Floating Paradise Lost: Chasing MARGARITA L
Vložit
- čas přidán 26. 12. 2020
- The first in a new series of videos about my treks to document forgotten liners and cruise ships, this is also the second bonus track in support of the upcoming DVD, "Torn Castle (On The Road To Alang, Part Three). "Chasing MARGARITA L" is a nearly 30 minute top to bottom tour of the former RMS WINDSOR CASTLE when the ship was laid up in Greece. At that time called MARGARITA L, she was owned by Greek Billionaire John S Latsis, who bought her for use as an accommodation ship in Saudi Arabia. After her service in Jeddah and Rabigh from 1977 until 1991, the MARGARITA L sat at anchor in the Bay of Eleusis (Elefsina) with her fellow former ocean liner fleetmates awaiting an uncertain future. Completely off limits to visitors, the almost still original ship was maintained by a small crew and was occasionally used by her owner who would stay aboard and entertain VIP guests. As a ship historian and writer, I tried to get access for many years but all of my attempts were denied. Complicating matters, the ship was in a no photography zone with a military base nearby, so it was a risky venture to hire a boat on several occasions in the early 90s to take exterior footage. Finally in 1998, when the Latsis-owned ships were put up for sale, I was granted access and spent two days on board filming. I returned again in 2001 for a final visit before the ship was sold for scrap and sailed off to India to be broken up in 2005. #RMS WINDSOR CASTLE #SS MARGARITA L #abandoned ocean liners #classic ocean liners #Union-Castle Line
Thank you this. My Dad was Captain of the Windsor Castle, and other Castles, in the 1950s and 1960s. I really enjoyed watching this.
Oh, my, that is fantastic! I'm so happy you enjoyed the video. Those UCL ships were magnificent and the WINDSOR was queen of them all. You must have been very proud of your father. Honored that you watched. :)
@@midshipcinema Thank you. She was beautiful but not his favourite. That was the Athlone Castle.
@@suefisher5406 Fascinating! STIRLING, ATHLONE and CAPETOWN CASTLE were all such beauties. Well, again, I loved that entire fleet. :)
The poor Windsor Castle and America.
It’s amazing that, not only did you get to see the ship, but you got to see the ship with power at that.
She was beautifully maintained until the last couple of years. I was very fortunate.
I sailed on the Windsor as 3rd, X2nd, and 2nd Officer at various times. Brought back some wonderful memories. the last time i saw her she was anchored off Jeddah. Thanks for the tour.
Remarkable register, magnificent narrative, thanks for sharing.
That is very kind of you. Thank you so much. Glad you enjoyed it. :)
I travelled on a couple of P&O liners of a similar vintage as a child. Very familiar layouts and furnishings. An elegant way to travel even in steerage!
This is by far the best vessel documentary I have ever seen! Well done sir, this documentary is a real gem! It is so sad to see these beautiful vessels disappear forever.
Very kind of you! Thank you and yes, it has been very sad.
I’m so glad you were able to document these great liners before they disappeared. Thanks
Thanks so much, Frank! I'm so glad I was, too. :)
In my opinion this is the best ship documentary I have ever seen. You really were so very lucky to spend as much time as you did filming this beautiful ship. This era of ship building is gone forever having been replaced by enormous, really badly designed skyscrapers floating sideways across the sea, dangerous as hell and full of diseased passengers too stupid to stay home when they know they have the flu, a deadly flu. Those new pig ships are little more than floating cesspools of human waste. Disgusting!
Gosh, David, that is some pretty strong praise! I'm thrilled that you enjoyed it and I promise many more to come. Thank you for your incredibly kind words!
What a fantastic insight to lost British ship building beauty. Once the envy of the world....and to think we pioneered such innovations as the metal hull and steam propulsion with both the screw propeller and the steam turbine. There's just something about the beauty of the lines and proportions of those eras too.
Even the engine room has class.
I wonder who would know how to operate those engines today? Interesting it sailed to the scrappers under it's own power.
She seemed to be in way better condition than expected
On my first visit, she was. Only cosmetic issues but she went downhill quickly.
@@midshipcinema they ran the ships generators to power it up? on this visit the ship was still functional? Even after years mothballed
A fascinating look back at a time when ships were built with quality, and style. Modern day shipbuilders have no concept of things like sheer, fine lines, and beauty.
