LAST of the CAPE HORNERS

The Pamir was a four-masted barque of the Flying P Line, founded in 1824 by German businessman Ferdinand Laeisz. Its ships were well known for speed and reliability and having names all starting with the letter ‘P’.

With the opening of the Suez and Panama canals, the steamship was destined to leapfrog sailing ships. The only obstacle was that steam required vast amounts of coal and coal ports within reach of each other to work. Pamir required none of that filthy business and had a huge cargo capacity as her holds weren’t restricted by the bulk of a steam engine and bunkers.

During WWII the had been seized by the New Zealand Government from Germany as a prize of war. Under the New Zealand flag, she made 10 commercial voyages as a bulk carrier and was spared