TSS Camito

TSS Camito was a passenger-carrying banana boat of the Fyffes Line. At 8501.73 tons gross, 3878.90 tons nett,Inside cover of a menu from the Camito, 1970.] 448 feet long and with a cruising speed of 18 Knots, she was the second ship to bear the name.

She was built in 1956 by Alexander Stephen & Sons, Glasgow and scrapped at Taiwan in 1973. [http://www.plimsoll.org/Resources/SCCLibraries/4523.asp PortCities Southampton, Golfito And Camito: Cargo And Passenger Ships, undated.] Accessed 2007-09-28.]

She had three passenger decks with cabins for 96 first class passengers, [http://www.simplonpc.co.uk/GB_Pass_PCs_D.html#anchor213724 The UK Passenger Ship Fleet of 1967, Ian Boyle, Simplon Postcards, undated] . Accessed 2007-09-28.] public rooms and open-air deck spaces, centered between four large refrigerated cargo holds, two forward and two aft, that could handle 140,000 stems (1,750 tons) of bananas. [http://web.archive.org/web/20060714220828/http://www.oceancruisenews.com/bm9.htm Banana Boats, William H. Miller, The World Ocean & Cruise Liner Society, undated reprint] . Accessed 2007-09-28.]

Her main trade was general cargo outwards (mostly British manufactured goods), returning with bananas.

She was routed on 4-5 week voyages from Southampton or Avonmouth in England to Barbados, Trinidad and up to 5 ports on Jamaica (Kingston, Port Antonio, Montego Bay, Oracabessa and Bowdin) where bananas were loaded through the cool of the night.

She had a sister ship, the TSS Golfito, together they provided a regular fortnightly service.

Name prefix

When new, she was known as "TSS Camito" (probably meaning Turbine Steam Ship). In later life, the shorter SS (Steam Ship) was used [Eg on the front cover of an official passenger list and on the inside front cover of a menu both from a 1970 sailing. ] .

Notes and references

ee also

* [http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/lines/eldersfyffes.html#ef The Ships List: Elders & Fyffes.]