CAPETAN MANOLIS, one of the earliest SD14's, is seen departing from Avonmouth exactly fifty years ago today, on Friday 21st May 1971, following discharge of a cargo of grain from New Orleans.

Built by Bartram & Sons at Sunderland in 1969 for A.Alafouzos of Piraeus, she was sold to India in 1978 and renamed VARUNA KACHHAPI.

Lloyd's Voyage Record of December 1984 reports that she anchored off Mormugao from 23.1.84 after a troubled three month voyage from South America. She eventually sailed from Mormugao on 18.5.85 for Bombay (Mumbai) where she was laid up. Scrapping, which commenced locally from 6.7.88, was for some reason undertaken only gradually, finishing only in 2003.

scanned from a slide in my collection by the late John Wiltshire