1934 to 1990
In 1934 the Empress of Britain makes her fastest Atlantic crossing in a time of 4 days 6 hours and 36 minutes. The Metagama and Empress of France are both scrapped. Two other CP ships are sold for scrap to Italy in 1935 but because of Italy's Empire aspirations the Melita and Minnedosa are both pressed into trooping duties in Italy's invasion of Abyssinia (Ethiopia).
1939 is the year that King George VI and Queen Elizabeth visit Canada. They make the outward voyage on the Empress of Australia and on the 15th June homeward on the Empress of Britain. Less than twelve weeks later the world is at war and Canadian Pacific place its entire fleet into the hands of the British Government.
Built : 1939 by Blohm & Voss, Hamburg.
Tonnage: 9, 034g, 5, 902n, 6, 951 dwt.
Engine: Single Screw, 3 Engine 2 x 8 Cylinder, 2S; SA + 1 x 6 Cylinder with Electric Drive to Propeller, 17 Knots.
Passenger: 35/58 according to season, 27 crew.
Launched on 15th December 1938, completed 27th April 1939. Yard Nos. 518.
Originally launched for Hamburg America Line as the Huascaran to serve on their Mexico-Panama Canal-South American Service her sister ship was Osorno. In 1939-1945 she was taken over by the German Navy and served as a U-boat Werkstattschiff (submarine depot and workshop ship). In November 1945 she was handed over to Great Britain as part of the War Reparations and then taken over by the Canadian War Assets Corporation managed by Park Steamship Company. On the 2nd September Canadian Pacific acquired her for the emigrant Europe-Canada Service and was refitted for this purpose at Sorel, Quebec, her passenger number increased to 775, she was renamed Beaverbrae, the second Canadian Pacific ship to carry the name. Her first sailing was on the 2nd February 1948 from Saint John to Hamburg via Antwerp, she continued on this service until 1951 when her German port of call became Bremen. Outward bound from Canada she carried cargo only, homeward she carried emigrants. On the 11th January 1954 she was purchased by Compagnia Genovese D'Armamento of Genoa and renamed Auralia for use on the Italy-Australia Emigrant Service.
Her accommodation was increased to a capacity of 1, 244, all at one class, extra lifeboats were fitted along with air conditioning and her gross tonnage increased to 10, 022. In 1958/59 she underwent further conversion and was re-engined with M.A.N. Diesels, her gross tonnage increased further to 10, 480. Between 1960 and 1970 she served on various routes which included transatlantic crossings with students, Holland-Australia-New Zealand and Southampton-Madeira before being finally sold to Chandris International Cruises, S.A., Panama and renamed Romanza. She was one of four ships bought by Chandris to expand their cruise operations and was modernised at Perama. In 1979 although still in Chandris colours she transferred to Armadores Romanza, S.A., Panama, on the 17th October of the same year she ran aground on Dhenousa Island in the Aegean , her passengers being lifted off by the Princesa Victoria. She suffered considerable hull damage and had to be towed to Piraeus for repairs. In 1991 she was sold to New Ambassador Leisure Cruises of Cyprus for short trips in the Mediterranean. Unfortunately her operators went bankrupt in 1995 and she was laid up at Piraeus. She was sold again in 1997 to paradise Cruises of Cyprus and ran alongside Atalante doing two and five-day mini cruises again in the Mediterranean. On the 4th of October she caught fire which completely destroyed the accommodation, her passengers and crew were successfully evacuated for the second time by Princesa Victoria.
She was eventually towed to Alexandria for scrapping in April of 1998.
In 1940 the vast majority of Canadian Pacific's liners are being used as either troopships or on repair ship duties. It is in this year that the Empress of Britain is sunk by enemy action. The Chairman is quoted as saying that the loss was the saddest day of his life. Two cargo ships are also lost, the Beaverburn in February to the U.41 and Beaverford is sunk whilst in convoy, protected by Jervis Bay (Aberdeen and Commonwealth), which was attacked by the pocket battleship Admiral Scheer.
1941 sees the loss of Beaverbrae by air attack and Beaverdale sunk by U.58.
