The Maritime Life of the Ocean Liner “Franca C”

The history of European emigration to Australia and South America includes the Italian-flagged ocean liner “Franca C”, which was part of the maritime history of the port of Santa Cruz de Tenerife for seven years. It is one of the most well-known ships from that era of Line “C”, as Costa Armatori Societá per Azioni was known.

Years later, we saw this ship again in the port of Santa Cruz de Tenerife under the name “Doulos” and as a floating bookstore, after its acquisition in 1977 by a German organization called Gute Bücher für Alle (Good Books for All, GBA Ships). On its last journey during this phase, in 2009 it circumnavigated the globe and since March 2010 it has been owned by BizNaz Resources International. Currently, it is part of a hotel complex on Bintan Island (Indonesia) and is dry-docked under the name “Doulos Phos”.

This centennial ship was built at the Newport News shipyard and on August 22, 1914, it slid down the ways with the name “Medina” and the company Mallory Lines' signal. While being armed, it was requisitioned as an auxiliary unit of the U.S. Navy until its return in 1919. In the immediate post-war period, the aforementioned Mallory Lines merged with the Atlantic Gulf & West Indies (Agwilines) company.

After World War II, in 1948 a second phase began. The Panamanian company Compañía Naviera San Miguel purchased the ship “Medina” and, renamed “Roma”, it was transformed into a passenger ship at the La Spezia shipyard, with accommodation for 925 people. The reform affected 85% of the ship and operated by Genaviter, based in Rome, it re-entered service in June 1950 flying the Panamanian flag and crewed by Italians.

It made three trips from New York to Naples chartered by the International Catholic Travel Committee, with pilgrims to the Vatican City for the Holy Year 1950, and then began its voyages on the Australia line, from which it would be withdrawn due to its low economic profitability and went up for auction, being acquired in 1952 by Giácomo Costa for 374.5 million Italian lira.

Renamed “Franca C” to avoid confusion with the Lauro ocean liner, in January 1953 it began a new phase in emigration traffic alongside its sister ships “Andrea C” and “Anna C”. The line started in Genoa and made stops in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, La Guaira, Curacao, Fort de France, and Pointe a Pitre.

On February 20, 1959, it made its last stop at the port of Santa Cruz de Tenerife on the Venezuela line, where it was replaced by the ship “Bianca C”, which arrived on April 8 with the advertising claim that it made the journey between Tenerife and La Guaira in six days.

In 1959, the veteran “Franca C” was remodeled as an “executive first-class cruise ship” and dedicated to the tourism industry based in Miami (USA) with vacation itineraries through the Caribbean. That initiative was quite successful, which encouraged Costa to repeat the experience with a series of cruises in the Mediterranean, Madeira, and the Canary Islands.

Marking a new milestone in 1965, it made its first round-the-world trip from Port Everglades (Florida, USA). In May 1966, on its return to its port of departure, problems arose with the U.S. Coast Guard, which could not renew the certificates, and Costa decided to position it in the Mediterranean, where it remained until its sale in 1977.

With a gross tonnage of 6,822 tons, net tonnage of 3,618 tons, and deadweight of 2,155 tons, it measures 130.36 m in overall length – 123.75 m between perpendiculars – 16.82 m in beam, 10.22 m in depth, and 5.56 m in draft. Registered in the naval registry of Genoa, during its time as a tourist cruise it had a capacity for 570 passengers and was powered after the 1950 reform by a GMT FIAT engine, with 8,100 horsepower on a shaft, allowing it to maintain a speed of 15 knots. IMO Code 5119105.

In its first stage, newly built, under the name "Medina"

During World War II, in service of the U.S. Coast Guard

After its first transformation as a passenger ship "Roma"

Maritime image of the ship "Franca C"

Renamed "Doulos" and converted into the world's largest floating bookstore

Seen from the starboard side, sailing in Australian waters

In its current stage, as the hotel ship "Doulos Phos"[/caption>

Bibliography:

Díaz Lorenzo, Juan Carlos (1992). “The Ocean Liners of Emigration 1947-1974. Regular Lines”, pp. 189-191. Vice Ministry of Culture and Sports of the Government of the Canary Islands. Santa Cruz de Tenerife.

Photos: archive of Juan Carlos Díaz Lorenzo, U.S. Navy, Paul T and Peter Stacey (Doulos) and Jpatokal (Doulos Phos).