I bet they have a great appreciation for the old lines. However, now they are forced to design boats which cater to the great proletarian masses on their two week Joy through Strength holidays. (Note to the precision minded: I am perfectly aware of the license I have taken.)
@@monizdm Ikr, travel and recreational activities should only be reserved for people of your "class".
Thank you Peter. I started a campaign to save Windsor Castle when I lived in Cape Town. It too met with little interest from a large hotel group looking for new real estate at Cape Town harbour. Thanks for this very good look at a majestic vessel. I sailed on her in 1974 when immigrating to South Africa.
Thanks so much. It is such a shame there is pithy interest in saving these great beauties. WINDSOR CASTLE was still so original and worthy, if any ship ever was. Thanks again.
RIP classic ocean liners
What a Great Document...thank you
My Great Grand uncle was chief engineer
of the liner 'Normandie' and I worked as a deckhand
on a few merchant ships...so very interesting.
Thank you, Olivier. NORMANDIE is considered by many to have been the greatest ever. Fantastique!
A very well-produced video. I sailed on the Windsor Castle as third officer for five round voyages from England to South Africa in 1975. She was a magnificent ship. When she was scrapped in India, a company advertised and sold items from the ship. I was fortunate enough to purchase the nameplate above my cabin door as well an official bridge logbook spanning two voyages which I had written in. Both items are treasured memories of a very special experience. Thank you for giving us a final glimpse of this beautiful liner.
Thank you. Yes, I was also able to get items from the ship, as well. Some are available at www.midshipcentury.com. Excellent on the logbook! :)
When ships looked like ships instead of capsized blocks of flats...
Exactly!
During a bridge visit on a voyage to Cape Town from Southampton I was allowed to activate the twin steam horns for one long blast! The resonance of that tone still makes the hairs on my arms stand up!! I was also given an opportunity to steer her . . . i concentrated hard for about five minutes to keep her going straight . . . but when I was taken out to the bridge wing to look astern, all I had achieved was an erratic zig zag!
We Love Cruising on Princess Cruise Ships. Absolutely Love Your Documentary Videos
Awww. Thanks so much! I plan to do ENCHANTED PRINCESS very soon so hope you enjoy. Appreciate your watching and posting.
Fascinating presentation. It's nice to know there's people around who care about this stuff. I was trying to imagine what would be involved to restore this ship as you found it.Even as built it was ultra-modern in decor, unlike the older liners I like. About all we have these days is the Queen Mary and its having problems, too. It's a monumental undertaking preserving these ships.
Thank you. Fortunately, there are a few of us who do care about these beautiful creations. WINDSOR CASTLE was on the edge of classic and modern, bridging the traditional ships of the 50s with the more modern ones of the 60s. QUEEN MARY is having problems but there is still some hope with some minor repairs to keep her going for the short term. Hopefully, they will come up with more funding to get to the more major stuff. :)
@@midshipcinema I've been keeping an eye on QM since it went to Long Beach. visited it in the 80s, stood behind the wheel, looking over the bow imagining what it must have been like in the open sea. I was always skeptical about it going to CA and still keep my fingers crossed. Fortunately it didn't suffer the terrible fate of the Queen Elizabeth. At least not yet. Thank you for caring.
This was a beautiful video Peter, I enjoyed it immensely. By going aboard and documenting this lovely liner. I got to see her from your eyes. If I'm right you got to save a few things from MARGARITA L. This video is a gem, thank you for not giving up on your chase.
Thank you, Deborah! With those gorgeous old ladies, I never gave up! I so miss ships like this. :)
My old grandfather worked on the castle line and I used to go onboard then RMS St Helena in Cardiff in the 90s...all gone now
Thank you for posting all this...;)))
My pleasure, Marko. More like this video coming soon.
@@midshipcinema all this videos are my childhood (and today) dream and hobby.. I will be happy to see other ones:))
So fantastic to see something like that completely devoid of vandalism.
Thank you. Yes, but sadly still to be destroyed. Heart breaking but that's our world when it comes to ships.
Great result. Thanks for the update.@@midshipcinema
Thanks for that. Canberra was the ship I loved, but she and the ex-Windsor Castle share the same graceful looks of proper ships and not the modern oversized car ferry/hotel design of the modern passenger ships
Loved Canberra and hope to feature her in a video at some point.
