|
|
|
|
|
Ferry van Eeuwen
|
|
ss Volendam (2) In 1972 the Holland America Lines purchased the ss Brasil (1958) from Moore McCormack Line and renamed the ship to ss Volendam. The ship was refurbished by the Lloyd Werft in Bremen, Germany and I arrived there on board first to inspect the radio station, later to supervise the installation of the new equipment and the commissioning of same. The Brasil carried all RCA branded transmitter and receiver equipment which I found were of an excellent quality. Amazing to me was the power of the medium wave radio transmitter. I was used to aerial currents on the frequency of 500 kHz of let's say 10 Amperes. This baby showed something like 30 Amperes on the aerial current meter. I thought that something was wrong, but no. Something like the experience as from moving from a normal 4 cylinder car to an overpowered 8 cylinder car. Technically speaking the ship could have sailed with this equipment perfectly well. However, radio requirements between countries were not harmonised in any way so we had to install new equipment which was approved by the Dutch government, but in several ways they were of a lesser quality. Nice..... Every country had its own little list op type approved equipment and there was no escape from that. Even if the equipment was identical, small required governmental changes to the equipment made it prohibitive to keep it on board or to install. For example, if the ship had been sailing under Belgium flag, our neighbouring country, then the equipment also had to be stripped and renewed. Crazy but true. But for us it was an easy way to sell some equipment. I also attended the sea trials of the ms Veendam (ex s.s. Argentina) and ms Prinsendam. Furthermore, during my sea-going days, I served as a 3rd Radio Officer on two other Holland America Line passengers sister ships: the ms Rijndam and the ms Maasdam.
The ss Brasil (1958) was purchased in 1972 from Moore McCormack Line and renamed to ss Volendam (2). This is the 2nd Volendam in the Holland America Lines fleet. The ship was chartered in 1975 to Monarch Cruise Lines and renamed to Monarch Sun.
The passenger liner ss Brasil was built in 1958 as newbuild 467 by Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula, Mississippi and delivered to Moore-McCormack Lines on 4 September, 1958. The ship arrives here on her maiden trip in New York Harbour and receives the traditional warm welcome from harbour tugs and fire boats. The ss Brasil and the ss Argentina were built in 1958 by Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula, Mississippi. Ingalls is located where the Pascagoula River flows into the Mississippi Sound, strategically positioned for easy access to the deep waters of the Gulf of Mexico. The name “Pascagoula” comes from the Indian word meaning “bread eaters” because the Pascagoula tribe, unlike many others raised corn, ground it into meal, and made bread. It is worth mentioning here that the last passenger cruise ships built in the United States, the ss Brasil and the ss Argentina, were built by this shipyard as newbuilds 467 and 468 and delivered to Moore McCormack Lines in 1958. Technical data:
Dimensions: 188,22 x 25,61 x 8,30 m
1957 (16 December) Launching of vessel.
I must say that this ship had the well known
nine, if not more, cat lives. This baby was a survivor and it proves the quality
of the ship. Moore-McCormack Lines Brasil
here on her maiden arrival in Rio de Janeiro, also in 1958. The s.s. Brasil shown here while
at sea. The tip of the right wing of the airplane from which this picture was
taken can just be seen to the right! The s.s Volendam is shown here
in 1984 shortly before the renaming to Island Sun. |
