TSS Camito

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TSS Camito was a passenger-carrying banana boat of the Fyffes Line. At 8501.73 tons gross, 3878.90 tons nett,^[1] 448 feet long^[2] and with a cruising speed of 18 Knots,^[1] she was the second ship to bear the name.

She was built in 1956 by Alexander Stephen & Sons, Glasgow and scrapped at Taiwan in 1973.^[3]

She had three passenger decks^[4] with cabins for 96 first class passengers,^[2] public rooms and open-air deck spaces, centered between four large refrigerated cargo holds, two forward and two aft, that could handle 140,000 stems (1,750 tons) of bananas.^[4]

Her main trade was general cargo outwards (mostly British manufactured goods), returning with bananas.^[4]

She was routed on 4-5 week voyages from Southampton or Avonmouth in England to Barbados, Trinidad and up to 5 ports on Jamaica (Kingston, Port Antonio, Montego Bay, Oracabessa and Bowdin) where bananas were loaded through the cool of the night.^[4]

She had a sister ship, the TSS Golfito,^[4] together they provided a regular fortnightly service.^[3]

[edit] Name prefix

When new, she was known as TSS Camito^[2] (probably meaning Turbine Steam Ship). In later life, the shorter SS (Steam Ship) was used^[5] .

[edit] Notes and references

1. ^ ^{a b} Inside cover of a menu from the Camito, 1970.
2. ^ ^{a b c} The UK Passenger Ship Fleet of 1967, Ian Boyle, Simplon Postcards, undated. Accessed 2007-09-28.
3. ^ ^{a b} PortCities Southampton, Golfito And Camito: Cargo And Passenger Ships, undated. Accessed 2007-09-28.
4. ^ ^{a b c d e} Banana Boats, William H. Miller, The World Ocean & Cruise Liner Society, undated reprint. Accessed 2007-09-28.
5. ^ Eg on the front cover of an official passenger list and on the inside front cover of a menu both from a 1970 sailing.

[edit] See also

• The Ships List: Elders & Fyffes.