 Postcard of SSAntilles | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 France | |
| Name | SS Antilles |
| Owner | Compagnie Générale Transatlantique |
| Route | Caribbean Sea |
| Ordered | 1952 |
| Launched | 29 April 1951[1] |
| Christened | 1953 |
| Completed | 1953 |
| Maiden voyage | 1953 |
| Out of service | 1971 |
| Fate | Grounded and burned 8 January 1971 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Passenger ship |
| Tonnage | 19,828 GRT |
| Length | 182.53 m (598.9 ft) |
| Beam | 24.4 m (80 ft) |
| Draft | 8 m (26 ft) |
| Installed power | Diesel |
| Speed | 23.8 knots (44.1 km/h; 27.4 mph) |
Built for theFrench Line,Antilles was a near-sister toSS Flandre of 1952. Her construction was completed and her maiden voyage made in 1953. She differed from her sister mainly because she was painted white. She was placed onWest Indies cruise service in the 1960s.[2]
Her career was much shorter than her sister's. On 8 January 1971, she struck areef near the island ofMustique in theGrenadines while attempting to navigateLansecoy Bay, a shallow and reef-filled bay on the northern side ofMustique. WhyAntilles′captain decided to sail into the narrow, shallow strait is still not known. But on hitting the rocks the impact ruptured a fuel tank and she caught fire. All of her passengers and crew evacuated the ship safely to the island of Mustique and they were rescued by theCunard Line′sQueen Elizabeth 2.[3]
The burnt-out hulk could not be freed from the reef, so the ship lay there for several months, eventually breaking in half.[4] Many years later she would be partially scrapped on the spot and moved just a few hundred yards to her final resting place in the channel offLansecoy Bay.
The wreck site is submerged off Mustique and is barely visible on Google Earth at12°54′04″N061°10′44″W / 12.90111°N 61.17889°W /12.90111; -61.17889 ("SSAntilles"); the mast protrudes from the water during low tide. Although the ship wrecked on a reef, reaching the site is dangerous because of therip tides that form in the area.
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EitherFlandre orAntilles appeared in stock footage in the 1964Perry Mason television episode "Nautical Knot", set nearAcapulco,Mexico. The scenes on board were filmed on a studio set.P&O's equally popularSSArcadia also appears in the episode. SS Antilles is also featured in the Danish movie "Hvorer liget, Møller?"[5]
Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in 1971 | |
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| Shipwrecks |
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| Other incidents |
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