The La Bourdonnais class cargo liners.
This article was written in the early 1990's and was correct at the time. Since then many of the ships which were afloat at that time have since been disposed of.
August 1991 saw the demise of one of one more a class of 4 sister ships that
were built for the Messageries Maritimes Line of Marseilles. The Oceanos had changed beyond recognition; from a passenger/cargo liner to cruise liner. Chartered to spend the later half of 1991 in South African waters she was lost due to a combination of negligence, bad maintenance and neglect in a disaster which would seriously question how a ships crew should behave in a disaster situation. Fortunately no lives were lost but yet another classic ship departed from the shipping scene.
The first of the four ships to be launched was the LA BOURDONNAIS,
she was followed by the FERDINAND DE LESSEPS, then the PIERRE LOTI and
finally by the JEAN LABORDE.
All ships were built with twin screw driven by Burmeister and Wain diesels developing
12 500 BHP with a maximum speed of 18,5 knots. They were designed for use on the Marseilles to Madagascar and Mauritius service and during the Suez crisis would have called in South Africa.
The first ships to be sold were the La Bourdonnais and the Ferdinand
De Lesseps. In 1968 both were purchased by C.S. Efthymiadis of Piraeus.
The La Bourdonnais was renamed Knossos and used in the Mediterranean. On
May 3 1973 while on a passage from Piraeus to Limassol a fire broke
out in the engine room and the ship had to be abandoned. She was
towed to Piraeus and in 1976 was sold to Spanish breakers.
The Ferdinand De Lesseps was renamed Delphi in 1968 and was also used
in the Med until March of 1974 when she arrived at Cartagena for
scrapping. However she was not broken up and was laid up at Piraeus
until bought by Perla Cruises and renamed La Perla in 1977. In 1980
her name was changed to La Palma and she was registered as owned by
Intercruise under whose banner she sailed for many years. In 1997 she went to Louis Cruise Lines and shortly thereafter laid up. In August/September of 2002 it was reported that she was sold to Indian interests for breaking up. She finally made her final voyage to the breakers and was beached at Alang in July of 2003
The Pierre Loti and Jean Laborde were both sold to C.S. Efthymiadis
in 1970. Pierre Loti was renamed Olympia and used in the Med. In 1972
she was renamed Patra and during the next two years was converted to
a car ferry, her first voyage as such was in May 1974 for Hellenic-
Italian Line SA. In 1978 she was resold to Vanieros Ultramar SA of
Piraeus and renamed Chrysovalandou II. She then changed hands yet
again in 1979 and was renamed Eros. She was scrapped in 1992.
The Jean Laborde was renamed Mykinai for use in the Med, however in
1971 she changed names to Ancona and was rebuilt as a car ferry. 1974
saw her transferred to Helite Hellenic Lines and she was sent out
for use on the Singapore-Australia route as the Eastern Princess.
In 1976 she was acquired by Pontos Nav SA, and renamed Oceanos, from
then she was operated by Epirotiki Lines and remained under their
flag until she was lost in August 1991 off Coffee Bay.
Messageries Maritimes had other ships of which two were still afloat at the time of writing,
these vessels were larger than the La Bourdonnais class and are just as interesting.
The first of these was the VIETNAM, launched October 1951. she
eventually was sold and renamed Malaysia Kita and while at Singapore for repairs caught fire and had to be sunk. The wreck was raised in 1975 and was broken up in 1976.
The CAMBODGE was launched in July 1952. She was sold to Sun Line in
1969 and drastically altered in 1971 and operated as the Stella Solaris. She was unaffected by the merger of Sun Lines and Epirotiki and was in service with them until laid up due to mechanical issues. In November 2003 she was sent to the breakers at Alang.
The LAOS was built in 1954 and became Malaysia Raya and was lost to a
fire off Port Kelang in 1976.
The TAHITIAN was completed in 1953, sold to Med Sun Lines in 1972 and
was not radically altered. She was even mooted for use as a floating hotel and cruise ship in Mauritius although that never came to pass and she remained in service at the time this article was written. In 2003 she was put up for sale but she never found a buyer, inspite of her her being almost as built, and she too joined the queue to the breakers.
Acknowledgements: Passenger Ships Of The World Vol 1-5 By Arnold Kludas. Cruise Ships Of The World By Nicholas T. Cairis. The Berlitz Complete Handbook To Cruising. By Douglas Ward. Louis Cruise Lines, Royal Olympic Cruise Lines, Rob De Lange.
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