Built 1943 Furness Shipbuilding Co., Haverton Hill-on-Tees.
Tonnage 9, 904g 7, 165n.
Engines Single Screw, Double Reduction Twin Turbines by Parsons. 15 knots.
Launched 17th July as Empire Regent for M.O.W.T.. Completed for Furness, Withy & Co. as managers.
19th May on long term charter to Shaw, Savill and Albion, renamed Zealandic.
3rd October sold to CPS and renamed Beaverlodge.
In 1960 she is sold to Ben Line, renamed Benhiant, 1970 sold to Witty CIA Naviera S.A. Limassol, renamed Venus. Finally sold to Chuang Kuo Steel and Iron Works and is broken up at Kaohsiung.
In 1944 CPS lost its final Beaver Class ship when the Beaverhill was wrecked in the Bay of Fundy off Saint John, New Brunswick.
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Built: 1944 by Caledon S.B. & E., Dundee.
Tonnage: 9, 881g, 7, 109n.
Engine: Single Screw, Two Double Reduction Geared Turbines. 15 Knots, by builder.
Passengers: 35
Launched on the 18th of August as Umpire Kitchener for the Ministry of War Transport, she entered service in the December with Canadian Pacific as managers. After the war she was acquired by Canadian Pacific and renamed Beaverford, she made her maiden voyage for the Company on the 16th of June 1946. In March of 1948 her passenger accommodation was reduced to 12 and in September of 1956 she was requisitioned for the Suez Crisis. She was briefly laid up in Antwerp from August of 1962 until the December when she was acquired by the >Alliance Marine Corporation of Hong Kong and renamed Hulda. On the 18th of August 1969 during hurricane Camilla she was driven ashore just outside Gulfport, Mississippi and abandoned as a total loss. She was sold as lies for breaking to Coastal Metal Processors Inc. on the 24th of November.
The following year after the surrender of the Japanese The Empress of Russia whilst under refit was destroyed by fire at Barrow-in-Furness.
The Duchess of Richmond was the first troopship of CPS to be released by the Government in 1946 and she commenced refitting at Fairfields, Glasgow. This year also the Chequered House Flag was painted onto the ships' funnels. As well as three replacement cargo ships, Beaverdell, Beaverglen and Beaverlake, a further three former Liberty ships joined the cargo fleet. A year later Beavercove entered service taking the cargo ships number to seven.
July 1947 she makes her first post war Atlantic crossing Le Havre-New York. In 1952 she is transferred to the West Indies service.
On the 26th March 1953 she is acquired by CP to replace the burnt out Empress of Canada which was fully booked to take passengers to England for Queen Elizabeth II's Coronation. On the 24th April she becomes the Empress of Australia.
On the 12th December 1955 she makes her final voyage for CP and is sold to Sicula Oceanica, Palermo on the 16th February 1956.
On the 17th March she runs aground off Cannes and is a total insurance write off being beyond economic repair. She is sold on the 16th August 1962 to be broken up at La Spezia.
Built: 1946 Lithgows Ltd., Port Glasgow.
Tonnage: 9, 901g, 5, 875n.
Engines : Single Screw 2 Steam Turbines by 3x 225 Watt Generators of which two are connected via electric drive to main propeller shaft, one generator on stand by, 16 Knots. Launched on the 27th August 1945 to replace sunk tonnage. She is the first of a class of four, the only one of the four however to have the deckhouse built on the poop. Maiden voyage on the 28th February 1946. The four ships are designed for the London-Montreal service reverting to Saint John, New Brunswick in the winter.
As Beavercove
As Maplecove
Built: 1947 at Fairfield SB Co., Govan.
Tonnage: 9, 824g, 5, 819n
Engines : Single Screw 2 Steam Turbines by 3x 225 Watt Generators of which two are connected via electric drive to main propeller shaft, one generator on stand by, 16 Knots. Launched as Beavercove on the 20th May 1946. The last of the class of four. Note no deckhouse aft and she makes her maiden voyage on the 3rd September 1947.