@@midshipcinema I Was First Visit In Piraeus From October 1991!!!
I See Another Vessels Likes:
SS ALFERDOSS (ex. AMERICA 1940)
MV PEGASUS (ex. SVEA CORONA 1975)
MV CITY OF MYCONOS (ex. SAN MARCO 1956)
SS MARGARITA L. (ex. WINDSOR CASTLE 1960)
SS MARIANNA 9 (ex. PRINCIPE PERFEITO 1961)
MV MARIANNA 6 (ex. AUREOL 1951)
My 2nd Trip In Piraeus In June 1994 I Was Traveled With The "La Nave Blu"
MV ACHILLE LAURO (ex. WILLEM RUYS 1947)
Again See The John S. Latsis Ships
On May 17th 1998 My 3rd Visit To Piraeus I See The Interiors Of The MARIANNA 9.
On November 25th 1998 My 4th Visit To Piraeus Was The MARGARITA L. And The MV EUROPE (ex. ENGLAND 1964)
Again On August 27th 2001 I Was Onboard The MARGARITA L. And I Climbed The Funnel Of The MV EUROPE (ex. DFDS ENGLAND)
On October 28th 2004 The MARGARITA L. I See For The Last Time He's Waiting For Scrappers
In July of 2005 I Was Arrived In Alang,India Onboard With The SS THE BIG RED BOAT II (ex. EUGENIO C. 1966)
@@shipspiros3766 I see SS ALFERDOSS when last in Southampton number 7 Dry dock, she was called Tudor or Tudor Rose, at the time she had an all American Crew, she had been sold
The end is always sad. All that beautiful craftsmanship falls to a breakers torch.
Amazing how well preserved some of these ships were, for the time this was recorded.
fascinating as i have followed her story from beginning to end
So sad to see these beautiful pieces of maritime history vanishing forever. That’s why I am so worried about our countries most historical liner the SS United States. I’ve spent the night on the QM in Long Beach and had lunch there years before that and I’m happy Alex the Historian just gave us a progress report on her refurbishment. It is looking very good for her. I’d hope the same could be said for the SSUS.
Thanks so much for watching and posting, Ron. Yes, fingers, toes and eyes crossed for UNITED STATES. She has been waiting far too long for a reprieve as a floating museum or hotel. And hopefully QM will have many more years to serve.
Went on board her several times in her Union Castle heydays I was a crew member on other Castle Ships back in the 70,s so paid a visit when meeting on the South African coast to see friends
wonderful decrepitude
terrific documentation of tomes past
amazing intact historic interiors
Thank you so much. I was very fortunate to get access to so many of these old beauties before they were destroyed.
Very interesting...as I used to travel on this era ships..
Thanks for sharing 😎⛴
Love this video!
Thank you. :)
Ships, liners, there's something about 'em. You and me got it bad. Your coverage here is superb, moving. Windsor came after my time(s)
on just 4 liners, two Union Castle, to/from Africa during the 50's. Got the bug so bad, joined the Royal Navy for 11 years living the ships dream.
Boyhood in Durban two years, sneaked aboard Castle liners in school uniform to filch ships post-cards from the library for a collection (those liner berths are all fenced-off these days). Your footage, I felt every step through Windsor's castle. Thanks muchly.
Thank you. :)
Thank you for this I was privaliged to travel on the Windsor castle in the late 70s 👍
Thank you so much for sharing this incredible footage!
Great video, amazing seeing in side a classic ship.
Amazing footage, thank you very much! 👍🏻👍🏻
Thanks for watching and posting. :)
BROTHER, THANK YOU.
You are welcome! :)
Thank you for the great tour.
Great Video. Very cool to see what it was like, back in the day.
Thank you.
Very interesting video! Thanks for posting!
Excellent video! Thank you!!
Very interesting indeed. I missed more focusing on the engine room and other technical aspects of the ships though
Thank you, Stein. I had limited time in the engine room but included what I could. I'm more of a historian than an engineer but I do try to include some of the technical bits when possible. Appreciate your post. :)
I share your admiration of 60,s ship design, I worked in shipbuilding
The interiors actually looked better in person than in the photos.... I still cannot believe how low modern ship building standards have fallen to.... With most ships being a sea of balconies with very little regard to design..... Even the QM2's interiors look off.. Like reproductions of better styled interiors with cheap materials
Only cargo ships, tankers and small ferries look like ships these days almost all modern cruise ships are an eyesore. It would actually be difficult to intentionally design something more ugly
This was really interesting. Thanks for sharing.
