PETROS, which was built by Smith’s Dock at Middlesbrough in 1948 as MABELLA for Norwegian owners, is seen idle at Cardiff exactly fifty years ago this coming weekend.

EX-VIRGIN MARY-67 EX-HIGHLINER-66 EX-MABELLA-59

As reported in my article on the Pontikos family's shipowning which was published in two parts in the January and February 2021 editions of Ships Monthly magazine, PETROS had sailed from Archangel on 30th October 1970 bound for Cardiff but ran aground and was towed into Aberdeen and then on to Cardiff where she arrived on 20th January 1971.

Her owner's son Petros Pontikos had very sadly suffered fatal burn injuries from a fire during the voyage. As a sign of mourning the PETROS, along with other vessels in the fleet including GEORGIOS C. and DESPINA P., had a diagonal black stripe painted on her funnel.

PETROS was towed to Newport for breaking in June 1972.