ssMaritime
With Reuben Goossens
Maritime Historian
Shaw
Savill &
The
Corinthic Class Liners
SS
Corinthic, Athenic, Ceramic & Gothic
SS Athenic - Note the two large scoop air ventilators in front of the funnel
In 1946 Saw Savill & Albion ordered four new
passenger cargo liners that would join their much larger sister QSMV Dominion
Monarch on the UK - New Zealand service. Each would be around 15,000
PLEASE NOTE: All photographs, unless marked otherwise, are by the author, or from the author’s private collection. There are some from unknown sources. *Please read the special note at the bottom of the page in regard to these photographs.
Details in order of completion
SS Corinthic
SS Corinthic (2), built by Cammell Laird & Co
Birkenhead (yard 1175), was the first of the series. She was launched on
SS Corinthic
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SS Athenic
SS Athenic
The Corinthic was followed by SS Athenic (2), built
by Harland and Wolff, Ltd, Belfast (yard 1326), was launched on
Athenic - launching on
From the Harland and Wolff Archives
SS Athenic enters the water for the first time and will head for her
fit-out berth
From the Harland and Wolff Archives
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SS Ceramic
The second set was the SS ceramic (2), also built
Cammell Laird (yard 1185), was launched
Note the new mushroom style ventilators forward and aft of
the funnel
Ceramic arriving in Lyttelton (
Photograph by and © Dave Edge -
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SS Gothic
The fourth, the SS Gothic (2), built by Swan
Hunter, Wallsend-on-Tyne (yard 1759), would become the most famed of the
quartet as she would become the Royal Yacht in 1952-53. She was launched on
SS Gothic seen as built with the “Thorneycroft” funnel
Differences
between the first & second sets of ships
The hulls on both the Ceramic and Gothic varied
somewhat from their earlier sisters, having “rolled” bows and
mushroom style deck ventilators, whilst their older sisters having
“razor” style bows and scoop ventilators, however, their
superstructures were the same. In 1951 Ceramic and Gothic were given
“Thorneycroft” smoke-deflecting funnel tops. These proved such a
success they were also fitted to P&O’s
Accommodations
Like their famed running mate QSMV Dominion Monarch,
their appointments were luxurious with walls clad in fine timbers, Persian rugs
adorning the floors, as well as a host of tapestries, murals and fine
paintings. Accommodating just 85, passengers obviously lived in considerable
comfort! For the number of passengers, their superstructures were quite large.
Each featured two wide covered promenade decks and spacious sports decks above.
The stately QSMV Dominion
Monarch
Public rooms: Promenade deck aft featured the
elegant Smoke Room, followed by the light and airy Verandah Café. The Dinning
Room and Main Lounge was located forward on Bridge (
All “Premium” cabins were located on
boat deck, with other cabins being situated forward on Promenade deck, and aft
on Main deck. Each had 53 cabins, consisting of suites, twin and single bedded
cabins, most having private facilities. The standard and style of accommodation
was in line with the luxurious Dominion Monarch.
Their main rivals on the
SS Gothic
Schedules were varied: As example From May to
December in 1954 both the SS Athenic and Ceramic sailed from London, via
Tenerife or Las Palmas, Cape Town, to Fremantle, Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney,
Brisbane, and then to New Zealand ports and homeward. Both Gothic and Corinthic
operated on the
SS Corinthic seen at Lyttleton New
Photograph © Dave Edge –
Specifications
Tonnage: Corinthic -15,682
(14,285 - 1965)
Gothic
– 15,902
Length
- Beam: Corinthic
– 560ft x 71.2ft
Athenic
– 564ft x 71.2ft
Ceramic
– 564ft x 72.2ft
Gothic
– 561ft x 72.2ft
Draught: All - 29.7ft
Engines: Geared steam
turbines from builders
SHP: 14,000
Screws: Twin
Service
speed: 17 knots
Passenger
decks: Four
Passengers: 85 first class
Crew: 95
Also read: The Rob Wilson Story - 9th.Engineer
on SS Corinthic 1961/62
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Royal Yacht
– SS Gothic
Gothic was sent to Cammell Laird shipyards in 1951 to be refitted to
become the Royal Yacht for a tour of
SS Gothic the Royal Yacht in
*Photographer unknown
This passenger lounge was converted to be the
This commemorative postcard was issued for
The SS Gothic 1953/54 – Souvenir Royal
Tour Badge
A superb shot of the Royal Yacht
*Photographer unknown
She carried
SS Gothic seen in Fremantle, note the Royal standard on the forward mast
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The Final Years
After her Royal duties, her hull was repainted black again and returned
to her regular duties sailing from
Repainted in her original livery, the Gothic returned to regular
passenger’s services
Seen with her new funnel extension after her Royal Yacht days
*Photographer unknown
On
The Gothic encounters stormy seas as she
approaches
Whilst in
SS Gothic seen after the partial fire repairs
Forward windows were sealed and cabins remained closed after the fire
One of the last photographs taken of the Gothic
*Photographer unknown
The end of the SS Corinthic
and Athenic
Sadly the demise of her two sisters SS Corinthic
and the Athenic followed all too soon after as they were sold to Taiwanese
breakers. They arrived in
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The last ship of the Series – SS Ceramic
The wonderful SS Ceramic sailed on as the
longest serving passenger-cargo ship of the series
*Photographer unknown
SS Ceramic served for another three years, serving
a total of 24 years, as a full time passenger-cargo liner. However early 1972 she was sold to
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The
Author’s Memories
Whilst working in the passenger shipping industry
first in
“Dear Reuben,
For many years I have enjoyed your entertaining writing on real ships, and agree with the majority of your views. However, I must take issue with your; “ in rough seas they were not the most stable ships at sea," The statement itself is true, but gives the impression that these ships were uncomfortable in rough weather. Even when fully loaded with several thousand tons of butter in their holds, these ships had a small meta-centric height and thus technically were not the most stable ships at sea. However, this gave them a very nice slow and even rolling motion, far more comfortable than the unnatural, stiff, stabilized motion of the larger modern vessels. There were no better ships to take a far south great circle route across the Pacific.
On the subject of great circle routes, you will be interested in the method of steering the Athenic. Frank White who was the Chief Engineer for almost 20 years, ordered one screw to turn slightly faster in order to keep the rudder amidships as much as possible. Outward, the port screw was faster homeward it was starboard’s turn. The system worked, the Athenic used less fuel than the Corinthic!
I sailed as Second Engineer on both Corinthic and Athenic, undoubtedly the high water mark of my sea-going career.”
I thank Dick Goodey for this insight of the running
of the ships!
Ceramic arriving in Auckland New
*Photographer unknown
Also read: The Rob Wilson Story - 9th.Engineer
on SS Corinthic 1961/62
The following are all my Shaw Savill features on
ssMaritime.com
1... SS Athenic Class Ships – These three fine liners built in 1902/03 introduced two of
the names on this page
2… QSMV Dominion
Monarch – Shaw Savill’s
Grandest Dame ever built!
3… SS Corinthic Class Liners
– Four fine ships built in 1947/48.
4… SS Southern Cross
– A 23 webpage feature
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Who is the Author of ssMaritime?
Commenced in the
passenger Shipping Industry in May 1960
Also
visit: Cruise-Australia
and
“Save The Classic Liners Campaign” & “Classic Ocean Voyages”