Southampton Docks on 24th September 1971. On the right is the 25,585grt Shaw Savill liner Ocean Monarch. She was built in 1957 by Vickers-Armstromg at High Walker as the Empress of England for Canadian Pacific. She joined Shaw Savill in 1970. On 17th July 1975 she arrived at Kaohsiung to be broken up by Chi Shun Hwa Steel. On the left is 795grt Elk of British Railways. She was built in 1959 by Brooke Marine at Lowestoft to serve the Southampton to Channel Islands route. She also operated from Weymouth to the Islands. On 29th September 1972 Southampton was closed as a railway company port after 127 years. Elk made her final crossing from Guernsey to Weymouth on 6th October and was then sold to Valmas Shipping of Greece and renamed Nikolas. In 1973 her owners renamed her Skiron and filled in her well deck. In 1975 she was sold to Jupiter SS Co. of Panama and renamed Nasim. On 12th February 1976 she sank after hitting rocks in a storm off Giannutri Island, 40nm North-West of Civitavecchia while on a voyage from Livorno to Alexandria carrying vehicles.

Photo: Don Smith/phototransport.com