RHMS Patris

Originally built as the Bloemfontein Castle, this versatile passenger liner was one of four virtually identical 17,000-18,000 ton vessels constructed for the Union-Castle Line's London-South Africa service. Following the post-war decline in migration traffic due to the rise of air travel, she was acquired by the Chandris group's subsidiary Greek Australia Line S.A. and renamed Patris.

Original Construction and Design

Built by Harland & Wolf in Belfast, Northern Ireland, the vessel was launched on August 25, 1949, by Mrs. Leif Egeland and completed in March 1950. The ship featured a distinctive livery of white hull and superstructure, accented by a yellow and blue funnel and blue boot topping.

Chandris Service

Following an extensive refit, Patris began her new career on December 14, 1959, inaugurating service between Piraeus and Sydney. The vessel's six passenger decks were renamed with Greek themes in ascending order: Doric, Cretan, Corinthic, Ionic, Mediterranean, and Aegean. She maintained regular service to Australia for 15 years, with only a brief interruption during the Suez Canal crisis in mid-1967.

Darwin Emergency Service

After Cyclone Tracy devastated Darwin on Christmas Eve 1974, Patris was offered to the Australian Government as emergency accommodation. For over 12 months, she served as a floating hotel and hostel for displaced residents before returning to Piraeus in need of significant repairs.

Later Career

Following a major renovation that included converting the lowest (Doric) deck for vehicle transport and reducing passenger capacity to 952 one-class berths, Patris re-entered service in 1977 as a trans-Adriatic ferry. She was later acquired by Karageorgis Lines and renamed Mediterranean Island, operating Mediterranean routes alongside her sister ship Amerikanis.

Key Facts

Specification	Details
Gross Tonnage	16,259
Length	594 ft (181m)
Beam	76 ft (23.1m)
Draught	29 ft (8.8m)
Propulsion	Burmeister & Wain diesels (20,000 BHP), twin screws
Service Speed	18 knots
Passenger Capacity	Initially 36 first class + 1,000 tourist class; Later 952 one-class
Crew	325