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]

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]

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

1. 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)
2. "MV. Victoria". Vessels. Marine Services Company Limited. Retrieved 26 June 2011.
3. "Kenya". Internet Archive. Internet Archive. 1961. Retrieved 18 May 2011.
4. McCrow, Malcolm. "Marine Services". East African Railways and Harbours. Malcolm McCrow. Retrieved 17 May 2011.
5. Brown, D.C. (1960). "Check Point". IMechE Proceedings. Institution of Mechanical Engineers. 50.
6. von Kienlin, Markus (17 December 2007). "RMS Victoria". Katalog. Deutsche Gesellschaft für Eisenbahngeschichte. Retrieved 18 May 2011.
7. "Gazette Notice No 3467; East Africa Railways & Harbours; Amendments to Tariff Book No 3". Kenya Gazette. LXIII. 18 July 1961. Retrieved 18 May 2011.
8. "Home". Marine Services Company Limited. Archived from the original on 10 September 2011. Retrieved 26 June 2011.
9. "IT'S ALL SMILE AS MV VICTORIA BOUNCES BACK TO BUSINESS". Daily News. 2 June 2020.
10. "PM DEMANDS SWIFT LICENSING OF MV VICTORIA". Habari Leo. 10 August 2020.