Mona Lisa reported aground - ship to be evacuated - Page 4

**neil** · 09-11-2008, 05:35 PM

Mona Lisa has just finished her present charter.

Had the financial backing not been withdrawn she would now be on charter to the American Scholarship organization for a round the world cruise.

Instead she arrived at Salamis, in Greece, today and is anchored across from the ship repair-yards at Perama.

No other charters have so far been announced so she could be layed up until next year.

Photo below of the Mona Lisa when she was aground in the Baltic earlier this year.

Captain Larry · 09-11-2008, 06:36 PM

I have one, maybe the only one, story from my Naval career in which I was the hero that saved the ship from going aground. The culprit in the story was the navigator, and especially his inflated ego. We were maneuvering in thick fog in the Hampton Roads (Norfolk, Virginia) area. I was the RADAR Piloting Officer and was providing the recommendations for course and speed to get to anchorage and to avoid other shipping, not to mention shoal water. The navigator, whose job is visual piloting and who normally, in good visibility, provides the Captain with recommendations, was seriously bent out of shape to be put in a secondary role. So he lied to the Captain and told him he had visual bearings when actually he was also using RADAR ranges from the bridge RADAR scope. The navigator and the men who worked for him were not experienced RADAR piloters, so they got the ship into a serious danger of going aground. I ran onto the bridge and screamed to the Captain, "I hold us standing into danger! Recommend left full rudder, all ahead flank!" The Captain followed my "adament" recommendation and the ship passed on the shallow side of the three fathom buoy. We were drawing a foot and one-half more than three fathoms at the time. We scraped the bottom and the screw sucked up massive amounts of muck off the sea bed, but we stayed afloat. My crew and I got an "attaboy" and the navigator got an abrupt end to his Naval career.

**neil** · 09-12-2008, 05:39 AM

Hi Captain Larry

That is a great story.

I take it you got quick promotion through the ranks.

**Ally** · 09-12-2008, 05:40 AM

If Mona Lisa is at a loose end at the moment....I know a company who could do with using her for a few years....<whistles innocently>

**neil** · 09-17-2008, 05:39 AM

Mona Lisa may have been moved from Perama as she today is not transmitting her AIS position.

**neil** · 10-03-2008, 07:54 PM

The cruise ship ' Mona Lisa ' has appeared on the AIS maps again today.
She was the P & O cruises ship Sea Princess.

She has moved from her previous anchorage at Perama and is now at anchor in the area off the Piraeus port area known as Pireaus Roads.

No news has so far appeared of anyone chartering her although I know of two ships which she could replace and would no doubt be more reliable than both of them !!

Photo of her below in P & O colours when re- named ' Victoria ' .

**neil** · 10-31-2008, 09:49 AM

Preservation attempts for the presently named ' Mona Lisa ' cruise ship continue.

She was built as the Kungsholm by John Browns, Clydebank, Scotland, for the Swedish America Line and was operated by them from 1966 to 1975

The Gothenburg City Council have now agreed a mooring space in an area of Gothenburg harbour until 2013.

Artists impression below of what she could look like if returned to her original design with two funnels.

At present she is due to continue in service as Mona Lisa until late 2009.

**Ally** · 10-31-2008, 10:05 AM

That would be superb if they can pull it off, Neil

She looks so much better with her original funnel setup

**neil** · 10-31-2008, 10:13 AM

I have always thought that P & O spoilt the appearence of this ship when they removed one funnel.

It has also been said that the new cabins which were added were smaller than her original ones.

swan · 10-31-2008, 10:47 AM

My mother sailed on the swedish America line from New York ,can,t remember the ship ,my daughter has the menus for the voyage ,will have to look them up.