SS Gothic

SS "Gothic" was a passenger and cargo liner launched in 1947. She was the fourth and final of the Corinthic Class liners ordered by the Shaw, Savill & Albion Steamship Co. in 1946—her sister ships being SS "Corinthic" (1946), SS "Athenic" (1946) and SS "Ceramic" (1947).

The quartet would join the much larger QSMV "Dominion Monarch" on the on the UK to New Zealand service. Each ship would be around 15,000 GRT and accommodate 85 first class passengers. Each had 6 large holds, with space for 668,000 cubic feet of cargo, of which 510,000 was for refrigerated goods.

SS "Gothic" was built by Swan Hunter, Wallsend-on-Tyne (yard 1759) and became the most famous of the quartet—becoming Royal Yacht in 1952–3. She was launched on 12 December 1947, completed in December 1948, and departed on her maiden voyage on 23 December 1948, sailing from Liverpool to Sydney.

Royal Yacht

In 1952, SS "Gothic" was sent to Cammell Laird shipyards to be refitted to become the Royal Yacht for a tour of Australia and New Zealand. Although the tour was cancelled due to the death of King George VI, considerable work had already been completed and she returned in 1953 to complete the refit—which included a white-painted hull.

She was then used for Queen Elizabeth II's coronation world tour in 1954cite book |title=Royal Yachts of the World |last=Madge |first= Tim |year=1997 |publisher=Thomas Reed Publications |isbn=0901281743 |pages=pp.146-7] .

References

External links

[http://www.ssmaritime.com/corinthic.htm Shaw Savill & Albion's Corinthic Liners]