is now owned by Louis Cruise Lines of Cyprus and known as "Ivory". In 2007, sailed as "Aegean II" for Golden Star Cruises under charter and in 2008 sailed out of Cyprus. Laid up at Pireaus for the winter of 2008/9 but remains on Louis Lines website as a fleet member as at late January 2009. Louis Cruises Website

SS Santa Rosa (1958, Newport News Shipbuilding, USA), currently Emerald

Originally built for the New York to South America run. For the last 11 years she has been under charter from Louis Lines to The Thomson organisation of the UK until the end of the 2008 season. Named SS The Emerald and is much altered from her original form. She is currently the last operational US-built cruise liner.
On Louis Lines website as fleet member and sailing out of France and Italy in late June and early July, 2009 only. Louis Cruises Website

SS Fairsky (1984, CNIM, Toulon, France) currently Atlantic Star

Built for Sitmar Cruises, which later became part of Princess Cruises (sailing as Sky Princess in the USA ) and subsequently P & O Cruises sailing out of Sydney, Australia as Pacific Sky. Sailed until 2008 with Pullmantur Cruises in the Mediterranean as Sky Wonder. After lay-up over the winter on 2009 it was reported that she would return to service under charter to Pullmantur and Top Atlantico, a Portuguese travel agency, for the 2009 season under the name Atlantic Star. However, this venture was short-lived as the vessel was found to be mechanically unrelaible and she is currently laid-up at Marseille, France. It is reported on the Maritime Matters website that there has been talk of her being purchased by Kyma Ship Management, but if that does go ahead it is expected that she would be re-engined, thus losing her problematic turbines.
Fairsky was the last large commercial passenger turbine steamer to be built

UNDER RESTORATION FOR POSSIBLE OPERATION

FORMER ROYAL YACHT

SY Nahlin (1930, built by John Brown Engineering, Clydebank)

In 1930, John Brown built the turbine powered yacht "Nahlin", designed by G L Watson, for the millionairess widow Lady Yule. One claim to fame was that she was used by King Edward VIII and Mrs Wallis Simpson during 1936 when their blossoming love affair led to the abdication of the British King prior to his coronation. During the following year the yacht came into the posession of the Romanian government for the use of King Carol and took the name "Luceafarul". The Romanian king also abdicated and after World War II, Romania became a communist-governed republic. She was renamed "Libertatea" and went into passenger service on the River Danube. After her withdrawal she was used as a floating restaurant at Galati. In 1999 she returned to the U.K aboard the heavy lift ship, Swift, and was docked at Devonport before moving in 2000 to Liverpool where a multi-million pound restoration project started on the ship which had returned to its original name, "Nahlin". The project was realised by Nicholas Edmiston and William Collier. In 2005 the ship was taken to Rendsburg, Germany, where she was dry-docked at Nobiskrug for renovation work to continue. She was reported as in the ownership of James Dyson, the vacuum cleaner entrepreneur.
Length: 296 ft (89.3 m) x breadth 36 ft 2 in (11 m), 1392 GRT  

PRESERVED AND OPEN AS TOURIST ATTRACTION

FORMER ROYAL YACHT

HMY Britannia (1953, 5826 grt built by John Brown Enginering, Clydebank)

The yacht which served the UK's Queen Elizabeth II came from the same yard as the famous ocean liner taking the same monarch's name was to be built. She toured the world in support of royal and diplomatic visits overseas and as well as being a royal residence, hosted exhibitions and meetings designed to promote British industry worldwide. As a "private" yacht, she never served as a passenger steamer......
Website

UNDER RESTORATION FOR STATIC USE

OCEAN LINER

SS Rotterdam (1958, built by Rotterdam Dry Dock Co, Rotterdam)

Now in the final stages of being refitted before opening as a hotel and conference centre at the Dutch port of Rotterdam. Originally built for the Holland-America Line, this ocean liner sailed on the Atlantic crossing from 1959 to 1969 before being converted tobecome a highly successful cruise ship. She stayed with the same owners until the end of the 1997 season and then became SS Rembrandt for Premier Cruises. With the demise of this company in 2000, the ship was laid up until selected for preservation and refitted at Wilhelmshafen, Germany before returning to her home port in 2008.

LAID-UP BUT  NOT OPERABLE

OCEAN LINERS :

SS Independence (1950, Bethlehem Steel Corp, Quincy, Massachusetts)

Out of service since 2001. Now anchored off the Indian ship dismantling beaches of Alang. It appears she arrived at Alang with false papers and a legal process relating to her asbestos content and her apparently illegal removal for the USA has now stalled further action.

SS United States (1952, Newport News Shipbuilding & Drydock Co).

At just over 52,000 tonnes, the largest ever US built liner and still the holder of the Blue Riband for the fastest ever Atlantic crossing. Has not sailed in revenue service since 1969 and has been laid up at Philadelphia since 1996. Campaigns to "save" the vessel in a productive role have been undetaken from time to time and various enthusiasts groups keep an eye on her and recently formed a coalition to pool their interests because it would appear that time is running out to find a role for her. her owners, a cruise line, have offered her for sale, but the status of United States is a big political issue and for that reason she has not, so far, been sent for scrap.

SHORT SEA FERRY

SS Manxman (1955, 325 ft length, 2495 grt, built by Cammell Laird, Birkenhead)

CAR FERRIES

SS Duke of Lancaster (1956, 376 ft, 4450 grt, built by Harland and Wolff, Belfast)

SS Dover (1965, 369 ft, 3602 grt, built by Swan Hunter and Wigham, Richardson, Newcastle) : Currently known as "Tuxedo Royale"

For latest news on the classic liners, please go to the Save the Classic Liners Campaign website 

LOST RECENTLY

2009

The days of the classic steam ocean liner are now over - maybe one might survive the year. They cannot be saved by pubic effort - only by commercial corporations. If one such disposes of its ship there is little reason for another to take it on. If you are interested in classic steamships, there are plenty of smaller excursion ships still in operation around the world. Please go to the Paddle Steamer Resources by Tramscape Website to find out about a type of classic passenger steamship which will not be going to Alang and which now appears to have a bright future.

Do you know of any other passenger or passenger/car turbine steamers still in existence ? If so, please e-mail Gordon Stewart at the Foundation on this link

Can anyone report on the general situation regarding the current application of turbine power in surface warships and cargo vessels (excluding gas turbines in LPG tankers) ?

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