In 1952 she is renamed Maplecove when she transfers to the Pacific and loses her rudder in adverse weather conditions on the 8th December of the same year. Towed to safety by the tug Island Sovereign. In December 1956 she transfers back to the Atlantic and reverts to her former name of Beavercove. In 1963 she is sold to Giacomo Costa Fu Andrea and is renamed Giovanni Costa and on the 24th March 1971 she is sold for scrapping to Cantieri Navali Santa Maria of La Spezia.
With a tremendous amount of immigrants and refugees building up in Europe Canadian Pacific bring into service Beaverbrae (second ship to carry the name) formerly the H.A.P.A.G. Lines Huascaran, she is fitted with seven hundred austerity berths and commences regular sailings from Germany in 1948. Canadian Pacific dispose of some of their more elderly ladies from the Pacific and over the next eighteen months replace the older tonnage with the Princess Patricia (second ship), Princess Marguerite and Princess Nanaimo.
Is this the right type of snow or what ?
In 1951 the three funneller Princess Victoria is sold and converted to a timber barge. This former record breaker on the Vancouver- Victoria- Seattle service carried a broom at the top of her foremast to signify her all conquering speed, a sad end for such a fine ship. Also this year Princess Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh travel home from Newfoundland aboard the Empress of Scotland.
The Empress of Australia, her trooping duties finished, is sold on the 7th May 1952 for scrap to the British Iron and Steel Corporation and is broken up by Thos. W. Ward at Inverkeithing. In September of this year another of Canadian Pacific's three funnellers Princess Kathleen runs aground in a gale at low tide on Lena Point, 31 miles North of Juneau, Alaska. She is positioned bow up on the shoreline and the incoming tide swamps the ship, she slides astern and sinks in deeper water, a total loss, fortunately no lives are lost.
Empress of Canada at Liverpool © mpl
The second Empress of Canada catches fire in Gladstone Dock, Liverpool and because of her positioning it was nearly fifteen months before her salvage was completed, some five months later in August 1954 she is towed by Smits Tug Zwarte Zee to La Spezia for demolition. Unfortunately for Canadian Pacific the ship was fully booked for the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth so they had to charter French Lines De Grasse and renamed her Empress of Australia. In 1954 with the German emigrant traffic in decline Beaverbrae is sold to Compagnia Genovese D'Armamento, Genoa for Italy's growing emigrant service to Australia.
The third Empress of Britain enters service in 1956 and is followed a year later by her sister, Empress of England.
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Built: 1957 by Vickers Armstrong (S.B.) Ltd, Walker-on-Tyne.
Tonnage: 25, 585g, 13, 725n.
Engines: Twin Screw, Six Double Reduction Geared Turbines by Parsons. 30, 000 SHP. 20 Knots, Stabilisers.
Passengers: 160 First Class, 894 Tourist, 464 Crew.
Launched by Lady Eden, wife of the British Prime Minister on the 9th of May 1956, delivered in March 1957.
She made her maiden voyage Liverpool- Quebec - Montreal on the 18th of April releasing the Empress of Scotland at the end of the season to proceed for dry-docking prior to sale to the Hamburg Atlantic Line. In January of 1962 she commenced on her cruising career, in December of the same year during a gale she broke her lines in Gladstone Dock collided with Common brother's Hindustan, both ships suffering superficial damage to their hull plates. Between 1963-1965 she was chartered to the Travel Savings Association and finally came off charter and returned to North Atlantic service on the 28th April 1965.
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On the 1st April 1970 she was withdrawn from service and sold to Shaw, Savill & Albion and renamed Ocean Monarch on the 3rd of April. She made one round trip to Australia before refitting at Cammell Laird to a one class cruise ship, she was beset by labour disputes losing some £12 million in lost revenue. She made one cruise to the Mediterranean in the October of 1971 before taking up Shaw Savills Auckland service, from 1973 she cruised out of Sydney but her voyages were marred by mechanical breakdowns, staff trouble and a bad reputation. She returned to the UK and in June of 1975 was withdrawn from service, her final sailing was on the 13th June and she arrived at Kaohsiung, Taiwan for breaking on the 17th July.
The Empress of Scotland (second ship) is sold from lay up to the Hamburg Atlantic Lines in 1958 for refurbishment, refit and further service as the Hanseatic.
