Refrigerated palletised-cargo ship “Zira” at Auckland, New Zealand, early February 1974
Owner: Peninsular & Oriental Steam Navigation Co., London
Manager: P&O General Cargo Division
Charterer: Crusader Shipping Co., U.K.
Port of registry: London
Builder: Swan Hunter Shipbuilders Ltd., South Shields
Gross tons: 6,088
Deadweight: 6,634
Length overall: 132.24 m
Max. draft: 8.372 m
Engine: 6-cylinder Doxford diesel, 12,000 b.h.p., by Doxford & Sunderland Ltd., Sunderland
Speed: 18 knots
The last ship to be ordered by British India S.N. Co., before the merger of P&O group companies
Completed November 1972 for P&O. Employed on Crusader Line's Japan/New Zealand service.
Taken off Crusader Line charter & renamed “Vosges” September 1975
Placed on charter to Agrexco, Israel, October 1975; employed on Ashdod/Marseille service
Lengthened at Officine Marittime S.p.A., Genoa; gross tonnage increased to 6,406 & overall length to 148.23 m
Ownership transferred to Panilette Ltd., Hong Kong, April 1984
Sold June 1986 to Ofer Brothers (Ships) Ltd., Ashdod, renamed “Galia Carmel”
Renamed “Carmel Exotic” 1996
Sold for scrapping at Alang, India, May 2004