SS Lokoja Palm

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|Ship image=

|Ship caption=Zarian in 1947 (renamed Lokoja Palm 1949)

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{{Infobox ship career

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|Ship class = General Cargo

|Ship name =*Zarian (1947–49)

Lokoja Palm (1949–66)
Despina L (1966–69)
Nova (1969–71)

|Ship ordered = 1947

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|Ship builder = Shipbuilding Corporation Ltd, Low Walker

|Ship yard number = 21

|Ship laid down = 1947

|Ship launched = 15 August 1947

|Ship completed = December 1947

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|Ship registry = *{{flagicon|United Kingdom|civil}} United Kingdom (1947–66)

{{flagicon|Panama}} Panama (1966–69)
{{flagicon|Cyprus}} Cyprus (1969–71)

|Ship identification=

|Ship owner = *United Africa Co Ltd (1947–49)

File:Palm Line house flag.svg Palm Line Ltd (1949–66)
Compagnia Navigazione Kea (1966–69)
Nova Shipping Co Ltd (1969–71)

|Ship operator = *United Africa Co Ltd (1947–49)

File:Palm Line house flag.svg Palm Line Ltd (1949–66)
Compagnia Navigazione Kea (1966–69)
Pergamos Shipping Co Ltd (1969–71)

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|Ship fate= Scrapped December 1971

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{{Infobox ship characteristics

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|Ship tonnage={{GRT|7369}}, {{NRT|4207}}

|Ship length={{convert|447.9|ft|m}}

|Ship beam={{convert|56.4|ft|m}}

|Ship draught={{convert|24.2|ft|m}}

|Ship propulsion= Hick, Hargreaves Triple expansion engine

|Ship speed= {{convert|10.5|kn|km/h}}

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Lokoja Palm was a {{GRT|7369|link=off}} cargo steamship built by Shipbuilding Corporation Ltd, Low Walker,{{cite web |url=http://www.tynebuiltships.co.uk/Z-Ships/zarian1947.html |title=Zarian |work=Tyne Built Ships |publisher=Shipping and Shipbuilding Research Trust}} in 1947. She was laid down as Empire Birdsay and launched as Zarian. In 1949 she was sold and renamed Lokoja Palm. Towards the end of her career she was sold and renamed Despina L and then Nova registered in Cyprus, being scrapped in December 1971 in Shanghai.

Description

Empire Birdsay was ordered by the Ministry of War Transport but the war ended before she was completed. She was built by Shipbuilding Corporation Ltd, Newcastle upon Tyne.{{cite book | first = and Sawyer, L A| last = Mitchell, W H | year = 1995| title = The Empire Ships| publisher = Lloyd's of London Press Ltd| location = London, New York, Hamburg, Hong Kong|isbn=1-85044-275-4}} She was yard number 21 and was launched as Zarian on 16 August 1947 with completion in December.{{csr|register=MSI|id=5210973|accessdate=8 November 2009}}

Career

Zarian was owned and operated by the United Africa Co Ltd. In 1949, the company became Palm Line Ltd and she was renamed Lokoja Palm.{{cite web|url=http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/lines/palm.htm |title=Palm Line / United Africa Co. |publisher=The Ships List |accessdate=8 November 2009}} On 16 December 1954, Lokoja Palm arrived at Avonmouth, Somerset with a cargo including 40 animals destined for London Zoo.{{Cite newspaper The Times |title=News in Brief |date=17 December 1954 |page=5 |issue=53117 |column=F }} Lokoja Palm served with Palm Line for seventeen years and was sold in 1966 to Compagnia Navigazione Kea, Panama and renamed Despina L. In 1969, she was sold to Nova Shipping Co Ltd, Cyprus and renamed Nova. She was operated under the management of Pergamos Shipping Co Ltd. Nova was scrapped in China in December 1971.