The steam yacht "CHRISTINA" was built by Canadian Vickers at Montreal as the frigate HMCS "STORMONT" (K319) for the Canadian Navy. She was named after the town Stormont in Canada.
14 July 1943 Launched.
Displacement 2.216 ts full load. Dim. 91.9 x 11.3 x 4.0m.
Powered by two triple expansion steamengines, 5.500 ihp, two screws, speed 19 knots. Range by 12 knots, 7200 miles. Steam was supplied by two three-drum Yarrow watertube boilers. Armament 2 - 4 inch, 1 - quad 12 pdrs. guns, 4 - 20mm, 1 Hedgehog ASW mortar, 4 MK.IV depth charge throwers, carried 150-200 depth charges.
She was one of the River Class frigates of which 139 were built during World War II. 27-11-1943 Completed, she was under command of A/L CDR George Abram Myra from commission till decommission in 1945.
Used during the Second World War as an anti submarine escorts for Trans Atlantic convoys. The class was special designed for the harsh North Atlantic weather conditions. She was used during Operation Neptune (D Day Normandy landing) in an anti-submarine screen to protect the important convoys in the English Channel against German submarine attacks in June 1944.
09 November 1945 de-commissioned.
1947 Sold to a Montevideo buyer for mercantile service.
1951 Sold to Aristotle Onassis for $34.000, he converted her by Howaldtewerke-Deutsche Werft at Kiel in a yacht for an other $ 4 million. She was renamed "CHRISTINA", named after his daughter.
She got air-condition, dry-cleaning plant and a furnace for combusting galley waste.
The steam driven dynamos were kept only as backup and four MAN-Still generators were installed. The triple expansion steam engines were not replaced, only the boilers replaced so that only one fireman was needed each watch and not four when used as a frigate. The conversion gave her a real motor yacht look with a streamlined funnel. As yacht her tonnage is given as 1774/1526 BRT, 687 NRT.
The reason she is on a stamp of the Grenadines of St. Vincent, she carried Sir Winston Churchill on a visit to St. Vincent.
When Onassis died his yacht was inherited by his daughter Christina, but she did not used it, the "CHRISTINA" was laid up.
1975 "CHRISTINA" presented the yacht to the Greek Government.
In 1990 the yearly running cost of the yacht was £ 500.000 and to much for the Greek Government, she was put up for sale for £12 million, but for this price nobody would buy the yacht, and also during three auctions in 1992 and 1993 the yacht was not sold.
She was sold at least to a Greek businessman for a very low price, but he did not use the yacht and she was still idle in Piraeus harbour.
1998 Bought by John Papanicolaou a Greek businessman, and he put her in a new company the Christina Yachting Inc. She was renamed "ARCO”.
She will be refurbishment by the Viktor Lenac yard in Croatia, the work involves placing of new machinery. Some of the interior will remain the same, including deck equipment, swimming pool and the famous Ari's bar, a total of 200 tonnes of steel will replaced in her hull and four tonnes of aluminum for the superstructure. She will be used as a very expensive cruise vessel for the very rich. To hire the vessel for one week will cost you £312.000.
I do not know of she in already in service.
sources Log Book. Enzyklopädie der Maritimen Philatelie, Marine News. MARRST-L archives. Haze Gray org- The D-Day ships by John de S Winter.
The following was published in the August 21 2001 edition of Lloyds List
"CHRISTINA O" to charm commercial cruising market
Croatia's Viktor Lenac shipyard has now successfully completed the extensive refurbishment of the luxury 'super' yacht "CHRISTINA O”, formerly the private yacht "CHRISTINA" of the legendary Greek ship-owner Aristotle Onassis. Owned by the John Paul Papanicolaou Group, she is now the most luxurious 'super' yacht for the commercial cruising market. Commercial director of Viktor Lenac, Raoul Cvecic said: "The approach to this unique project was to keep as much as possible the image of the former ship with its original external splendour and internal luxury. However, the original, but aged ship's hull (built in 1943) as well as the reconstruction of the vessel for its new purpose, set many complex demands. The former yacht's riveted hull, weighing 900 tonnes, was renewed with a total of 600 tonnes of new steel and aluminum, as well as 140 tonnes of piping and 85 km of electrical cable. A new helideck was fitted, along with repairs to her four stabilizers. .Machinery and propulsion system installations involved the fitting of two new MAN (2040 kW each) main engines, three new MAN (515 kW each) auxiliary engines, propellers, two new struts for shafting, complete equipment and machinery units for the engine room, an additional funnel (built behind the existing funnel), and repair of the existing shaft arrangement. For the ship's systems and equipment, Viktor Lenac completed the fitting of new tanks (fuel oil, lube oil, drinking water and ballast), new vacuum systems (toilet flushing), new incinerator (trash and solid waste), new potable water treatment unit, four new AC units and a new revolving crane, which is located on the ship's bow.
Viktor Lenac carried out numerous additions for passengers and crew onboard the yacht, involving a total of 18 spacious luxury cabins and one suite (owner), a fitness centre, kindergarten, hairdresser’s, library, dance hall, music lounge, lapis lounge, dining room (for passengers), mess room (crew), two galleys (one each for the crew and passengers), and a solar jacuzzi and bar (located on the promenadedeck).
New navigation and safety equipment was installed, including two new thrusters, two new lifeboats with davits, two new wooden retro-look speedboats with davits, and ultra-advanced navigation and communication equipment.
The yacht was built in 1943 as a Canadian frigate and was converted in 1954 for Aristotle Onassis.
2009 Under Panama flag and under the name CHRISTINA O in service as a passenger cruise vessel. Panama flag and registry, owned and managed by Christina Ltd., Panama.
The Grenadines of St Vincent 1982 20c sg 214, scott ?