The Portuguese m/s FOZ DO DOURO, 90m/2.345gt; 02/1892 completed by C. Connel & Co., Glasgow, as HAWAIIAN ISLES for Hawaiian Construction Co., Honolulu, for its sugar trading between Hawaii and Latin America west coast; 1893 s/n, A. Nelson, Honolulu; 1900 s/n, Welch & Co., Honolulu; 1901 s/n, Captain Walter M. Mallet,??; 1906 s/n, Matson Navigation, San Francisco; 1910 STAR OF GREENLAND, Alaska PackersÂ’ Association, San Francisco; 1910/1926 s/n, Captain P. H. Petersen,??, 1926 laid up at San Francisco; 1929 ABRAHAM RYDBERG III, cadet sail training ship, Stiftelsen Abraham Rydberg, Stockholm; 01/1930 left San Francisco with a full cargo of grain for England, where reached after 124 days; 19/05/1936 collision with British steamer KORANTON, 126m/6.605gt, R. Chapman & Co., south of Eddystone, having suffered damages, being taken to Blyth for repairs; 15/03/1942 laid up in Baltimore due the war; 05/1943 FOZ DO DOURO, Julio Ribeiro Campos, Oporto; 1943 departing from Santos, Brazil, in a memorable voyage, having as guest passenger, the worldly known aeronaut and scientist, the Portuguese Admiral Gago Coutinho, which having employed as navigational estimates an old astrolabe like those used by the century XV Navigators. In that Atlantic cross the FOZ DO DOURO reached Leixões after 105 days of sea and I remember having been on board by my father's hand, an harbor pilot, and I was astonished with the vessel rigging; 1945 she was converted into an usual motor-vessel by Kensignton Shipyard, USA, by installation of 2 x diesel engines, bridge/wheel house and a large funnel. The rigging was taken off, remaining the four masts and two yards as allegory; 11/03/1952 s/n, Soc. Industrial Ultramarina, Julio Ribeiro Campos, Bissau, Portuguese Guinea; 15/11/1955 s/n, Silva & Dias, Lisbon; 1957 Sté Anonyme Bonita, Tanger, which sold her for scrapping her at La Spezia, after 65 years of useful service. Captain João Fernandes Agualusa was for long time her master, having as mates the Captains Domingos Magano and Fernando Macias, all them from Ilhavo, Aveiro. As motor-vessel had as cadet and later mate, José Teixeira Lencastre, born and living in the place of Foz do Douro (river Douro mouth), Oporto, where I live and my birth place and of Mr. Julio Ribeiro Campos, the owner, too. The only time the FOZ DO DOURO visited her homeport, Oporto, it seems having been in 09/1949.
Seen inbound Leixões 50's
Foto Mar - Leixões |
Rui Amaro