Very interesting to know what a beautiful ship
I was thrilled to hear that you are enjoying some of the furnishings!
Excellent video and well researched. I loved seeing the world of cruising in the time before computers and buffet meals😁😁
Great presentation, many thanks.
Thank you for watching and for taking the time to commment. :)
@@midshipcinema all good, I was born in Pa. and then went to Australia in 1974 for University. I never returned (permanently, anyway) ............. frick, I could have walked right into you in 1993.
I saw friends off on that very same Christmas cruise.
The Fairstar and Fairsky are part of the 'she'll be right mate' and 'blokes and sheilas' era.
I grew up in Sydney and these two old girls are two constants in my mind.
I have sub'd and already binged on your other presentations.
@@5455jm That's awesome, thank you! I always thought FAIRSKY was a great looking little ship. She was gone before I had the ways and means to get to Australia. LOL, well, I was the guy running around frantically with three cameras at the pier on sailing day. Thanks again. :)
Excellent video, thank you so much for posting. The ships of that era certainly appeared to have more class and style than the contemporary design of large ships. The opportunity to enjoy such travel is now passed unfortunately but the video certainly allows us a glimpse of what is must have been like!
Amazing! Thank you!
Nice look back in time.
That was so interesting, thank you.
Well produced and enjoyable.
Thank you. :)
That was fantastic, thank you!
Thank you! :)
Beautiful ships...
I was hoping you would check out the projection room, great tour. Really took me back to my youth. Thankyou🙏🏻
Thank you, Edward! She was a magnificent ship!
Great video. She was a pretty ship
amazing stuff!!!!!!
Fascinating!!!
Very nicely done.
Thanx lovely film.
Thank you for watching and commenting. :)
Peter needs a drone😊. However, I am not complaining. I really enjoyed this.
Hah, I'd love to have a drone if I only knew how to use one. Back then, though, drones were more sci-fi than reality. :)
Nowadays it actually is rather easy, it is enough to get a dji mimi for those purposes, no more than 580€ and you get views you have never even dreamed of. I use it for church documtaries, looking down on the main aisle from above gives an incredible view.
Here only an insurance is required, but near naval yards, more might be necessary. Nice film.
Nice vid Peter. I wish I could meet up sometime. I have the same passion for 60's ships.
And I work in the industry, or did until covid..
Thank you. Hoping we can all get back to what we did before Covid. :)
EXCELLENT video !
Mariana 6 had that perfectly balanced mid century design,like the Andrea Doria.
Apologies that this loads a few seconds into the video. Please drag back to the 00:00 point.
Nice to see the old gal again, being from the port she always graced her and all her other sister ships of the Union Castle Line, still remember UCL ships being tied up 3 abreast in Southampton. UCL had been the biggest employers of Seamen in Southampton, which many came from the same Council Estate has I did on the west side of Southampton, My middle brother served on many of the ULC ships. My self served of the government ship that sailed from Southampton, oldest brother he to also went to sea, Dad was RN like many of my uncles some also MN.
Sad really ships that come into Southampton now, don't have crews from the port, they Asians crews mostly. Very few English crew members now
Thanks so much for sharing your memories here of the great shipping days of Southampton and UCL. Much appreciated. :)
@@midshipcinema think I am getting old
a very interesting and well documented vid...thx. such beautiful lines on this ship, and its contemporaries. you must have really felt like you were on a ship, instead of the floating apartment buildings that we have now. Probably would have been tens of millions to get the ship up to code and seaworthy enough for cruising again, but it just doesn't fit the model of cruise lines now...unless there was a population who would enjoy an a classic boat.
Thank you. By that time, there was pretty much zero chance of her being converted for cruising, from her steam power to her electricals. She would have made a great floating hotel and museum in either Southampton or Liverpool, however.
I have a original postcard of the windsor castle, because in the 60’s my grandfather wrote letters to like all of the lines, P&O Union castle HAL Cunard also a postcard of the NS Savannah all the morrison tugs. The queen mary watches my staircase the Savannah watches my bed and the SS Rotterdam watches my desk😊
All nice ships you mention! :)
Thank you for this! Sad sad ending to a fine lady of the seas!
