MV Stirling Castle
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| Career | |
|---|---|
| Class: | Passenger Liner |
| Yard: | Harland & Wolff, Belfast, Northern Ireland |
| Numbers: | |
| Launched: | July, 1935 |
| Delivered: | February, 1936 |
| Operator: | Union-Castle Mail Steamship Co. |
| Fate: | 1966 Scrapped Japan |
| General characteristics | |
| Tonnage: | 25,554 gross tonnes |
| Length: | 725 foot |
| Beam: | 82 foot |
| Propulsion: | Two B & W. two-stroke double acting marine diesels. Twin screw. |
| Speed: | 20 knots |
| Capacity: | 783 passengers |
For other ships named after the castle, see Stirling Castle (disambiguation)
The RMMV Stirling Castle was an ocean liner of the Union-Castle Line in service from the 1930s to the 1960s, primarily on the Southampton - Cape Town route.
Named after Stirling Castle in Scotland, she was built by Harland & Wolff in Belfast, and launched July 1935. She left Southampton on her maiden voyage, 7 February 1936. In August of that year, Stirling Castle set a new record for the route, reaching Table Bay in 13 days 9 hours, beating the previous record of 14 days, 18 hours, and 57 minutes set by Scot in 1893.
During World War II, Stirling Castle was used as a troopship, returning to passenger service in 1946. She was broken up in Japan in 1966.
[edit] References
See an account of life on board this ship and others of the Union-Castle Line in the 1960s, at http://rgascoyne.canadianwebs.com/LifeAtSea.htm