In April of 1959 the St. Lawrence Seaway opens and gives access from the Atlantic to the Great Lakes. Duncan Haws makes the point that Canadian Pacific made plans for new tonnage to operate on the Seaway Service, in the meantime chartered in two Schulte and Bruns ships, the Elise Schulte and Herman Schulte. If this is the case, which I've no doubt it is, was this not bad forward planning or was the Seaway doubtful as to its operational ability. Any in formation that may cast light on this conundrum would be appreciated. In this year Canadian Pacific sell the last of its three funnellers Princess Elizabeth and Princess Joan both go to Epirotiki of Piraeus, Greece, both were twenty-nine years old.
Built : 1960 by Moss Vaerft and Dork A/S, Moss, Norway.
Tonnage: 3, 964g, 2, 243n
Engine: Single Screw 7 Cylinder Burmeister and Wain 2S, SA, 3, 600BHP. 14 Knots.
The Beaverelm was originally launched on the 5th May 1960 as Roga for Akties, Asplund, Moss with Ronneburg and Galting as managers. Canadian Pacific acquired the ship on the 9th August and she made her first sailing on the 1st September from Antwerp calling at Bremen, Hamburg, Montreal and Toronto before commencing on the Great Lakes Service on a joint service with the Ellerman Wilson Line. On the 28th September 1971 she became the Hengshan for the Macao based Nan Yang Shipping Company, she flew the Somali flag and was registered at Mogadishu. In 1976 she was owned briefly by Fortune Sea Transport Corporation of Panama before moving in 1977 to the People's Republic of China's Company, China Ocean Shipping and renamed Yong Kang though still registered in 1991. There is no trace of her.
The Empress of Canada the last deep-sea passenger ship built for Canadian Pacific entered service on the 24th April 1961, Canadian Pacific bought a ship already under construction and rename her Beaverfir for the St. Lawrence Seaway- Great Lake Service she left Antwerp on her maiden voyage on the 7th July. The Beaverfir was the first of five ships which operated on this service whether wholly owned or on charter she also introduced Canadian Pacific's now white livery.
Built : 1961 by Sarpsberg Mek. Vekstad A/S, Greaker, Oslofjord, Norway.
Tonnage: 4, 539g, 2, 532n
Engine: Single Screw 6 Cylinder Burmeister and Wain 2S, SA, 3, 100 BHP. 14 Knots.
Launched 1960, completed 22nd March 1961 as Beaverfir.
I don't think she was originally laid down for Canadian Pacific but she was acquired by them on completion, the first of five ships purchased for the Great Lake Service via the St. Lawrence Seaway. On the 7th July she made her maiden voyage Antwerp-Quebec-Montreal and in September of the same year she became the first ocean going ship to visit the lakes when she arrived at Toronto. On the 21st April 1972 she was sold to the Arion Shipping Corporation of Monrovia and renamed Arion. In November of 1975 she moved on to the Linera Manaure CIA. Anon of Venezuela and became the Manaure II. Resold again to Kabat Enterprises Overseas Limited of Grand Cayman, renamed Anden in 1981. Her final move was to Intercontinental Maritima S.A. of Peru and she was driven ashore after dragging her anchor during a storm on Barra De Santiago El Salvador. Out of her crew compliment of twenty-six, sixteen lost their lives.
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Built: 1961 by Vickers Armstrong (S.B.) Ltd, Walker-on-Tyne.
Tonnage: 25, 585g, 13, 725n.
Engines: Twin Screw, Six Double Reduction Geared Turbines by Parsons. 30, 000 SHP. 20 Knots, Stabilisers.
Passengers: 160 First Class, 894 Tourist, 464 Crew.
Launched by Mrs. Diefenbaker, wife of the Canadian Prime Minister on the 10th of May 1960.
