Page 47 - Greystones Archaeological Historical Society

GREYSTONES ARCHAEOLOGICAL & HISTORICAL SOCIETY JOURNAL VOLUME 8

harbour. A Marconi 12-watt radio transmitter, which operated in
Morse or wireless telegraphy, provided radio communications.
Radar was also fitted.

The main feature of this ferry was her open stern to allow
vehicles to be driven on and off the 170 ft. long car deck which
ran the full length of the ship.

Located in the middle of the car deck was a turntable to
enable vehicles driven on engine first to be turned around so that
they could drive off engine first if required. 18 scuppers (drains)
varying in size from 2½ ins. to 3½ ins. were fitted on both sides
of the car deck to drain surface water.

Across the stern of the car deck were 2 steel doors, each 5
ft. 6 ins. in height which closed it off to the sea. These doors
opened inwards on each other when open and were held in place
by three steel stays when closed, one in the middle of each door
and one where they met, and could
be locked by dropping steel bolts
into the deck. However these doors
meant that the car deck was open
to the elements, unlike today when
ferry car decks are totally enclosed
and sealed from the weather. And,
as events later turned out, this
open portion of the car deck at the
stern was to be this vessel’s
Stern layout (showing
vertical steel plate) weakest link and the major
contributor to her subsequent loss.
In 1949 a vertical steel sliding door 4ft. 3ins. in height, which
could be lowered on top of the existing two doors, was added
with the aim of trying to reduce the amount of spray coming over
the top of them.

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