Mercy Ships have announced that the mv Anastasis which was built in 1953 as the Lloyd Triestino mv Victoria will be sold shortly.

It is expected the sale will be to breakers and the money raised from her sale will be used for their operations.

More details are on the Mercy Ships website.

Sic transit...

Not too many of these fantastic Italian built vessels are left:

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Originally posted by Ernst:

Not too many of these fantastic Italian built vessels are left:
Italia, Augustus, Ausonia, Jason - and?

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And.. OCEANIC.

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Originally posted by Linerrich:

And.. OCEANIC.

Rich

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...oups....funny how I could forget her.

Please tell me why you think he should save her.

As she was running to Africa perhaps you would like to make an attempt to save her.

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Originally posted by Neil Whitmore ( Bob ):
Willem

Please tell me why you think he should save her.

As she was running to Africa perhaps you would like to make an attempt to save her.

Neil ( Bob )

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Afrtica? She was built for the Italy to India and Hong Kong service. She only started calling at South and East African ports after the Suez Canal was closed by the 6-day war and she (and her running mate Asia) had to go round the Cape to get to India.

OTOH, Africa and Europa of 1952 were built for the Italy to South Africa service.

If you were familiar with the ship you would know that she was gutted and converted into a hospital ship some years ago.

No doubt at that time a lot of her passenger accommodation was removed unlike ships that they do try to save.

You could contact him though !

Although we are friends it is through my time at sea when I met him on various occasions, the writing about classic ships I do for his website, and my business interests.

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If you were familiar with the ship you would know that she was gutted

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Gutted? I think not. Based on photos and videos that I have seen, all taken in recent years, her layout is pretty much the same today as in the 1950's. I believe Onno was aboard her a couple of years ago. Perhaps he can comment.

Brian

[ 06-13-2007: Message edited by: Brian_O ]

Looks like you took the bait !

I knew where she ran, having been in port with her, but various websites give different details of the services she was on.

Have another worm !

Regarding the conversion work on her, operating theatres were created in various areas including parts of what were her cargo holds so she is not original !

Neil ( Bob )

[ 06-13-2007: Message edited by: Neil Whitmore ( Bob ) ]

As Mercy Ships intend to use the money from the sale of the ship for the services they provide I fully expect they will seek to obtain the best price for their ship be it either being sold to breakers or for another use.

It is a pity that someone in Italy does not take the chance to save what was one of their classic passenger ships.

According to a press release posted on Maritime Matters, the ship will be taken to "an environmentally sensitive dismantling organization". See below....

Garnett

"Due to major changes in maritime shipping requirements, the Mercy Ships Board of Directors has determined that the ANASTASIS, the first ship to ever serve the Mercy Ship fleet, would have to be retired.

The substantial costs to make the major changes and retro-fitting that would be required to continue her service would not be economically feasible for the organization to continue its mission to bring hope and healing to the forgotten poor.

After careful consideration and due diligence, it has been determined that the best option to help to continue our mission would be to have the ship taken to an environmentally sensitive dismantling organization and sold for scrap.

The proceeds from this endeavor will allow the ANASTASIS to continue to serve our organization by adding additional funding to our cause even in her final retirement. The ship is scheduled to depart her final mission in Monrovia, Liberia on July 2nd.

This wonderful ship has served the world for nearly 30 years as a symbol of hope for those who thought they had been forgotten. Though the thought of her retirement will cause us all to reflect on great memories while serving on board her mighty decks, we must celebrate her enormous accomplishments and use her service as a cornerstone for our future missions.

Mercy's On Its Way! Thanks to you, ANASTASIS! Your service will never be forgotten."

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Originally posted by Garnett:
Hello All,

According to a press release posted on Maritime Matters, the ship will be taken to "an environmentally sensitive dismantling organization". See below....

Garnett

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And where exactly would that be? Alang ESDO?

However, given Mercy Ships' mission...to bring relief to the world's poorest...they are in an unenviable position relative to scrapping the Anastasis. From a political and environmental perspective, they can't easily send the ship to Alang given the toxic living conditions of the workers there and they probably can't afford to have the ship scrapped in an environmentally sound way either.

It will be interesting to see how the situation plays out.

Amazing how one liner is worship as a god (Norway) and the other is handled as garbage.

I think saving here is much essayer. She is relative small at 15.000 grt and i believe renovate here would be possible. She is still running with here original machinery (which was not working at the time she became the Anastasis)

Only hope here end is not that of the Norway ore other laid up vessels slowly rusting away.

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Originally posted by Maasdam:

Amazing how one liner is worship as a god (Norway) and the other is handled as garbage.

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Not so amazing :
-Norway is 5 time bigger and had been the largest passenger vessel afloat from 72 to 87 (if I'm correct).
-She beared the name of 2 countries and was a national pride to them
-She had been during more than 40 years the longest ship of the World,
-She was at the origin of the now predominant concept of mega cruise ships
-She is the last relic of the French Line, that's to say the last remaining "relative" to vessels such as Normandie or Île de France.

The "Victoria" case should be judged on its own merits, apart from comparisons with the "Norway".

However, I think she is in a more original "Victoria" state, than Norway in an original "France" state.

I was a bit surprised, when I visited Anastasis, there was such little structural alteration : I had expected large wards, with many hospital beds, and big operatiing theatres, etc. In fact, the operating theatres were in what looked to me (big) former first class cabins or suites, certainly no grand rooms. In fact, there was little hospital atmosphere onboard, most of the passenger infrastructure was for the use of the volunteers.

It was all faded glory : just like former mansions converted to youth hostels, (I think this is the best metaphore for the state of the Anastasis) where you can still see traces of former splendor.

Anastasis is no period piece like Rotterdam (or possibly Augustus) but I think there is little structural alteration needed to bring her back to victoria State. It would be nice to see her back in Trieste, even in this state, and being used as a youth hostel, and later, after restauration as a museum to italian shipping and design.

For example, the dining room had no carpet and very simple cafetaria style tables and seating, but the light (s?)cones and some wall decoration was still there.

There are still rows and rows of cabins, and you can still see where the pursers office was, with clocks etc. all very well used and worn of course.

She looks and smells like a real, working no-frills ship. She was a bigger version, but similar in looks as the hamburgbased "Cap San Diego" (which is in a better less worn (cosmetical) state)

Lots of words, sorry, but it is not so easy to convey my thoughts on this in good English.