Dear Friends,
I will be posting as a tribute, some postcards from the graceful N/M " Funchal" sincer her first times, when she was launched as a pure cargo / passenger liner that would connect the Portuguese archipelagos of Madeira / Azores with Lisbon.
Her history:
Funchal was built in 1961 for the Portuguese line Empresa Insulana de Navegacao Lisboa, and was used on the Lisbon-Azores-Madeira route.
She was originally named from the city of Funchal, capital of Madeira, and till nowadays she carries on her bow the crest/coat of arms from Funchal city.
She was used as a reefer cargo/pax ship mainly to export bananas, fish from Madeira and pineapple and Azores respectively to the Portuguese mainland.
She was reconditioned as a fulltime cruise ship in 1973, when her steam turbines were replaced by diesels.
In 1974 Funchal was transferred, along with other surviving Portuguese passenger liners, to CTM (Companhia Portuguesa de Transportes Maritimos).
Her exterior profile has changed little, with only a small extra deck added over the stern, and large tenders now carried in front of the bridge (since removed).
Funchal is 9846grt in size, 501 ft long and carries 402 passengers.
She is currently owned by Arcalia Shipping, Panama, and has been marketed as International Cruises and Classic International Cruises a company whose owner Patomianos family.
Technical Details:-
IMO - 5124162
MMSI - 255971000
Flag - Portugal [MAR]
Registry Port - Madeira
Call Sign - CSBM
Construction - 1961 /Helsingor Skipsvaerft og Maskinbyggeri, Denmark.
GRT - 90563 t
LOA - 154,60 m
Breadth - 19,05 m
Draft - 6,50 m
Air Draft- 9,15 m
Original cargo capacity - 3.483 m3
Engines - 2 Motors Diesel Stork-Werkpoor
Power - 10.000 BHP
Speed - 16 Knots
Electricity - 220 V, 50 Hz
Pax - 651
Main decks- Navigators, Promenade, Azores, Madeira, Algarve, Estoril.
Cabins - 241
So, after all she has a strong relationship with “Greece” and rumors say that she is definitely Patomiano's favorite ship...
Postcards shown as:-
1) N/M Funchal - official shipyard postcard ( preview)
2) N/M Funchal - official company advertising postcard ( preview)
3) N/M Funchal - official company B & W postcard ( shows ship during her first sea trials)
4) N/M Funchal - official company postcard of the N/M Funchal in… Funchal, Madeira her namesake city.
One of my favorite postcards ever, it's made by J. Arthur Dixon, U.K., ordered by Insulana de Navegacao.
5) N/M Funchal - official company postcard showing in all plenitude her graceful lines, with a splendid white hull livery. She has definitely pure yacht lines-design !!!
Enjoy!!!
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Funchal 6.jpg