Pendennis Castle
Ship Number
1558
Vessel Type
Passenger / Cargo Ship
Built
Belfast
Yard
Musgrave Yard
Slip Number
12
Launch Date
December 24, 1957
Launched By
Lady Rotherwick (original launch date to be 10-12-1957 but was posponed due To Shipwrights strike)
Delivered
November 14, 1958
Owner
Union-Castle Mail Steamship Co.
Weight
28582 grt
BP Length
716 feet
Breadth
83-6 feet
No. of Screws
Twin
Speed (approx)
22 knots
Propulsion
Harland and Wolff - Steam, Double Reduction (D.R.) Geared Turbines 46,000 shp
Official No.
Registered
Fate
Scrapped
Pendennis Castle

The largest ship built for Union-Castle as subsequent buildings were ordered by British & Commonwealth. Based on the earlier Pretoria Castle design, but considered 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. A little know fact is that she caught on fire in about 1973/4 while on route from Cape Town to Europe. No serious damage was done - but the passengers, had to put on life jackets and assemble on deck!
 
She was withdrawn from the mail run on 14th June 1976 Sold to Ocean Queen Navigation Corporation of Panama, but Philippine owned, she was renamed Ocean Queen. She left Southampton on April 23 1976 on her final Union Castle Voyage and arrived in Hong Kong on 9th August 1976 where she was laid up and was given a white hull and gold-brown funnel.
 
In 1978, still laid up, she was sold again and renamed Sinbad by Kinvarra Bay Shipping Co. of Liberia - flying the Panamanian flag and later in the year was renamed Sinbad 1.
 
Four years later, in April 1980, she arrived at Kaohsiung in Taiwan for breaking up.