On the 24th of April she sailed from Liverpool on her maiden voyage to Montreal via Greenock and Quebec. In 1970 she had the distinction of being Canadian Pacific's last ocean liner in service making thirteen Trans-Atlantic voyages a year, the rest of her time she spent cruising. On the 23rd of November 1971 she arrived in Liverpool bringing to an end 68 years of trans-Atlantic service for Canadian Pacific. She was sold to Ted Arison's Carnival Cruise Line, Panama in January of 1972 and renamed Mardi Gras. She made her delivery cruise Tilbury - Miami with a compliment of Italian Officers and mixed crew, her passenger capacity was 906 in one class. She was marketed in the USA and Canada for cruises in the Caribbean she was joined by her sister Empress of Britain in 1975 which was renamed Carnivale. Last known whereabouts of Mardi Gras is dated September 2000, now known as Appollon for Royal Olympic Cruises, laid up at Perama near Piraeus, Greece.
1962 saw the addition to the Great Lake Fleet of Beaverpine and Beaverelm, both sporting the new white livery of the Company. In an attempt to introduce a more specialised fleet on the North Atlantic Canadian Pacific started to sell off some of its older ships that were introduced just after the war, ships to go this year were Beaverdell, Beaverlake and Beaverford. The following year Beaverash joined the Great Lake Fleet.
Built : 1962 by Burntisland Shipbuilder Co., Burntisland, Firth of Forth.
Tonnage: 4, 514g, 2, 437n
Engine: Single Screw 6 Cylinder Fairfield Sulzer 2S, SA, 4, 000BHP. 14 Knots.
Launched 18th June 1962, completed October 1962 as Beaverfir.
She made her maiden voyage on the 23rd October London to Montreal and joined Beaverfir on the Great Lake Service. After conversion in 1971 to a container ship she was renamed CP Explorer on the 13th December and commenced trade on the Europe-Canada-Great Lake Service. She joined the Arion (ex-Beaverfir) for the Arion Shipping Corporation of Monrovia becoming Moira in the December of 1973. In 1981 she was sold to the Kien Hung Shipping Co. of Panama and was renamed Trade Container, five years later on the 29th December 1986 she arrived at Kaohsiung, Taiwan for breaking.
In 1964 Canadian Pacific started to feel the effects of transatlantic competition from the airlines particularly the newly introduced Boeing 707, it declared it would start to wind down its passenger operation and the first ship to be sold was the Empress of Britain to the Greeks leaving just two passenger ships on the service. On the 11th November CP (Bermuda) Ltd. was registered as a company in Hamilton, Bermuda ostensively to operate its growing fleet of takers and bulkers. The largest Great Laker to date was introduced to the service in 1965 she was the Beaveroak instantly recognised by her ice breaking bow she also marked the end of the prefix 'Beaver' the Company having decided to use the names of people generally associated with the Company, although not all worked for the Company.
Built : 1965 by Vickers-Armstrong (Shipbuilders) Ltd, Walker-on-Tyne.
Tonnage: 6, 165g, 3, 078n, 6.
Engine: Single Screw 6 Cylinder Clark- Sulzer 2S.S.A. , 6, 500 BHP. 16 Knots.
Launched 3rd March 1965, completed September 1965.
The Beaveroak's maiden voyage was on the 7th September 1965 Antwerp-London-Montreal-Great Lakes. She carried the Pacific Class Locomotive 'Dominion of Canada' to the Railway Museum in Montreal on the 10th April 1967, the Locomotive was a centenary gift from Canadian Pacific. In July of 1970 she arrived at the yard of Boeles Scheepswerven in Rotterdam for conversion to a container ship, after conversion she was able to carry 332 20 x 40 containers. Before sailing from Rotterdam she was renamed CP Ambassador and entered service on the Liverpool- Wolf Cove - Quebec route running in tandem with Head-Donaldson Line's 'Inishowen Head'. In May of 1973 she developed problems in the Engine Room which necessitated the vessel to be abandoned save for the Captain and Chief Engineer, the ship was eventually towed into St. Johns, Newfoundland. This class of ship was soon overtaken by the new type container ships coming on stream and in 1974 she was sold to the Arion Shipping Corporation and renamed Atlanta. For a year she was on charter to Zim Lines as the Zim Atlanta before being sold to the Sin Chiao Shipping (Pte) Ltd of Singapore and she was renamed New Penguin in 1981. She was then sold in the same year to Ming Chiao Shipping of Singapore retaining both name and previous owners as managers. In 1982 she was sold to the Island Ship Management (Pte) Ltd of Singapore and renamed Flamingo, she was in service for a further two years before arriving at Gadani Beach, Karachi for breaking on the 30th April 1984.
