Fengning

Sister of the ship Funing I

Fengning
IMO /ID No.5113589.
Type	Cargo,
Gross Registered Tonnage	3,464 grt. 1,900 nett.
Builder	Wm.Gray & Co., West Hartlepool. Yard No. 1413.
Delivery date	Feb. 21st. 1951.
Hull	Steel, clincher construction.
Decks	2.
Length	331.5 ft. F'c'sle 30 ft. Bridge 97 ft. Poop 33 ft.
Width	47 ft.
Depth	25.5 ft.
Engine Builder	Central Marine Engine Works, Hartlepool.
Engine Type	Steam, triple expansion.
Engine cylinders	3
Propulsion mode	Single screw.
Speed	12 kts.
Displacement	3,856 tons
Power	Steam.
Boiler	2, circulating (scotch) with superheaters.
Boiler pressure	215 psi.
Fuel	Oil.
Draught	Forced.
Propeller	Right hand.
Propeller blades	4
Propeller formation	Solid.
Propeller material	Bronze.
Launched	Oct.10th. 1950.
Original owner	China Navigation Co.

History

Sept 1964. Sold to the Ocean Tramping Co. renamed "Wishford"

1972. Sold to the Peoples Republic of China.

1992 Deleted from register.

Events / Stories

October 1962. Gilbert Reid recalls the following incident when on a voyage from Japan to Hong Kong via mainland China. At that time the Chinese were killing off all the sparrows and other birds etc. that were eating grain, under orders from "Mao the Great Leader", this was so that the grain saved could be eaten by the people, who were starving. (This didn't make any difference to the numbers who were starving !) On arrival in Darien this was a problem, as the birds came on board the "Fengning", the cockatoos etc, were safe enough in the alleyways, but there were pigeons nesting up on the mast crosstrees and which were often seen flying around the vessel. They had to be caught and had their wings tied back, and they were later released after leaving Darien. The attached photo shows a quartermaster feeding a cockatoo on No.1 hatch.

Images

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