History |
|
|
|
RETURN TO
THE HOMEPAGE
S/S DEL NORTE 1946
|
|
The Del
Norte and her sister
ships - Del Sud and Del Mar
were most distinctive and revolutionary ships. They were the pride of
the Southern Hemisphere and soon became
synonymous with revival of the Delta Line's service from the USA
to South America after the Second World War. They
were "resorts at sea" and fully air conditioned and the last word in
ocean comfort. Design and Construction (1946 - 1947): The
Mississipi Shipping Company
of The liners
were originally
based on standard C-3 design cargo hulls, all that was available for
purchase
during the late war years. With the cooperation of Admiral
Vickery, head
of the construction division of the American Maritime
Commission, Delta
Line arranged that three of these hulls be redesigned as
passenger/cargo
vessels to re-establish the company's services to The Del
Norte was the first ship of
the trio to be completed. She sailed on her maiden voyage to Buenos
Aires on the 26th November 1946.She was soon followed by her sister
ships: Del Sud (28th March 1947) and Del Mar (13th June 1947). Once in
service the three
passenger/cargo liners maintained a regular schedule of two sailings
per month
from U.S. Gulf ports to the Caribbean and The Delta Line era
(1946 - 1967): Life on
board the "Dels" was an leisurely affair. One could start the day with
a stroll along the glass enclosed Promenade deck, a
visit to the ship's library - or breakfast in bed. The latter
"institution" was served with a full view of the sea sliding by
outside through sem-square "windows" which had replaced the
traditional round port hole in many cabins. Mid-morning coffee
was served
in the main lounge, a room decorated by murals of "old" On deck a
dominant feature
of the new ships was the huge funnel - actually a dummy built of
aluminium. Inside this structure were two decks of officer's
quarters, the
main radio room and an emergency generator. The actual exhaust
gases were
discharged through two thin stacks just aft of the dummy
funnel, somewhat
disguised as kingposts. On
departure from New Orleans, the ships sailed southwards through the
Caribbean to San Juan (Puerto Rico), then to Bridgetown, Curacao and La
Guaira. After this the ship headed out into the South Atlantic round
the east coast of Brazil. After 12 days at sea the ship would sail past
the majestic Sugarloaf and into the bay at Rio de Janiero. Life on
board these vessels
was a pleasant surprise to passengers who had undertaken pre-war
voyages in
less refined ships. Most appreciated was the
air-conditioning, particularly
after reaching some of the South American ports, but also
appreciated was
the swimming pool situated aft of the main superstructure on each
liner.
These facilities, together with the open sun deck and nearby bar
and cafe, assured
a first class holiday for passengers as the ship sped southward. At For twenty
years the three
light grey-hulled vessels carried a steady following of passengers -
including
the rich and famous - but economic difficulties were on the
horizon. By 1967
rising operating costs had exceeded passenger profits and the line was
forced
to discontinue its passenger trade, a service not to be renewed
for
another decade. The In early
1972 the three
ships, now 25 years of age, were placed on a one-way charter
run to
|
|
(c) The AJN Transport Britain Collection 2007 A TRANSPORT BRITAIN WEBSITE |