Stella Polaris [Santa Paula]

[sstraveler]

I am looking for pictures and information about the planned reconstruction of the Santa Paula (1958 ) into the Stella Polaris.

I know Sun Line moved the ship to Perma Bay in 1972 but I do not think much work was done.

Anyone ever see any work or see any plans for the ship?

Any photos?

I am writing the history of the Santa Paula and her sister ship the Santa Rosa.

Please contact me (I do not speak Greek)

sstraveler @ aol . com

[Ellinis]

STELLA POLARIS would have been a fleet mate to the STELLA SOLARIS, but the plan never materialized. She was supposed to become a 900-passenger cruiseship, but instead she was taken over by Mariott (a shareholder of Sun Line at that time) and coverted to a hotel at Kuwaitt.
I guess you know the rest of the (sad) story.

Following you will find the only picture of the STELLA POLARIS (under this name) I have ever seen. It was taken by the reputed Italian shiplover Antonio Scrimali.

It shows her laid up at Kynosoura, still with the Prudential Line colours in her funnel.

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[sstraveler]

Thanks for the info.

I was told that they actually did strip out some ofthe interiors on the ship before work stopped in Greece. Any idea where that work would have been done, i.e. a shipyard or just a work gang on the ship at the anchorage?

Unfortunately that picture is not in color. I suspect the "P" on the funnel was painted out but you are seeing the beeding around it. Many years ago when Sun Line was still in business I spoke with the Captain who actually sailed the ship to Greece.

I wonder if Sun Line ever drew up plans for the conversion or if they did not even get that far?

[britanis]

this picture are sadly enougth ;-(
in kuwait she have glory days but a very bomb end

[Ellinis]

Indeed britanis, her days as a hotel in Kuwait ended up in flames...

Initially she was named KUWAITT MARRIOTT (see a photo here (http://www.shipsnostalgia.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=43923)) and became landlocked.
In 1989 she was renamed RAMADA AL SALAM but when Iraq invaded Kuwait in 1991 she was hit by bombs and destroyed by fire...

Some sad photos are available at shipsnostalgia (such as this (http://www.shipsnostalgia.com/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/43919)).

The wreck was scrapped around 2002 but some parts of her might survive today as it seems that Regency took parts of the burned ship (machinery I guess) and used them (or kept them as spare parts?) in their REGENT RAINBOW conversion!

[gtogias]

Αντίθετα με την κακή κατάσταση του πλοίου στη φωτογραφία που ανέβασε ο φίλος Ellinis, ο Antonio Scrimali το πέτυχε και σε καλύτερες μέρες:

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[Ellinis]

Ωωωω.... στείλε ένα προειδοποιητικό σήμα πρωτού ανεβάσεις τέτοια ντοκουμέντα!

Μιας και βλέπω τις βάρκες και τα σινιάλα της Prudential να λείπουν, θα έλεγα πως η φωτο είναι μετά από τη μετασκευή σε ξενοδοχείο ή κατά τη διάρκεια της, πρωτού ακόμη πάρει το όνομα KUWAITT MARRIOTT.

[sstraveler]

Interesting pictures.

I wonder what she would have looked like if Sun Line had procceeded with their planned conversion to a cruise ship.

[Nicholas Peppas]

I have now found this picture in my collection from her days as Santa Paula of Grace Lines

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Indeed britanis, her days as a hotel in Kuwait ended up in flames...

Initially she was named KUWAITT MARRIOTT (see a photo here (http://www.shipsnostalgia.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=43923)) and became landlocked.
In 1989 she was renamed RAMADA AL SALAM but when Iraq invaded Kuwait in 1991 she was hit by bombs and destroyed by fire...

Some sad photos are available at shipsnostalgia (such as this (http://www.shipsnostalgia.com/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/43919)).

The wreck was scrapped around 2002 but some parts of her might survive today as it seems that Regency took parts of the burned ship (machinery I guess) and used them (or kept them as spare parts?) in their REGENT RAINBOW conversion!

I checked for the name RAMADA AL SALAM and I found an interesting, recent site! http://overwhelminginsanity.blogspot.com/2009/09/why.html In theer we can find some text and two photos. I do not know if tehy are the same ones as those in shipnostalgia as my account in the latter has not worked in ages...

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[Nicholas Peppas]

Το Santa Paula το 1961
Φωτογραφια απο μεγαλη συλλογη του φωτογραφου JA Hughson

H φωτογραφια ειναι απο το γνωστο μας Shetland Museum http://photos.shetland-museum.org.uk (http://photos.shetland-museum.org.uk/)

Santa Paula in 1961. Photographs taken by JA Hughson and posted in the site of the Shetland Museum http://photos.shetland-museum.org.uk (http://photos.shetland-museum.org.uk/)

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[Ellinis]

Μια από τις λιγοστές φωτογραφίες του πλοίου ως STELLA POLARIS, τραβηγμένη από τον καραβολάτρη Antonio Scrimali, μετά τη μετασκευή που έγινε στη Rijeka για να αναλάβει ρόλο ξενοδοχείου στο Κουβέϊτ.

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πηγή: shipsnostalgia

[TSS QUEEN ANNA MARIA]

Το αδελφό όμως Santa Rosa κρατάει ακόμα αν και παροπλισμένο και οι ημέρες είναι πλέον μετρημένες. ¶ραγε αν δεν βομβαρδιζόταν στην εισβολή του Κουβέιτ θα υπήρχε ακόμα σαν ξενοδοχείο το Santa Paula?

[Ellinis]

Δεν είναι απίθανο να υπήρχε ακόμη μιας και το είχαν επιχωματώσει και δεν το έτρωγε πια το αλάτι.
Την ίδια εποχή ένα άλλο καραβάκι που πέρασε φευγαλέα από την Ελλάδα, είχε γίνει ξενοδοχείο στη Sharjah στα Εμιράτα. Λεγόταν Tadoussac και ήταν πρώην Καναδέζικο φέρι, παρόμοιο με τα "δικά μας" της Canadian Pacific. Και εκείνο το αποκόψανε από τη θάλασσα αλλά σύντομα εγκαταλείφθηκε και έμεινε σαν ένα πλοίο φάντασμα (http://www.shipspotting.com/modules/myalbum/photo-163167-TADOUSSAC) περικυκλωμένο από έρημο... μέχρι που το ισοπεδώσαν.

Σχετικά:

The first Tadoussac was a 370' (112.78m) passenger steamer built at Davie Shipbuilding, Lauzon, PQ in October, 1927. The 7,013 gross ton vessel was powered by 2 triple expansion steam engines rated at 7,016 h.p. (5,016 kw) with 6 Scotch boilers. She was retired in 1965, sold, renamed Passenger No.2, and towed to Belgium. Last report indicated that the hull was being used as a hotel, restaurant, and shopping arcade in Sharjah.

[Ellinis]

Μια μερική άποψη του STELLA POLARIS όταν είχε καταπλεύσει στο Πέραμα, δίπλα σε δυο αδελφάκια της Ελλερμαν που ανάμεναν να μετασκευαστούν για τον Καραγεώργη.

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[Rasa Sayang]

sad pictures found in net

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[Ellinis]

It is sad to see her totally gutted by the fire...
Below two captions of her during her period in Perama, just fragments of two photos taken by Trevor Jones.

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