NAPIER STAR berthed at Avonmouth in the early 1960s. Built in 1942 to an in-house design by Barclay, Curle at Glasgow as Empire Highway for the Ministry of War Transport and managed by Blue Star Line, she had survived a bombing in July 1943.

She was purchased by Vestey in April 1946 and registered as IONIC STAR in the name of Union Cold Storage Ltd. Soon renamed NAPIER STAR, she was transferred to other Group companies during the 1950s and finally to Blue Star Line in 1959.

Despite spells laid up in the River Blackwater during 1962/4, she visited Avonmouth between 30th June and 4th July 1963 and finally departed from lay up on 3 October 1964 for London to load cargo for Timaru. Her next round voyage from London started on 13 May 1965 bound for Buenos Aires but on 20 July, on the return leg, she ran aground and was subsequently condemned for breaking at Montevideo.