Blue Star Line Blue Star's S.S. "Paraguay Star"  
       
  Built: Cammell Laird & Company Ltd., Birkenhead  
  ON: 182860  
Dimensions: 478.4 x 68.3 x 35.9 feet
Tonnage: Gross : 10722 Net : 6325
  Propulsion: Three steam turbines by the shipbuilder powered by two Babcock & Wilcox sinuous header boilers, double reduction geared to one shaft. Service speed: 16 kts.  
  Type: Refrigerated Cargo/Passenger Liner, 53 1st Class passengers, 6 refrigerated hatches  
Launched: 23/4/1948  ( Yard No.1181) as Paraguay Star for Blue Star Line Ltd.
  Completed: 10/1948  
Severely damaged  12/8/1969 when fire broke out in her engine room whilst discharging cargo in Royal Victoria Docks, London. Declared a total constructive loss and arrived in tow at Hamburg, West Germany, 19/9/1969 for demolition by Eckardt & Co. GmBh
  Sold:  1972 to Nissho-Iwai Co., Japan for demolition, resold to Tung Seng Steel & Iron Works, Taiwan 10/10/1972 and arrived at Kaohsiung 10/101972 to be broken up  
       
  Sister-ships:  Argentina Star, Brasil Star , & Uruguay Star     
     
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  Paraguay Star 3 passes under the Ponte 25 de Abril, Lisbon ~ Painting © Wallace Trickett 2007  
     
 
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Blue Star Line postcards
 
   
 
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Capt. Hopper , J. Ball, Capt. MacFarlane, Bill Cox   Boys night out in the Texas Bar, B.A. ~ 1959
 
 

Click on animation to restartThe Paraguay Star was one of four vessels built after WWII to replace tonnage lost to enemy action. Of six hatch tween-deck construction, they were refrigerated by brine grids cooled by Hall's CO2 compressors. Refrigerated lockers were also provided in the tween deck sides. Chilled beef was carried from Buenos Aires to the European market as hung carcasses on hooks and rails provided for this purpose. No.4 Hatch behind the forward windbreak contained a swimming pool when on passage! With accommodation for 68 passengers she operated a regular service to South America, calling at Lisbon, Las Palmas, Rio de Janeiro, Santos, Montevideo and terminating at Buenos Aires, on a seven week turnaround. Accommodation could be described as comfortable rather than luxurious by today's standards for passengers. Officer and crew accommodation was somewhat more austere!
Powered by steam turbines supplied by two Babcock & Wilcox sinuous header boilers, producing steam at 430 lbs/sq" and 760°F superheat. Auxiliary DC power was provided by four Ruston Diesel engines in common with many Blue Star Line vessels of this period, when port time was nearly as great as passage time.

 
  A typical compliment was 91 ~ See list on Brasil Star page  
 
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Passenger Cabin Plans C1956 - Fraser Darrah Collection 
 
   
 
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South America Sailing List 1950   South America Sailing List 1951   Brochure late 1950's ~ Michael Davis
 
     
 
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Advertising brochure for the South America run by Blue Star Line C1960  ~  Courtesy Peter Stacey
 
     
 
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Blue Star Line Brochures C1965 & 1969  ~  Fraser Darrah Collection
 
     
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Paraguay Star by A. Duncan of Gravesend
   
  Play movie of fire  
  British Pathe News Reel of her on fire (Windows Media Player or Real Player)  
     
 

The Paraguay Star sadly caught fire in September 1969, while in Victoria Dock, London due to one of her generators catching fire. These sad and atmospheric photographs provided by Peter Stacey who was Fourth Officer on the Brasil Star at the time, show her leaving for the last time after being laid up at the C.W.S berth.

 
 
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Alongside the C.W.S. berth, Royal Victoria Dock     Departure with the Brasil Star shown left.
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A final farewell   Cutting from the Daily Mail 12th Aug. 1969
 
     
  Photographs © Peter Stacey  
     
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  Paraguay Star -  Painting by Robert. G. Lloyd - Courtesy Michael Davis  
     
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Updated: 26-04-2008