ssMaritime.com & ssMaritime.net
With Reuben Goossens
Maritime Historian

The Sitmar
Ships
Part Three
SS
Fairsky

At
the time, Fairsky was to be Sitmar’s most ambitious rebuild
Introduction
Over
the years I have received hundreds of requests to do a feature on the Sitmar
Ships. In this work, I will present a short history on each ship, together with
a number of photographs. I hope that these pages will have you reliving your
Sitmar experience. All Sitmar ships, except the Fairsky (2) were old tonnage
that were given extensive rebuilds to become from austere migrant liners to
quality cruise ships. Ships in this feature include; Castel Bianco, Castel
Verde, Castel Felice, Fairsea (1), Fairsky (1), Fairwind, Fairsea (2). In 1984
Sitmar’s only new ship, named, Fairsky (2) was completed. Late in the
eighties Sitmar ordered a 63,500 GRT
cruise ship to be named Sitmar Fair Majesty, however, whilst being built,
Sitmar was taken over by P&O Princess Cruises and she was completed as the
Star Princess. I trust you will enjoy this feature on the Sitmar Ships.

Fairsky
was one of the best conversions of a C3 Class freighter
Fairsky began life
quite differently to what she would eventually become - a modern Passenger
Liner. She was built as a C3 class cargo ship in 1941 by the Western Pipe &
Steel Co in San Francisco.
She was intended to be named Steel Artisan for Isthiam
Steam Ship Co. Three month after her keel had been laid down the incomplete
ship was taken over by the US Government for the use as an escort aircraft
carrier the USS Barnes. She was loaned to the British Royal Navy named the HMS
Attacker. She was commissioned on September 30, 1942.

HMS
Attacker at sea
Being able to carry
18 aircraft she served as convoy escort in the North
Atlantic. During her war time duties she also served the waters of
France and the Pacific. She had a notable wartime career. After she had
completed her duties, she was returned to the US in January 1946 and was laid up
and placed on the market. She was sold in 1947 to a New York Company who
commenced the removal of armaments and the flight deck. This was stopped when
she was purchased in 1950 by Navcot Corp, a company
set up by Alexander Vlasov, founder of Sitmar Lines. She was renamed Castel
Forte and was laid up until 1952, when she was officially transferred to
Sitmar.
After
being sent to Newport
for possible conversion she again laid up. In February 1957, Sitmar had her
moved to the Bethlehem Shipyards in New
York to commence the mammoth task in rebuilding her as
a passenger liner. Here she received a new modern superstructure and a stylish
funnel. She sailed to Genoa
in December 1957, where she received her interior fittings including
accommodations for 1,461 passengers. In 1958, she was registered in Liberia with
her new name Fairsky.

By
now Sitmar had obtained the lucrative migrant contract to take British migrants
to Australia and she
departed Southampton on June 26, 1958, with 1,430
passengers onboard. Fairsky continued on the Australian service until 1970. The
ships of Sitmar Line became a popular sight in Australian and New Zealand
waters.

Seen
here as Fairsky, the cruise ship

The main
Lounge

The
Lido Lounge & Bar

Outside two berth cabin,
with a sofabed

Fairsky
brochure
Fairsky operated a
number of cruises out of Sydney
in 1967, and when Sitmar lost their migrant contract to Chandris Lines, they
looked towards a venture in cruising. On June 2, 1974, Fairsky departed England for the
last time. After arriving in Sydney, she became
a fulltime cruise ship based in Sydney.
Fairsky departed Darwin on June 12, 1977, calling at Singapore and Djakarta.
However, upon departing Djakarta on June 23,
the Fairsky struck the sunken the submerged wreck of an Indonesian combi-ship “Klingi”,
which saw her hull badly holed. The captain decided that he would beach her on
a nearby sandbank to save her from sinking. The hole was filled with concrete
and on the 29th.she was refloated able to
proceed under her own power to a Singapore dry-dock to investigate
the damage. Although a temporary patch was placed over the hole, Sitmar decided
not to repair her and they placed her on the market. She was purchased by Fuiji Marden & Co and on December 11, 1977,
she departed Singapore to be
broken up in Hong Kong. Again Fairsky was able
to sail under her own power, however, this proved to be her final voyage under
her own steam.
Upon her
arrival, Fairsky was laid up awaiting demolition; but just before breaking up
was due to commence, she was purchased by the Filipino firm of “Peninsula
Tourist Shipping Corp” in March 1978, and she was renamed the
“Philippine Tourist.” The vessel was transferred under tow to the
Bataan Shipyard and Engineering yards of Manila, where she would be converted
into a floating hotel and casino based in Manila. However her venture was short
lived and doomed, for on November 4, 1979, with her almost having been completed,
she caught fire and was totally gutted. The wreck was sold back to the Hong
Kong breakers, who renamed her “Fair Sky” for the tow back to Hong Kong, and she arrived on May 24, 1979, and was
broken up by the same company who was going to break her up some two years earlier.

Whilst cruising out
of Australia,
Sitmar had become popular with holiday makers and cruises became more and more
popular. Fairsky chanced the trend in cruising, which was taken over by the companies flagship Fairstar, which became known as the
Funship!
Fairsky, the ugly
duckling when built became an attractive and popular ship for all that sailed
on her, and she will always be fondly remembered!
Specifications:
Tonnage: 12,464 GRT
Length: 153m
Beam: 21.2m
Built: 1942 - Western Pipe & Steel Co. San Francisco
Machinery: Geared Turbines
Screws: Single
Speed: 17.5
knots
Passengers: 1,461 one class passengers
Previous names: Castel Forte, Attacker, Barnes, Steel Artisan.

INDEX - The Early Sitmar Ships
Part
One - Castel Bianco & Castel Verde
Part
Two - Castel Felice
Part
Three - Fairsky
(1)
Part
Four -
Fairsea (1)
Fairsea
Photo Page
Castle
Bianco - The Karlsson family’s voyage
Castel Felice –
Cabin Plan & the
Robert Brinkhuis story 1965
Castel
Felice – My 1957 voyage to Canada by W. D.
Hempel
Castel Felice – The Williams family sail to Australia
in 1957
Fairsky – Deck Plan
Fairsky
–
Piet Mulder sails on SS Fairsky
Fairsky – Fairsky hits a wreck out of Djakarta – The Pamela Joyce Hansen story
Other
Sitmar Ships
Fairstar ex
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire
Fair
Princess - ex (P&O
& Princess Cruise ship),
Sitmar Fairland, Fairsea, Cunard Line Carinthia
China
Sea Discovery ex Fair Princess - broken up
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