The Port St Lawrence, Ship 1631, Slip number: Abercorn Yard
1
Launch: 31st May 1963
Present at the launch: Mrs Rooper – wife of DR Rooper, Port
Line Limited.
Representing Port Line: Mr RH Senior DSO TD (Chairman& MD),
RW Cromarty (Director, Superintendent Engineer and Naval Architect), Captain AG
Russell (Marine Superintendent) and others.
Representing the Builders: JS Bailie (Deputy Chairman), Dr
Denis Rebbeck CBE, DL (Deputy Managing Director) and others.
The work on the ship continued after the launch. The footage
shows testing of the engine, and the transporting of the engine and the funnel
onto the ship. It also shows lifeboat testing and the final fitting out by
H&W joiners.
Sistership of the Port Alfred, the Port St Lawrence was the
last conventional looking cargo ship built for the Port Line company and, when
completed, replaced the Port Halifax. Following other ships in the fleet
through Blueport management and Trafalgar House Investments ownership, in 1976
she was transferred to Cunard Steam Ship Co. and then to T & J Brocklebank
and renamed Matangi.
In September 1982 she was sold to Armier Shipping Co. of
Valetta, Malta with the name Nordave remaining for a few months before sailing
to Gadani Beach, Karachi where she arrived on 30th April 1983 for breaking up.