MV Port Fairy

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Career (UK)

Name:	MV Port Fairy
Namesake:	Port Fairy, Victoria
Owner:	Commonwealth and Domminion Line
Builder:	Swan, Hunter & Wigham Richardson, Newcastle
Launched:	1928
Fate:	Sold to Embajada Cia. Naviera SA of Piraeus
Career (Greece)
Name:	MV Taishikan
Owner:	Embajada Compania Naviera SA of Piraeus
Acquired:	1965
Fate:	Broken up at Hong Kong in 1965
General characteristics
Displacement:	8072GRT
Length:	477ft 5in
Beam:	63ft 5in
Speed:	15 knots

MV Port Fairy was a UK merchant vessel built in 1928 and sold in 1965 to Embajada Compania Naviera SA of Piraeus. She was renamed Taishikan and made one commercial voyage to Hong Kong where she was broken up.

1 Career
2 External Links
3 References

[edit] Career

[edit] Construction

Port Fairy was built by Swan, Hunter & Wigham Richardson at Newcastle in 1928 for the Commonwealth & Dominion Line Ltd (or "Port Line") shipping company. She displaced 8072 GRT, had a length of 477ft 5in, a beam of 63ft 5in and a service speed of 15 knots.

[edit] Pre-War

In 1930 her refrigeration equipment was modified and she carried the first cargo of chilled meat (instead of frozen meat) from Australia. Later she worked the same cargo from New Zealand.

[edit] World War II

While forming part of convoy OL8 from the United Kingdom to Canada, on 22 October 1940 Port Fairy collided with HMCS Margaree in rough weather about 300 miles (483 km) west of Ireland (position 53°24′N, 22°50′W.^[1]^[2]). Margaree quickly sank; her captain, four officers and 136 crew were lost. Port Fairy rescued 34 of the survivors.

On 9 July 1943 the convoy Faith (comprising Port Fairy, troopships Duchess of York and California, and the escorts HMCS Iroquois, HMS Douglas, HMS Moyola and HMS Swale) left Plymouth bound for Freetown, Sierra Leone. On 11 July 1943 the convoy was attacked by Focke-Wulf Fw 200 aircraft, and Port Fairy picked up some RAF survivors from Duchess of York. Both Duchess of York and California were abandoned and later destroyed. The next day the convoy was again attacked to the west of Gibraltar and Port Fairy was herself damaged. Detached to Casablanca with the frigate HMS Swale as escort, she was again subjected to a high altitude attack and was hit aft on the port side, which opened the hull and set the ship on fire. Ammunition in adjacent cargo spaces was jettisoned and compartments flooded to minimise the risk of explosion. A bucket chain was set up to douse the fire and HMS Swale came alongside and played her own hoses on the blaze, which was extinguished by 2300. After two further air attacks during which no hits were achieved, both ships arrived safely in Casablanca.

[edit] Post-War

On 25 December 1953, while operating on the M.A.N.Z. service, both engines broke down due to contaminated lubrication oil and the ship drifted for 3 days towards the rocks of Fatu Hira atoll. Plans were put in place to rig a temporary sail, but as this was being done one of the engines was repaired and the ship made port at 5 knots.

[edit] Disposal

By 1965 she was the oldest ship in the fleet and was sold for £126,000 for scrap to Embajada Compania Naviera SA of Piraeus. Renamed Taishikan, she made one final commercial voyage to Hong Kong, where she was broken up.