Cruise ship “Mariposa” at Auckland, February 1974
Owner: Pacific Far East Line, San Francisco
Port of registry: San Francisco
Builder: Bethlehem Steel Co., Quincy, Massachusetts (Hull-1624)
Gross tons: 14,812
Deadweight: 6.622
Length overall: 171.81 m
Max. draft: 8.957 m
Engines: 2 x steam turbines, total 19,250 s.h.p., by builders
Speed: 20 knots
Completed 1953 as cargo ship “Pine Tree Mariner” (9,217 gross tons) for the US Maritime Commission,
Sold 1956 to Matson Navigation Inc. San Francisco, converted into a passenger ship by Willamette Iron & Steel Corp., Portland, Oregon; renamed “Mariposa”.
Bought 1971 by PFEL, used for cruises in the Pacific; lad up 1978
Sold 1979 to World Airways Inc.
Set off 1980 under tow for Japan, where she arrived January 1981; laid up again
Returned to PFEL later 1981
Sold 1983 to China Ocean Shipping Co., renamed “Jin Jiang” & employed on Shanghai-Hong Kong service
One source says she was renamed “Queen of Jin Jiang” in 1992
Renamed “Heng Li” 1996 & delivered to Alang, India, for scrapping in June