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….

19640218 Seven Seas.jpg

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/...ers/cve-1a.jpg and http://www.ask.com/wiki/USS_Long_Island_(CVE-1)Long Island.jpg