Seven Seas [Mormacmail, Long Island, Nelly]

[Nicholas Peppas]

Seven Seas


The attached advertisement from February 18, 1964 announces the (future) departure of Seven Seas for Freemantle, Melbourne and Sydney… What is unusual is that the ship would travel (on April 5, 1964) as a Chandris Lines ship! I am not aware of any source (including the great book by Plowman) that has any reference to this ship as a Chandris ship….

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IDNo: 5532120 Year: 1940
Name: MORMACMAIL Keel:
Type: Cargo ship (ref) Launch Date: 11.1.40
Flag: USA Date of completion: 5.40
Tons: 7886 Link: 1976
DWT: 11975 Yard No: 185
Length overall: 150.0 Ship Design: C3
LPP: 141.7 Country of build: USA
Beam: 21.2 Builder: Sun
Material of build: Location of yard: Chester, Pa
Number of screws/Mchy/ Speed(kn): 1D-16.5
Subsequent History: [1941 cv to escort aircraft carrier][1948 cv to passenger ship, 11086gt] - 41 LONG ISLAND - 48 NELLY - 53 SEVEN SEAS
Disposal Data: BU Ghent 4.5.77 (hostel since 9.66 at Rotterdam) [Van Heyghen Freres]


There are several great sites where you can find the story of this ship, including the wonderful site of Reuben Goosens http://www.ssmaritime.com/sevenseas.htm.

The ship was built by Sun Shipbuilding & Drydock Company, in Chester, PA as a standard C3 class cargo ship for Moore-McCormack Line as the Mormacmail. She was launched on January 11, 1940. Before her completion she was transferred to the US Navy and she was totally transformed to become an auxiliary aircraft carrier. Officially commissioned in 1941, she was renamed as the USS Long Island.

Here is a photo of the ship as the USS Long Island
http://www.chinfo.navy.mil/navpalib/ships/carriers/cve-1a.jpg and http://www.ask.com/wiki/USS_Long_Island_(CVE-1 (http://www.ask.com/wiki/USS_Long_Island_%28CVE-1))130188

[Nicholas Peppas]

She was decommissioned in March 1946 and was sold for scrapping. However, in March 1948, she was acquired by the Canada-Europe Line for conversion to merchant service and was renamed Nelly. As such she served as an immigrant carrier between Europe and Canada. Here is a Nelly photograph from
http://www.histarmar.com.ar/Vapores/BuquesMaritimeComm/C-3/Mormacmailx10.jpg

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In 1953, she was renamed Seven Seas. In 1955, she was chartered to the German Europe-Canada Line.

Here is a photo from http://www.maritiemdigitaal.nl/index.cfm?event=search.getdetail&id=120098801

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She made her last voyage in April 1963.

On July 17, 1965, she had a serious fire and was towed to St John's, Newfoundland. She was repaired and was bought by Rotterdam University in 1966. She was employed as a students' hostel until 1977, when she was scrapped.

Here are some photos of Seven Seas as a students hostel from http://www.flickr.com/photos/39967544@N00/2082739636/

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[Henry Casciaro]

Nicholas, thanks for opening a thread on this very interesting ship which although not handsome had somethoing about her which was attractive, pleasing lines...

As you rightly mention above I can also find no reference to a connection between her and Chandris, I can only think that Chandris used her for a one off sailing(s) to fill more capacity on the Australia run or replacing tonnage which was under repair or unoperational at the time for whatever reason.

Here is a nice postcard showing an aerial view when she was under the Europe Canada Line banner

Henry.

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[Nicholas Peppas]

...............
As you rightly mention above I can also find no reference to a connection between her and Chandris, I can only think that Chandris used her for a one off sailing(s) to fill more capacity on the Australia run or replacing tonnage which was under repair or unoperational at the time for whatever reason.

Here is a nice postcard showing an aerial view when she was under the Europe Canada Line banner

Henry.


Thanks very much Henry. I Was equally surprised when I saw the announcement... Perhaps a one-time charter by Chandris!

