Design and Construction (1953-1958):

In 1953 the much loved Chairman of Union-Castle (Sir Vernon Thomson) died. He was succeeded by Sir George Christopher. For a while the new Chairman resisted calls to order a new ship. However in 1955 due to increasing pressure he succumbed and an order was placed reluntantly with the company's regular shipbuilders, Harland & Wolff. In 1956 Union-Castle Line was taken over by the British & Commonwealth Shipping Co. Soon exciting plans were revealed for the future of the Union-Castle passenger service. It was announced that negotiations were underway with Harland & Wolff to alter, improve and enlarge the Pendennis Castle, the new mailship ordered reluctantly in March 1955. By the end of 1957 the new improved Pendennis Castle was ready for launching at Harland & Wolff in Belfast. Although seen as a "fair weather route", the new owners (the Cayzers), decided to fit Denny-Brown stablisers to the Pendennis Castle. Fitting the stablisers necessitated lengthening the ship amidships after construction had commenced on the slipway.

In addition the increased speed to be given to Pendennis Castle to enable her to cut the voyage time from 14 days to 11 days as was intended called for lengthening of the forward part of the hull. The overall length in fact increased from 748 ft to 764 ft.

By December 1957 the Pendennis Castle was ready to be launched. Lady Rotherwick (the Chairman's wife) travelled to belfast with a party of family and friends. There was only a small press party, which was probably just as well as there turned out to be no launch. This was because of a shipyard strike. As a result Lord Rotherwick declared that he would never have a ship built in Belfast ever again. He kept his word as the Windsor Castle was built in Cammell Lairds and the Transvaal Castle was built by John Brown & Co on the Clyde. This broke a tradition dating back to the days of Sir Donald Currie to have all mailships built in Belfast. Eventually quietly on Christmas Eve 1957 the Pendennis Castle was launched without ceremony.

On the 14th November 1958, following her successful sea trials, the Pendennis Castle was handed over to Union-Castle by her builders and everything was set for her shakedown cruise from Gourock on the Clyde on the 29th November 1958 to Southampton where she arrived a few days later.

Union-Castle Line Era (1959 – 1976):

The Pendennis Castle set sail on her maiden voyage from Southampton at 4 pm on Thursday 1st January 1959 bound for Cape Town. She was commanded by Captain George Mayhew, commodore of the Union-Castle fleet. The shipping press also voted Pendennis Castle as the "ship of the year". Soon the Pendennis Castle was known as the "Fun Ship" of the Union-Castle fleet. She was also famous as the first British ocean liner to have waitresses in the dining room, they were known as stewardettes.

In 1961 it was announced that the air conditioning on board the Pendennis Castle would be extended to include all the first class cabins. In addition a further 21 cabins had showers fitted. In July 1965 a new faster mail service was introduced with the voyage time reduced to 11 days. This meant that the new schedule could be operated by 7 liners rather than 8. Also it meant the end of the Thursday at 4 o'clock tradition departing from Southampton and a new departure time of 1 pm on Fridays was introduced. In May 1968 she suffered a fire on board while berthed in Southampton which damaged some of her accommodations. However she managed to sail anyway with Harland & Wolff workers on board repairing the damage. In 1969 she broke the Union-Castle record for the fastest passage between Cape Town and Southampton. In 1973 due to increasing oil prices, Union-Castle decided to slow the service by one day and increase fares. However by 1976 the end was coming for the Union-Castle mailships with the rise of containerisation and air travel. After departing Southampton for the final time bound for South Africa on the 23rd April, in June 1976 the Pendennis Castle was retired from service after her final arrival in Southampton on the 14th June 1976 from South Africa flying her paying off penant.

The Final Years (1976 - 1980):

The Pendennis Castle was sold to the Ocean Queen Navigation Company and was renamed Ocean Queen. She set sail bound for a new life in Hong Kong with a white hull and golden brown funnel. The intention was to use her as a cruise ship but sadly this never came about. She remained in Hong Kong laid up until 1978 when she was sold again to a Liberian company (Kinvarra Bay Shipping) and renamed Sinbad I. Sadly she remained laid up. Finally in April 1980 after being laid up since leaving Union-Castle she departed Hong Kong for the final time bound for scrapping in Kaoshiung in Taiwan. A sad end to a much loved and stylish mailship.