This is fascinating! Man, the 60s were an ugly interior decade... so glad you're posting these!
The 60's produced some beautiful ships, I served on several Union Castle ships and all were ships of style and beauty. Sadly todays hideous floating coffins have zero beauty or taste whatsoever.
fantastic video
Thanks so much! Happy New Year!
Well done. Interesting to make comparisons per my having been on 55 cruises including sail, river barge, steamboat and exploration. Not trying to boast, 40 years in the industry.
Most passengers luv to visit on board Cabaret lounge dinning lounge and all decks viewing plus engine room - propeller huge SUB room ....amazing ....
Those era sailing with 3 Captain Master Captain and Chief Officer and the rest ......they are genuine officers last to abandon ship ....
In my head I really want to go on a cruise someday, but this is what my mind is thinking. Not the tacky lying on its side shopping centre I would end up with :(
It is truly sad to see those great ships just getting destroyed
Sadly that is the fate of almost every ship.
I worked for delivery company Redwise. In the late 80ys we should bring Windsor Castle to a Turkish scrapyard. But did not materialize.
I still kept all the photos and ship souvenirs and even ship news paper which name seascape 73 and many more .....
Absolutely fascinating. What a thrill to tour a still intact ship from the "glory" days. Yes, today cruise ships completely lose the essence of what cruising is all about. They are nothing but highrises, interiored with a shopping mall essence. As an infrequent cruiser, one gets no real animation of a romantic high seas venture. A huge commercial development, stuffed with 4-5000 people in shorts and flip-flops even at dinner.
They should have preserved these ships (:
Who is "They" ?
Amazing video! Do you have any footage of P&O Canberra?
Thank you. I do and will do her at some point in the future. :)
Damn, she was in WAY better shape than I than I thought. Seemed easily able to be refitted into something serviceable. I guess people who can afford such a project want something new. Shame.
Hopefully ( to be confirmed), a small piece of this ship does live on in a small Staffordshire village in England. For the last four years we have sounded on new years eve, what we think is the Fog signal from this very ship. This is the air operated fog horn and not the main steam horn. We are under the impression this horn was mounted on the monkey island, starboard side and some very blurry pictures seem to confirm this. We don't think this was fitted during the Windsor castle days but as a later addition? This was obtained a number of years ago from a well known nautical supplier that had sourced a substantial amount of items from the demolition yard so I suppose it has a very high chance of coming from this ship. They do state it does come from this very vessel but we have never seen a clear picture of this horn on the actual ship. The horn is of a size and specification to suit this length of vessel and on a clear night we have known properties @ 3 miles away to hear it! It would be good to see if anyone can confirm that this ship did in fact have a fog signal and it is ours........
cool video
Thank you for this. I have been cruising since 1990 and I remember one port of call many years ago, Freeport and at the time, there was what I called a cruise ship graveyard. There were at least four cruise ships there layed up that dated back to the old Disney " Big Red Boat" days. I wished I could have taken a tour while there. When you look at these vessels, and imagine the joy it brought to so many, it makes one sad. What you did showing the before & after shots was amazing. Good video!
Thank you. I visited Freeport many times to document the ships there in the early 2000s. So many great former liners were gathered there.
@@midshipcinema Awesome! Did you upload anything about it? Would LOVE to see it!!
My great grandfather served on the mv europes sister ship ms Winston Churchill When the Europe was sailing at DFDS
best part of your video is the music.
OK, thanks.
I sailed on the Chitral ? and the Cathy back in the 60's as a kid between Malay then and the UK
- anyone got pictures of these?
Hi did you get any footage of the MV ARGONAUT. She used to call at Portree Isle of Skye in the mid 70s to early 80s. I remember as a child visiting her on many occasions. I even had lunch with the captain. My grandfather used to help transfer the passengers To and from the ship. Loved the rest of the content too
Such a darn shame vessels like these are destroyed for scrap.
The ship look like it's can start right up.
I wonder what her scrap price was? Excellent video. Thank you
Thank you. I don't know but the market was crashing at that time, so it probably was rather low.
I think l have come across this ship berth next to next like the RHMS ORANGE
fascinating. how did you get the fluorescent lights working how come there was power?
They turned on the generators.
Those era passengers ship theirs life boats and life raft lifeboay well learnt from the Titanic disaster ....thank you
Very sad ending indeed.