I was employed onboard this magnificient vessel as deck boy trading between Australian East coast including Melbourne and Adelaide to the West Coasts of USA and Canada and then to London via Durban and Canary island to Dunkirk and London where I signed off.She had a soul and for me at 15 years old was just so good.

To quote & echo a comment by Russell Priest (who took others photos of this Cloud Class ship):
"Their streamlining was before their time and led the way. Ships had never looked better and haven't since. She was scrapped in 1977"

I must say, at first glance I'd never have put her build year as 1948. Simply style.

I sailed as a young passenger on this ship from Southampton to Adelaide in approximately 1957. I remember evry moment of it. It was a cargo passenger ship, carrying around 12 passengers including a Mr Howie who taught me how to wash and iron handkerchiefs in the shower and to flatten them against the shower wall and leave them to dry... ironed as well. He helped me make a kite and the ladies taught me how to tatt... supplying me the wool I needed to make a rope for my kite which I flew off the stern as we crossed the Bight. The crew helped me to feed albatros from the stern also... they would glide in to take food from our hands... awesome sight. As we crossed the equator, the crew erected a swimming pool made like a huge timber crate and they lined it with canvass and filled it with sea-water. We had to wear life-jackets and be tetherd so that as the ship rolled and poured a ton of water over the side, we wouldn't be swept overboard. I believe that she was designed as a very fast wool transport and that she plied between the UK and Australia quite regularly. I was a regular visitor to the bridge and engine rooms. Can still smell the smell of the immaculate engine room. A wonderful and memorable experience. The mostly elderly passengers played bridge but also taught me to play Snap and to build houses out of playing cards.

I went aboard her in Sydney once, I had a mate from OZ on board and had dinner with him before heading up the road for a few drinks...lovely old ship and I loved the lines of her. She had Transatlantic colors then if I remember

Out of the stratus sphere this classic merchantman! mrdot.