CP Air transferred its operating rights at London's Heathrow to the Government state run airline Air Canada which at that time operated a Canada/ Amsterdam service. Canadian Pacific started a tanker chartering operation introducing two tankers for this purpose they were Lord Mount Stephen and Lord Strathcona. The only problem with this concept, as London and Overseas Freighters discovered, was that when charters to the big multi-nationals came to an end often ships were thrown onto the spot market where little or no profit was possible.
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Built: 1966 by Mitsui Heavy Industries, Nagasaki.
Tonnage: 41, 521g, 24, 385n.
Engine : Single Screw, 9 Cylinder 2S.S.A. Sulzer 9RD.90, 20, 700 BHP. 16.5 Knots.
Launched on the 3rd of August for Canadian Pacific (Bermuda) Ltd. She made her maiden voyage on the 10th of November Nagasaki to Vancouver. She was then placed on charter to Shell Petroleum for their Persian Gulf- Japan route. Lord Mount Stephen as George Stephen was the founding President of Canadian Pacific Railways. She was sold to Junior CIA Naviera S.A. Cyprus in 1985 and renamed Pedoulas, still in service in 1991.
In 1967 Cunard withdrew from all transatlantic crossings leaving CP as the sole operator.
Built : 1967 by Mitsui Heavy Industries, Nagasaki, Japan.
Tonnage: 41, 521g, 24, 385n.
Engine: Single Screw 9 Cylinder Sulzer 2S.S.A. 9RD 90, 20, 700 BHP. 16.5 Knots.
Launched 15th November 1966, completed February 1967.
The Lord Strathcona was named after Donald Smith who later became Lord Strathcona a Director of CP until his death in 1914, he drove the final spike into CPR's transatlantic railway line on the 7th November 1885. On the 14th February 1967 she sailed from Nagasaki bound for Vancouver on her maiden voyage before going on long term charter to British Petroleum on the Persian Gulf-Japan service. She was sold to Acanthus Cia Naviera S.A. of Cyprus in 1985 and renamed Breeden, in 1991 she was still in service.
In 1968 Canadian Pacific changed its corporate identity out went the buff and black funnel, from 1946 onwards on their funnels they also featured the Company's houseflag, and in came the following designs:
Also all the Company's ships had the logo CP Ships painted on the hull, this was later removed from passenger ships by popular request.
This year CP Ships introduced two of the three ship build programme of specialised wood product bulk carriers, each of the three ships had ten year charters with MacMillan Bloedal Ltd; Canada's largest forest products company. The two ships launched in 1968 were H. R. MacMillan and J.V. Clyne, the following year N. R. Crump joined them. In 1969 three ships were added to Canadian Pacific's Fleet, two Bulk Carriers the T. Alaska and the W.C. Van Horne were placed on long term charters, the Log Carrier Pacific Logger was placed on a ten year charter to the Japanese paper making company C. Itoh. With the completion of the Point Tupper Refinery in Nova Scotia in 1970, the Company built three V.L.C.C. each of 250, 000 dwt to service the facility. They were Port Hawkesbury, T.G. Shaughnessy and I.D. Sinclair. With the ever changing designs for container ships enabling the newer ships to carry more and more boxes Canadian Pacific decided to upgrade its Fleet by adding three larger vessels, the C.P. Voyageur, C.P. Trader and C.P. Discoverer, all started on the Europe-Canada service this year. For economic reasons most of the Great Lake Fleet were unsuitable for conversion, however two which were converted became the C.P. Ambassador and C.P. Explorer. Also this year Empress of England was sold to Shaw Savill & Albion and was renamed Ocean Monarch for the Australian Service.
Built : 1970 by Cammell Laird Ltd., Birkenhead.
Tonnage: 15, 680g, 7, 805n, 16, 330 dwt.
Engine: Single Screw 8 Cylinder Harland & Wolff Type 8K74EF., 15, 000 BHP. 18 Knots.
