MV Victoria (1959)
| |
| History | |
|---|---|
 Kenya Colony | |
| Name | RMS Victoria |
| Port of registry | Kisumu |
| Route | around Lake Victoria |
| Builder | Yarrow Shipbuilders Limited[1] |
| Yard number | 2165[1] |
| Launched |
|
| Completed | June 1961[1] |
| Commissioned | 22 July 1961[1] |
| History | |
 Kenya | |
| Name | Victoria |
| Port of registry | Kisumu |
| Fate | Transferred to Tanzania |
| History | |
 Tanzania | |
| Name | Victoria |
| Operator | Marine Services Company Limited |
| Port of registry | Mwanza |
| Acquired | 1977 |
| Status | In service |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Ferry |
| Tonnage | 1,353 GRT[1] |
| Length | 261.3 ft (79.6 m)[1] |
| Beam | 40.0 ft (12.2 m)[1] |
| Height | 13.0 ft (4.0 m)[1] |
| Draught | 8.3 ft (2.5 m)[1] |
| Propulsion |
|
| Speed | 13.5 kn (25 km/h)[1] |
| Capacity |
|
MV Victoria is a Lake Victoria ferry operated by the Marine Services Company Limited of Tanzania.
Until Kenyan independence from the United Kingdom in 1963 she was the Royal Mail Ship RMS Victoria.[3] She then operated under the Kenyan flag until 1977, when she was transferred to Tanzania.
Building
[edit]Victoria was built as a "knock-down" ship. Yarrow Shipbuilders Limited built her at Scotstoun, Glasgow, then dismantled her in June 1959.[1] She was then exported in 1,500 crates via Mombasa[2] to Kisumu on Lake Victoria, where her reassembly was begun in December 1959 and she was launched on 5 September 1960.[1]
She was handed over to the East African Railways and Harbours Corporation (EAR&H) on 26 June 1961 and commissioned in 22 July.[1] When the ship was commissioned Elizabeth II granted her the Royal Mail Ship (RMS) designation: the only EAR&H ship to receive this distinction.[3]
Service
[edit]When commissioned in 1961, Victoria had capacity for 230 passengers and 200 tons of freight[2] and had refrigeration for perishable cargo.[4] She took over the EAR&H's circular service around the ports of Lake Victoria, halving the total journey time to two and a half days[2] which enabled her to serve all ports on the lake twice a week. EAR&H accordingly introduced new fares for passengers and rates for different classes of freight on her.[4]
In 1977 EAR&H was divided between Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda and Victoria was transferred to the new Tanzania Railways. In 1997 TRC's inland shipping division became a separate company, the Marine Services Company Ltd.[5]
Victoria was refurbished and due to return to service between Bukoba and Mwanza in June 2020.[6][7] The vessel started servicing the Mwanza-Bukoba route as planned in August 2020 under the name "New Victoria".[8] After a scheduled annual inspection in September 2021 the ship resumed operations one month later. [9]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o "Victoria". Scottish Built Ships. Caledonian Maritime Research Trust. Retrieved 26 October 2020.
- ^ a b c d "Kenya". Internet Archive. Internet Archive. 1961. Retrieved 18 May 2011.
- ^ a b McCrow, Malcolm. "Marine Services". East African Railways and Harbours. Malcolm McCrow. Retrieved 17 May 2011.
- ^ a b "Gazette Notice No 3467; East Africa Railways & Harbours; Amendments to Tariff Book No 3". Kenya Gazette. Vol. LXIII. 18 July 1961. Retrieved 18 May 2011.
- ^ "Home". Marine Services Company Limited. Archived from the original on 10 September 2011. Retrieved 26 June 2011.
- ^ Mulisa, Meddy; Sanga, Alex (29 June 2020). "It's all smile as MV Victoria bounces back to business". Daily News.
- ^ Kamagi, Deogratius (10 August 2020). "PM demands swift licensing of MV Victoria". Habari Leo.
- ^ Kamala, James (29 August 2020). "Break of dawn as New Victoria swings into action". Daily News.
- ^ Kaitira, Mgongo (14 October 2021). "Relief as MV Victoria starts services again". The Citizen.
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