Karadeniz

[shipstamps]

On July 4, 1959 the Turkish Post Office issued two stamps to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Turkish Mercantile Marine College, the stamp design showing a combination of the star and crescent, a propeller and an anchor. These stamps followed another tribute to the Ottoman Merchant Service, a 5 kurus stamp showing the motorship Karadeniz, owned by the Denizcilik Bankasi T.A.O., of Istanbul. A twin-screw vessel, she was built by A. G Weser in 1956 at Bremerhaven and has a gross tonnage of 8,809, net 3,499, on dimensions 474.1 ft. x 61.3 ft. x 203 ft.
SG1854
Sea Breezes 11/59

[aukepalmhof]

Built as a cargo- passenger vessel under yard no 1294 by A.G.Weser; Bremen for Denizcilik Bankasi T.A.O., Istanbul Turkey.
1956 Launched under the name KARADENIZ.
Tonnage 8.809 gross, 4.895 net, 3.536 dwt. Dim. 144.5 x 18.6 x 6.2m. (draught).
Powered by two MAN Diesels, 7.240 bhp., speed 18.5 knots, twin screws.
Passenger accommodation, all my sources have different numbers from 474 till 1.006 passengers in 3 classes.

Marine News 1989/157 gives for the accommodation.
She had a large passenger capacity. Most accommodation however was for the third class passengers, up to 650 in very large dormitories on the lower decks. First and Second class passengers were accommodated in single two, three and four berth cabins on the ships “A” and “B” decks.
Used in the liner service between Istanbul-Piraeus-Naples-Genoa-Marseilles-Barcelona-Naples- Beirut and Alexandria.
When the company abandoned the service in 1980, she was switched to domestic routes in the Black Sea and along Turkey’s Mediterranean coast.

1986 She was sold to Makina Kimya Endustrisi Kurumu, and beached at Aliaga, Turkey 06 Nov. 1986 for breaking up.

Turkey 2002 700.000L sg?, scott?

Sources Marine News 1987/117. Autofähren und Passagierschiffe der Welt. Register of Merchant Ships completed in 1956.