Launched 19th August 1970, completed November 1970.
One of three container ships built at the Birkenhead yard for Canadian Pacific Rotterdam- Quebec Service C.P. Voyageur's maiden voyage was on the 29th November 1970. Until 1984 the ship remained under Canadian Pacific Bulkship Services Ltd but had various name changes these were Andes Voyageur, Louisiana and Cedar Voyager all were for Centennial Shipping Ltd of Hong Kong. In 1986 she transferred to the Panamanian flag and was registered in Kingstown, St. Vincent her name was changed to Bio Kovo and she was managed by Jadranska Slobodna, Split. In 1991 the ship was still in service.
On the 3rd of July 1971 the Company changed its name to Canadian Pacific Ltd. and withdrew its last transatlantic passenger service at the end of the summer season. The Bay of Fundy service was upgraded by the delivery of a larger vessel, Princess Acadia she replaced the smaller ship of the same name. An innovation on the Princess Acadia was that she was fitted with locomotive engines which meant that when they were ready for overhaul they were just replaced with new or reconditioned engines.
In 1972 Canadian Pacific sold their last ship built for the Atlantic trade Empress of Canada to Carnival Cruise Lines who renamed her Mardi Gras. Three new Oil Product Carriers which had been built in the Netherlands joined Canadian Pacific's Fleet of Tankers taking the completed total to seven they were G.A. Walker, W.A. Mather and R.A. Emerson, also the 'Carrier Princess' was delivered for the Vancouver-Vancouver Island route. Three new Ore-Bulk-Oil ships were delivered this year. They were the last three ships to carry names of men associated with the Company, they were E.W. Beatty, D.C. Coleman and W.M. Neal. A new venture with Inchcape (Canada) Ltd to the formation of Incan Marine Ltd with Canadian Pacific holding a 40% interest, Inchcape the remaining 60%, the new Company was a Market Research Unit. This unit led to the formation of another company called May, Incan Ships Ltd with $6 million venture capital spread between CP Ships which held 43% and Incan Marine Ltd 57%. A new Road Rail Transport Ship was ordered for Lake Superior with a sister ship in the pipeline for the future.
A fourth Product Tanker joined the Fleet in 1974, she was the Fort MacLeod the first ship to use the prefix 'Twenty Seven', others were to follow. The Incan Superior commenced on the Lake Superior Service sailing from McKellar Island, Thunder Bay, Ontario to Superior Wisconsin carrying newsprint and wood pulp from the Great Lakes Paper Company of Thunder Bay.
Built : 1974 by Van Der Giesen-De-Noord N.V. Krimpen, Netherlands.
Tonnage:18, 774g, 12, 174n, 30, 607 dwt.
Engine: Single Screw 6 Cylinder Burmeister & Wain 6K74EF 2S.S.A., 12, 200 BHP. 15 Knots.
A product carrier one of a series of eight built at the Dutch shipyard. On the 1st of March she was handed over to Canadian Pacific (Bermuda) Ltd and three days later she entered service with CPSS as managers. In December of 1988 she transferred to Macle Shipping Ltd and was renamed Osco Macle her managers were BCP Management Ltd of Douglas, Isle of Man and in 1991 she was still in service.
Built : 1971 by Swan Hunter Shipbuilders Ltd, Walker Yard, Newcastle.
Tonnage:31, 036g, 17, 583n, 28, 488 dwt.
Engine: Single Screw 10 Cylinder 2S.S.A., 29, 000 BHP. 23 Knots.
The massive bulkship investment continued apace and in 1975 Canadian Pacific had seven ships on order at the Japanese yard of Sanosan, an innovation of this design of ship was the fact that containers could be carried on deck. Two ships were completed this year they were the Fort Nelson and Fort Nanaimo, the running of the Princess Marguerite at Vancouver was taken over by the Province of British Columbia.
Built : 1974 by Sanoyasu Dockyard co. Osaka, Japan.
Tonnage:21, 894g, 13, 623n, 35, 414 dwt.
Engine: Single Screw 7 Cylinder Burmeister & Wain 7K67GF 2S.S.A., 13, 100 BHP. 15.7 Knots.