[Ellinis]

Nicholas and Henry, this is interesting. The 6/4 sailing of 1965 which was scheduled for ELLINIS was also cancelled. In 1965 the passengers were shifted to adjacent sailings but in 1964 it seems that the SEVEN SEAS was chartered instead.

She was not a stranger to Piraeus, here is a photo of her from the Piraeus Port Authority (OLP) photo archives:

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[Henry Casciaro]

Interesting photo Aris. Must be from the time she was bought by Rotterdam University as I can clearly seem a banner on her side which says "...versity of the Seven Seas" presumably University but for some reason the first 3 letters are missing (probably the banner over).

Henry.

[Ellinis]

She was decommissioned in March 1946 and was sold for scrapping. However, in March 1948, she was acquired by the Canada-Europe Line for conversion to merchant service and was renamed Nelly. As such she served as an immigrant carrier between Europe and Canada. Here is a Nelly photograph from
http://www.histarmar.com.ar/Vapores/BuquesMaritimeComm/C-3/Mormacmailx10.jpg

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In 1953, she was renamed Seven Seas. In 1955, she was chartered to the German Europe-Canada Line.

Just a couple of corrections on my side, which raise a question.
In 1948 she was sold to "Caribbean Land & Shipping Co" of Panama and used as the immigrant carrier NELLY.
She was chartered in 1954 by Europe-Canada Line (a partnership between Royal Rotterdam Lloyd and Holland America Line) and bought by them in 1955. Apart from her budget transatlantic sailings, in 1963 she also sailed in "study cruises" under the charter of the "University of the Seven Seas".
The first semester at sea took place from October 22, 1963 to February 8, 1964 (Henry, it was during this cruise that the photo at Piraeus was taken).

Here is a relevant ad:
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source (http://books.google.gr/books?id=CzcEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA1&lpg=PA1&dq=%22seven+seas%22+university+1964&source=bl&ots=LiA_6L6h9F&sig=qq4_asSq2BmsKnvlPnd-jeykcGI&hl=el&ei=n8qxTe2LIYXoOem00KcJ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CB4Q6AEwAA#v=onepage&q&f=false)

According to W.H.Millers' book "50 Famous Liners", a second semester took place from February 11, 1964 and finished at New York on June 6, 1964. But if this is correct how the Chandris charter took place in April 1964? Either the second semester or the charter to Chandris did not materialized.

Another two semester followed in Winter '64-Spring '65, and following is the itinerary:
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source (http://books.google.gr/books?id=yDMEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PP2&lpg=PP2&dq=%22seven+seas%22+university+1964+semester+at+se a&source=bl&ots=-Fi_4iojdi&sig=AEctvu8XVbH2qWKEHvZvouacvv4&hl=el&ei=0caxTZqIKIiDOp3DvbwJ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=8&ved=0CFMQ6AEwBw)

She returned to trans-atlantic service during the summer season of both 1965 and 1966. But in 1966 her study cruises were taken over by the larger RYNDAM.

[Ellinis]

Το "Εξάμηνο στη θάλασσα" γιορτάζει τα 50 του χρόνια και εδώ (http://50th.semesteratsea.org/)υπάρχει μια ωραία αναδρομή. Το πρώτο πλοίο που χρησιμοποιήθηκε ήταν το SEVEN SEAS. Για να δούμε τις τρείς βασικές μορφές που είχε αυτό το καράβι. Ναυπηγήθηκε ως φορτηγό, μετετράπηκε σε αεροπλανοφόρο και μετά τον πόλεμο σε μετανευστικό.

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πηγή (http://drawings.usmaritimecommission.de/drawings_c3.htm)

[τοξοτης]

Nelly

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http://www.photoship.co.uk/JAlbum%20Ships/Old%20Ships%20N/slides/Nelly-01.jpg


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http://www.photoship.co.uk/JAlbum%20Ships/Old%20Ships%20N/slides/Nelly-03.jpg

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http://www.photoship.co.uk/JAlbum%20Ships/Old%20Ships%20N/slides/Nelly-04.jpg

[Rasa Sayang]

SEVEN SEAS was an important carrier for migrants from Europe to Australia, Canada and USA in the 50ths and 60ths

Here are the plans:

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source ebay international