shipstamps.co.uk

Built as a passenger vessel under yard No 1550 by Ansaldo Societa per Azioni, Genoa for the Italia S.p.A. di Navigazione (Italia Line), Genoa.
23 June 1957 keel laid down.
07 December 1958 launched under the name LEONARDO DA VINCI.
Tonnage 33.340 grt, 17.227 net, 5.641dwt, dim. 233.86 x 28.10m., length bpp. 205.79m.
Powered by four geared turbines, manufactured by Ansaldo Stab. Mecc., 60.000 shp., twin screws, speed 23 knots.
Accommodation for 413 first class, 342 cabin class and 571 tourist class passengers.
Her hull first painted black, end 1966 repainted in white as seen on stamp.
11 decks, and her hull was divided in 14 watertight compartments.
June 1960 completed.

She was a replacement for the lost ANDREA DORIA which after a collision with the STOCKHOLM sank in July 1956.
17 June 1960 left for her maiden voyage for a cruise in the Mediterranean.
30 June 1960 she sailed on her first Atlantic crossing from Genoa and via Cannes and Naples to New York.

1972 Did have only accommodation for first and tourist class passengers.
27 June 1976 made her last sailing across the North Atlantic, and after making a call at Algeciras sailed for New York.

Thereafter she made only cruises from New York, but to rebuild her to a cruise vessel was too expensive, and also the high fuel bill made her uneconomical.
And after making two last cruises to the Atlantic Island arrived in Genoa on 18 October 1976, and was laid up.

1977 Transferred to a new formed Italian government backed company, Crociere Internazionalia S.p.A., under management of the Italia Line.

The LEONARDO DA VINCE was put on the sale list, and on 23 September 1978 laid up at La Spezia.
Asking price around the 9/10 million USA dollars, on board was only a maintenance crew of around 10 men.
There were plans to use her as floating hotel, exposition or casino ship.

03 July 1980 she got on fire a fire that rapidly spread throughout her internal structure. The ship was towed a half mile from the port and anchored off the breakwater, where fireboats attempted to fight the fire.
After a fight of three days with the fire, it was extinguished, but before the firemen had cut a hole in the hull in order to pump out the water on board and to prevent the fire to reach the fuel bunkers. She was listing to starboard with a list of around 60 degree, and settled on the sea bottom in a depth of around 12 meter.
06 July she got again on fire but this fire was quickly extinguished.
With a hull and machinery valued at £3.35 million she was declared a constructive total loss.

26 January 1981 work commenced by Smit Tak Internationale of Rotterdam to salvage the wreck.
01 March she was uprighted again by two pontoons with winches, and on 31 March she was refloated. She was towed inside the breakwater of La Spezia and anchored in the scrapyard area.

A syndicate of Italian shipbreakers bought her for 950.000 USA$.
06 May 1982 scrapping commenced on the shipbreakers yard of Cantiere Navali Lotti, La Spezia.

Tristan da Cunha 1994 25p sg 560, scott 542.

Source: De Blauwe Wimpel. Marine News. Modern Shipping Disasters 1963-1987. North Atlantic Seaways by Bonsor.