Laid down as Leda. Launched 12th September 1975.
Her maiden voyage on the 5th December 1975 for Atlanta Ship Management Services Ltd, a Canadian Pacific subsidiary. In March of 1980 she transferred to Canadian Pacific (Bermuda) Ltd and was renamed Fort Nanaimo. In 1989 she was sold to the Naimo Shipping Corporation of Monrovia renamed Naimo with Ugland Bros: Monrovia appointed as managers, she was still in service in 1991.
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Built: 1975 by Sanoyasu Dockyards co., Osaka.
Tonnage: 21, 894g, 13, 623n, 35, 414 dwt.
Engine: Single Screw, 7 Cylinder Burmeister & Wain 7K67GF. 13, 100 BHP. 15.7 Knots.
Fort Nelson was a bulk carrier with the capacity to carry lumber cargos, hence she had COª fire fighting capacity for her holds. Launched on the 28th May 1975 for CP (Bermuda) Ltd, registered in Hong Kong, renamed Elso by Elso Shipping Ltd in 1989 with BCP as managers, still in service in 1991.
Port Vancouver and Port Quebec entered service in 1977 both bulk ships were built at the Burmeister & Wain Shipyard in Copenhagen, Denmark.
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Built: 1977 by Sanoyasu Dockyards co., Osaka.
Tonnage: 17, 281g, 10, 743n, 28, 317 dwt.
Engine: Single Screw, 7 Cylinder 2S.S.A. Burmeister & Wain 7K67GF. 13, 100 BHP. 15.7 Knots.
Delivered to CP (Bermuda) in the May of 1977 registered in Hong Kong renamed Victis for Mill Reef Shipping Ltd of Hong Kong managed by BCP in 1986. In 1988 renamed Tusa by Tusa Shipping Corporation of Monrovia and still in service 1991.
In 1978 three more ships were completed at the Sanyosan Yard they were Fort Walsh, Fort Carleton and Fort Hamilton. Between 1978 and 1983 Canadian Pacific has a further eleven ships built, bought three more second hand and chartered in a further two, in they main they were bulkers but four were product carriers and one was a container ship.
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Built: 1980 by Sanoyasu Dockyard co., Mizushima.
Tonnage: 19, 982g, 11, 923n, 31, 766 dwt.
Engine: Single Screw, 6 Cylinder Burmeister & Wain, 11, 200 BHP. 15 Knots.
Chemical carrier launched on the 7th of December 1979 for CP (Bermuda), delivered on the 15th June 1980, registered in London. Sold in 1991 to Ceres Hellenic Enterprise Ltd of Piraeus renamed Conquestventure.L.
From now on the contributions and profitability of the C.P. Fleet went into decline in fact in 1983 a loss of £74, 300 was recorded. For the record the running of Canadian Pacific's Fleet was divided between four different management teams they were Canadian Pacific (Bermuda) Ltd, Canadian Pacific Bulkship Services Ltd, Canadian Pacific Ltd and last but not least Canadian Pacific Steamships Ltd. A total of forty ships which were owned by the group and a further six which were managed on other Companies behalf. With freight rates plunging, competition at cut throat rates it was decided to start selling off the Fleet and concentrate on its core business of the railway its most profitable asset. To further reduce costs Canadian Pacific in 1986 started to move its ships to flags of convenience and in 1987 its Costal Water Fleet was reduced to one ferry the Carrier Princess.
In 1988 Canadian Pacific (Bermuda) Ltd sold its bulk carrier Fleet to B & H Bulkships Acquisition Corporation and moved its remaining six tankers and one RORO into a new division called Canadian Pacific Tankers Ltd.
A year later the six remaining tankers were sold to Ceres Hellenic Shipping Enterprises and the ships were handed over in the July/August as each came to the end of its particular voyage.
By 1990 Canadian Pacific once associated with the best in Marine transport had become a specialised management concern looking after the important issues for other Shipping Companies and is now called Barber Canadian Pacific Ship Management Ltd. I have recently heard that BCP is now looking at the possibility of returning its managed Fleet back to the Red Duster, I sincerely hope so.