Tahks Mike for the answer,ah!that magic time of Morse!

Indeed not Victor. Most of my career was as a EEO / Instrument Technican in the Oil/Gas sector - but always on ships - never rigs. Sub-sea construction, diving well stimulation and pipelaying. But I still hark back to a fondness of my early years in the merchant navy on container ships, small tankers, general cargo and one gas tanker (Stena Oceanica). A good 6 years or so.

Amazing Mike E!I assume you din´t retire as radio officer
Best regards

BENAVON was my first ship at the start of a 40 year career. I joined in March 1981 as junior radio officer and did two trips on her , first one was her last trip as a steam ship (TSS) and then again in 1982 after her re-engining to become the MV Benavon.
Much talk at the time was that she would have a reduced service speed, but it turned out not to be the case and she still transited from Southampton to Kobe in a mind boggling 21 days including an overnight stop at Jeddah. At some points her service speed was in the region of 25 knots - not bad for a motor vessel. Her bunker usage was cut massively though - something like a ten fold cut but I don't recall the daily bunker usages in both guises.

I have to correct an error in my previous comment - it was 2804 TEU and ca. 49.500 tdw. 35.000 was the Net-tonnage.
My apologies,
Stefan

As built, BENAVON was steam turbine powered. In 1982 she was re-engined with three Kawasaki-MAN two-stroke diesels producing a total 51,380 bhp. Graeme Somner's excellent book on Ben Line does show a photo of BENAVON in the Panama Canal

...thanks for all your comments folks.

jadran - yes 32m beam would make her theoretically a panamax but as you know she traded for Ben Line on the N.Europe to the Far East via Singapore route.

Hi Mike,, she had a beam of 32 m suited for the Panama Canal; I wonder if she ever passed/was passing (together with her sisters) through the Panama Canal? best regards

They had 2804 TEU and around 35.000 tdw
Indeed, large ships at their early career.

Hi Mike. Great photo. She was at one during her life time a mega boxer. Steam turbine propulsion I think. anybody know her container intake or capacity?

Regards Frank

Wonderful shot Mike

thanks for sharing

rgds
Andrew

Great shot mike

Sister ships: BENALDER, CITY OF EDINBURGH (jointly owned with Ellerman Lines Ships Ltd).
The New Waterway was the best place to see them underway.
Worth noting are the fine lines of these 22knot ships - a high length/beam ratio of 8.8 compared with the current giants which have a ratio of only 6.8

Nice and interesting picture. Built in 1973, she must have been a big containership at that time....

Wonderful !