Companhia Nacional de Navegação of Lisbon's 1963 Almada (Portugal) built BEIRA, which was completed at Amsterdam, is seen passing Portishead Point outbound from Avonmouth exactly fifty years ago today, on the evening tide of 11th July 1972, during a voyage from East Africa.

BEIRA was beached at Bombay on 10 August 1983 for breaking.

Companhia Nacional de Navegação was nationalized in 1975 and closed and liquidated in May 1985. The company was established in 1880 as Empreza Nacional de Navegação a Vapor para a África Portuguesa (ENN) - (National Steamship Company for the Portuguese Africa) On 4 April 1918 the company changed its name to Companhia Nacional de Navegação (CNN).

By 1968 CNN belonged to the CUF Group (Companhia União Fabril), as well as Sociedade Geral and 30% of SOPONATA, the tanker company. On 1st January 1972, the fleet and goodwill of Soc. Geral was transferred to CNN.