MARGARITA L (formerly RMS WINDSOR CASTLE)

August 8, 2005: 45 years ago today, the RMS WINDSOR CASTLE departed on her maiden voyage from Southampton to Durban. Meanwhile, this morning, instead of fireworks and tickertape, there was a loud thud on the beach of Alang as the first cut was made, dropping a portion of her starboard bow into the mud.

Update: April 14, 2005, MARGARITA L., the former Union-Castle liner WINDSOR CASTLE, sailed from long term lay up in the northwestern waters of Eleusis (near Piraeus, Greece) under the delivery name RITA. The ship broke down off the coast of India in June 2005, finally reaching the breakers beach of Alang under tow.

R.M.S. WINDSOR CASTLE in the Western Docks from Mayflower Park, Southampton in 1961. Martin Cox collection.

WINDSOR CASTLE (III) (1960)
Union-Castle Line
London

Built by Cammell Laird & Co., Birkenhead, England
yard #1287
37,640 GRT
785 x 93 feet
Twin screw, Pametrada geared turbines
22.5 knots
191 first, 591 tourist passengers; crew 475

The RMS WINDSOR CASTLE was launched June 23, 1959 by Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, in a greatly publicized ceremony that was covered live on the BBC television network. A severe nosebleed threatened to delay the event, but the calm Queen Mother took control and carried out the christening only one minute past its scheduled time of 1:30 pm. At the time of the ship's launch, she was the largest liner built in England, the largest liner owned by Union Castle and the first Union Castle liner constructed at Cammell Laird.

Her maiden voyage from Southampton to Durban began on August 18, 1960, and was completed in a mere 11 1/2 days. During her second voyage, the WINDSOR CASTLE rendered assistance to the crew of dowager fleetmate, CAPETOWN CASTLE, following an engine room explosion at Las Palmas. In December 1967 she celebrated her 50th voyage, having steamed 700,000 miles and carried 35,000 passengers with no breakdowns or delays. She under went refits in 1967 and 1972, which altered her tonnage to 36,123 and 36,277, respectively.

The great vessel was the flagship of the Union Castle fleet, but sadly her carreer was shortlived. By the 1970s, with the advent of the jumbo jet and economy air travel to South Africa and all parts of the world, Union Castle began to phase out its money-losing passenger services. August 12, 1977 saw her 124th and last sailing from Southampton. It was also the the final mail sailing for Union Castle Line. Her departure from Cape Town on September 6th was attended with great ceremony and she arrived at Southampton on September 19 for the last time.

She was bought by John S. Latsis, the Greek oil and shipping tycoon, and sailed from Southampton on October 3, 1977 for Greece. Renamed MARGARITA L (after one of Latsis' two daughters), her new livery called for an all-white hull and a buff funnel in lieu of UCL's colors of lavender and red, respectively. MARGARITA L was converted at Piraeus for use as an 852 berth luxury accommodation ship at Jeddah, Saudi Arabia (port city for Mecca). She was then used as an office and leisure centre for Latsis-owned Petrola Int. S.A. Construction Company at Rabegh. In Feb 1979 she replaced MARIANNA VI (ex-AUREOL) at a special jetty two miles north of Jeddah as the center of a complex with car parks, swimming pools and sports facilities. A helicopter pad was added aft of the former first class Promenade Deck pool area. In 1983 she was dry docked, overhauled and returned to the same use. After 1990 she was removed and towed to Eleusis, Greece and laid up, and occasionally used as private quarters by Mr. Latsis during his visits to Greece. With Mr. Latsis in declining health, the MARGARITA L and three other former British built passenger vessels in his fleet were offered for sale in 1998.

MARGARITA L at Eleusis, Greece. Photo: Peter Knego, Dec.14, 1998

RITA (ex WINDSOR CASTLE, MARGARITA L) at Alang, India, August, 2005. Photo: (C) 2005 L. Royle

On December 14 and 15 1998, Maritimematters' contributing editor Peter Knego was given a rare opportunity to inspect and document MARGARITA L at her anchorage in the northwestern waters of Eleusis.

Click here for the tour of MARGARITA L./ WINDSOR CASTLE by Peter Knego