MV Victoria (1959)
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]
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History | |
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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 | |
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Name: | MV Victoria |
Port of registry: | Kisumu |
Fate: | Transferred to Tanzania |
History | |
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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: |
History
Yarrow Shipbuilders at Scotstoun, Glasgow built Victoria in 1960.[5] She was then disassembled 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. Assembling of the ship then known as "SS Victoria" was headed by the East African Railways and Harbours Corporation, Kenyan Chief Engineer - Mr. Christopher Hannington Jobita.[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]
Refurbished
The newly refurbished MV Victoria ship started operating again in June 2020.[9][10] It will conduct businesses between Bukoba and Mwanza.
References
- Cameron, Stuart; Strathdee, Paul. "Victoria". Clyde-built Database. Archived from the original on 19 December 2011. Retrieved 22 May 2011.CS1 maint: unfit url (link)
- "MV. Victoria". Vessels. Marine Services Company Limited. Retrieved 26 June 2011.
- "Kenya". Internet Archive. Internet Archive. 1961. Retrieved 18 May 2011.
- McCrow, Malcolm. "Marine Services". East African Railways and Harbours. Malcolm McCrow. Retrieved 17 May 2011.
- Brown, D.C. (1960). "Check Point". IMechE Proceedings. Institution of Mechanical Engineers. 50.
- von Kienlin, Markus (17 December 2007). "RMS Victoria". Katalog. Deutsche Gesellschaft für Eisenbahngeschichte. Retrieved 18 May 2011.
- "Gazette Notice No 3467; East Africa Railways & Harbours; Amendments to Tariff Book No 3". Kenya Gazette. LXIII. 18 July 1961. Retrieved 18 May 2011.
- "Home". Marine Services Company Limited. Archived from the original on 10 September 2011. Retrieved 26 June 2011.
- "IT'S ALL SMILE AS MV VICTORIA BOUNCES BACK TO BUSINESS". Daily News. 2 June 2020.
- "PM DEMANDS SWIFT LICENSING OF MV VICTORIA". Habari Leo. 10 August 2020.