The Pendennis Castle in Capetown

PENDENNIS CASTLE was built in 1958 by Harland & Wolff at Belfast with a tonnage 28582grt, a length of 763ft 2in, a beam of 83ft 9in and a service speed of 22.5 knots. She was the largest ship built for Union-Castle as subsequent buildings were ordered by British & Commonwealth. Due to a dockyard strike she was named on the 10th December 1957 but not launched until 24th December. Based on the earlier Pretoria Castle design, but considerd to have an ungainly profile, her internal layout was the first to differ significantly since the Arundel Castle set the pattern. She commenced her maiden voyage on 1st January 1959 on the Southampton- Cape Town- Durban mail run and was the first ship to have Stewardettes - waitresses in the dining room. She was withdrawn from the mail run on 14th June 1976 and replaced by Blue Star's refrigerated cargo liner Andalucia Star but in Union-Castle livery. Sold to Ocean Queen Navigation Copr. of Panama, but Philippine owned, she was renamed Ocean Queen.and arrived in Hong Kong on 9th August 1976 where she was laid up. In 1978, still laid up, she was renamed Sinbad by Kinvarra Bay Shipping Co. of Liberia and later in the year was renamed Sinbad 1. Four years later, in April 1980, she arrived at Kaohsiung in Taiwan for breaking up.