Wonderful Cammell Laird Craftsmanship
Exotic Tiger Wood Veneer And Mahogany Framework
60.5 Inches Wide
24 Inches Deep
30 Inches Tall
$650.00  SOLD

Ellerman Line's 6,916 gt MV SPERO was built by Cammell Laird at Birkenhead in 1966 for the London to Gothenberg run. She had a modern, but well-balanced profile with a single midships funnel and could carry 408 passengers at a service speed of 18 knots.

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The SPERO was fitted out with wonderful wood fittings and furniture, although she was built in the emerging "plastic age". Like many British built ships in the 1960s, she was a tad behind the times, which in retrospect made her all the more lovely. When she became NEL Line's SAPPHO for Piraeus to Lesvos ferry service in 1972, most of her interiors were kept intact. I recall seeing her on many occasions in Piraeus during the 1990s, her handsome black topped blue funnel (very reminiscent of Blue Funnel Lines livery) towering over an immaculately white hull.

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She was sold for service between Kenya and Tanzania as the SANTORINI 3 in 2002, but ended up on the beach in Alang in January of 2004 as the SANTORI.

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​This magnificent desk came from a bridge deck officer's cabin and is marked "2 Cadets". The stunning wood veneer is tiger and the framework is mahogany. I have not had the opportunity to fully clean and restore the veneer's sheen, but these photos show the potential. There is some paint on the right side of the desk which can be removed with a gentle scrape or two. The overall condition is excellent, especially considering its pedigree. Even in 1966, the Cammell Laird carpenters were fashioning these items with the old style of joinery. This is one of the nicest desks I have encountered in my years of Alang "hunting".