 | |
| History | |
|---|---|
| Name |
|
| Namesake | Queen Elena of Italy |
| Owner |
|
| Operator |
|
| Port of registry |
|
| Builder | Società Esercizio Baccini, Genoa |
| Launched | July 1903 |
| Completed | July 1903 |
| In service | 1903 |
| Identification |
|
| Fate | Scrapped 1936 |
| General characteristics | |
| Tonnage | |
| Length | 297 ft 2 in (90.58 m) |
| Beam | 42 ft 5 in (12.93 m) |
| Depth | 23 ft 2 in (7.06 m) |
| Propulsion | sails |
| Sail plan | Barque |
Ponape was a four-masted steel–hulledbarque which was built in 1903 in Italy asRegina Elena for an Italian owner. In 1911 she was sold to Germany and renamedPonape. In 1914 she was arrested byHMS Majestic and confiscated as awar prize by theAdmiralty. She was renamedBellhouse In 1915 she was sold to Norwegian owners. In 1925, she was sold to Finland and again namedPonape serving until she was scrapped in 1936.
Regina Elena was built by Società Esercizio Bacini,Genoa,.[1] She was 297 feet 2 inches (90.58 m) long, with a beam of 42 feet 5 inches (12.93 m) and a depth of 23 feet 2 inches (7.06 m). She had aGRT of 2,342, and was 1,974 NRT.[2] HerDWT was 3,500.[3]She had four masts and was rigged as a barque, withroyal sails over doubletop andtopgallant sails.Regina Elena was launched in July 1903,[1] and completed that month.[2]
Regina Elena was built for Pietro Milesi,Genoa. Her first voyage under captain Ameglio was from Genoa toNew York andYokohama, Japan with a consignment of 98,000 boxes of oil, earning Milesi¢17 per box. From Yokohama she sailed toPort Royal,Jamaica to collect a cargo oflumber which was taken toAntofagasta,Chile where she loaded a cargo ofnitrates and departed for Genoa. Her second voyage followed the same route as the first, except that her final destination wasRotterdam, the Netherlands.Regina Elena's third voyage was fromAntwerp, Belgium to San Francisco carrying general cargo. In San Francisco, she loaded cereals forDelagoa Bay,Mozambique. A cargo of timber was then taken toSydney. She then loadedcoal atNewcastle, and sailed toJunín,Argentina, the passage taking 35 days. Nitrates were loaded, andRegina Elena sailed toFunchal, Portugal in 89 days, where orders were given to discharge her cargo at Genoa. Her fourth voyage was from Genoa toBarry,Wales where a cargo of coal was loaded forCallao,Peru, which was reached in 104 days. She then sailed to Ballestas where a cargo ofguano was loaded. This was taken to Antwerp, the voyage taking 134 days due to hurricane-force winds atCape Horn.[4]
In 1911,Regina Elena was sold toF. Laeisz,Hamburg for£13,000.[4] She was renamedPonape. On 20 September 1914,Ponape wasarrested byHMS Majestic and escorted intoFalmouth. She was declared a war prize and placed under the management of James Bell,Hull by theAdmiralty. She was then renamedBellhouse.[1]
In May 1915,Bellhouse was sold to A/S Bellhouse,Tønsberg, Norway. She was operated under the management of Alf Monsen, Tønsberg. In 1925,Bellhouse was sold to Hugo Lundquist,Mariehamn, Finland and renamedPonape.[1] She was assigned the Finnish Official Number 778 and theCode Letters TPQS.[2] In 1925,Ponape was carrying a cargo of lumber toMelbourne, Australia when she was caught in a storm to the north west ofIceland and was almost swamped. The voyage to Melbourne took 155 days. She loaded a cargo of grain at Melbourne destined for Europe.[4]
On 31 August 1929,[3] she was sold to Gustav Erikson, Mariehamn for £4,600.[4] She was employed on thewheat trade from Australia.[1] Between 1929 and 1932 the following times are recorded for voyages thatPonape made –Geelong to Falmouth in 89 days;Cardiff toPort Lincoln in 86 days; Port Lincoln to Callao in 50 days;Vlissingen to Port Lincoln in 89 days;Adelaide toQueenstown in 99 days;Copenhagen to Port Lincoln in 106 days; Port Lincoln to Queenstown in 118 days;Lourenço Marques to Port Lincoln in 34 days.[4] Her Code Letters were changed to OHQX in 1934.[5] In September 1936,Ponape was sold to shipbreakers atLibau,Latvia,[1] for £4,600.[4] Her figurehead is preserved at the Ålands Sjöfartsmuseum, Mariehamn.[6]
The captains of the ship were:-[3][4]
Media related toPonape at Wikimedia Commons
