Page 48 - Greystones Archaeological Historical Society
P. 48
THE ACCIDENT THAT TIME FORGOT
In accordance with shipping requirements at that time, the
MV Princess Victoria was equipped with 6 lifeboats - 3 on each
side - each 26 ft. in length. One of the lifeboats was motor driven
and had a capacity of 53 people while the other 5 had a capacity
of 56 people each, a total of 333 lifeboat places. Other lifesaving
equipment carried included 30 buoyant seats which could hold
1440 people, 12 lifebuoys, 2 life rafts, and 1566 life jackets.
Officers on the Princess Victoria in 1947. L to R: Third Officer William
McInnes, Radio Officer David Broadfoot, Captain James Ferguson, Chief
Officer Shirley Duckels and Second Officer Leslie Unsworth.
From 1949 to 1953 the MV Princess Victoria was involved in
four incidents, two of which should have alerted the ship’s
owners to the inherent danger the open car deck posed to her.
44