Did you know…? Canada provided “Mystery Ships” to the Caribbean

This story reaches back in time to the days shortly after the independence of a number of Caribbean islands from British rule. While a distant memory now, the story is useful to illustrate the long term engagement between Canada and the Caribbean. Is there anyone still around who was young enough to have travelled on these ships?

Jan. 12, 1964 ‘MYSTERY SHIPS’ PLY CARIBBEAN TOURIST ROUTES

Credit…The New Your Times Archives January 12, 1964, Section XX, Page 18            About the Archive
This is a digitized version of an article from The Times’s print archive, before the start of online publication in 1996. To preserve these articles as they originally appeared, The Times does not alter, edit or update them. Occasionally the digitization process introduces transcription errors or other problems; we are continuing to work to improve these archived versions.

CASTRIES, St. Lucia, B.W.I. —Two small, passenger carrying cargo vessels, the Federal Maple and Federal Palm, have now celebrated more than two years of plying the Caribbean. Although these comfortable little ships of 3,200 tons are not well known in the travel industry in the United States, or even in Canada, where they were built about three years ago, they are carrying an increasing number of tourists.

The vessels have been nicknamed “the Caribbean’s wonderful mystery ships.” The mystery is who owns them and what is to become of them.

They came from Canada as a gift to the prospective Federation of the British West Indies when the federation seemed a certainty only a few years ago. Under the plan of those days, the islands of the British West Indies were to be federated as an independent member of the British Commonwealth.

But in 1962, Jamaica, the largest of the British islands, withdrew from the project and was followed by Trinidad and its dependent island of Tobago.

Since then, Britain has granted them both independence.

That left eight smaller islands —St. Kitts, Montaerrat, Antigua, Dominica, St. Lucia, Barbados, St. Vincent and Granada—that might form a federation without their bigger sisters. But, for a number of reasons, described as mostly political, this has not occurred and does not seem likely to occur in the near future.

What is the status now of the Federal Palm and the Federal Maple? Their actual ownership is undecided, pending determination of the future of the “Little Eight.” The ships, meanwhile, are controlled by a body known as the Regional Council of Ministers, representing all the islands, and they are administered by the West Indies Shipping Service, with offices in Trinidad and whose house flag they fly.

The large British shipping concern, Furness, Withy & Co., Ltd., operates the ships from its Trinidad headquarters.

The two little vessels are now running at a sizable deficit. This is currently made up by grants from all prospective territories of the aborted federation, plus Great Britain.

While awaiting political developments, opinion here is that the ships are performing an extremely useful service to all the British West Indies islands. Their usefulness is considered very likely to grow, and it is felt almost certain that they will remain in the Caribbean, for which they were especially destined and designed.

The ownership and financial problems of the Federal Maple and Federal Palm are seldom evident to the passenger. The food is simple, and compares favorably with that of most of the smaller first‐class hotels in the Caribbean. Both ships have been kept very clean and both are air‐conditioned.

The vessels operate generally on a two‐week schedule, with one sailing south from Jamaica as the other starts north from Trinidad. On the south run, the ships sometimes stop first at tiny Turks Island to pick up a cargo of salt. Turks, a dry, flat island, is a dependency of Jamaica, although it is more than 300 miles away. When Turks is visited, the lost time usually is made up by shorter stops at the most interesting Leeward and Windward Islands.

On the south run, the vessels usually leave Kingston, Jamaica, about noon and arrive at St. Kitts on the third morning. Along the way, the passenger gets a good look at the high Blue Mountains of Jamaica and the even higher ranges of Haiti and the Dominican Republic.

Depending upon freight, the ships normally stay a full day at each of the eight British Caribbean islands between Jamaica and Trinidad. This gives the tourist ample time to visit old fortifications, swim, buy local handicraft, lunch at one of the many new hotels built recently in the Caribbean and take in other sights on St. Kitts, Antigua, Dominica, St. Lucia, Barbados, St. Vincent and Grenada.

St. Kitts is best known for the partly restored fortress on Brimstone Hill, once called the “Gibraltar of the West Indies”. Brimstone Hill and the partly restored British Naval dockyards at English Harbor, Antigua, are historical sights that should not be missed by the tourist, and particularly the camera enthusiast.

The Windward Islands of Dominica, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and Grenada offer the most colorful and mountainous scenery, and both St. Lucia and Grenada have excellent beaches and new first‐class tourist hotels. Barbados, the most easterly island in the Caribbean, has fine beaches and the largest number of tourist hotels in the Lesser Antilles. It also gives free‐port status to many items purchased by tourists.

The voyage offers the traveler about the widest variety of Caribbean scenery and culture possible in so short a time, and at a relatively` low cost. Including a stay at Jamaica, with its fine tourist facilities, freeport prices and great diversity of landscape, and another at Trinidad, with its colorful mixture of races, cultures and its modern trends in dancing and music, voyagers will have had an almost complete snapshot view of the Caribbean.

The French islands of Guadeloupe and Martinique can be seen by stopping over at Dominica or St. Lucia, flying to them and then returning to catch the next ship. The tourist who travels south one way from Jamaica to Trinidad, and plans to fly home, can include stopovers at the French islands.

The tourist from the United States should plan on spending at least one or two nights in Jamaica. While the ships usually keep to their schedules, occasionally they are one or two days late.

In Kingston, where the vessels dock, minimum hotel rates in winter are $7 to $8 a day single, European plan, and about $10 to $12 a day single, modified American plan, which means breakfast and dinner only.

While the ships are in port in Trinidad, passengers must stay ashore. Minimum hotel rates in Port of Spain range from about $7 single, Continental plan (light breakfast), to $10 a day, modified American plan.

The Federal Maple and Federal Palm are sister ships. Each has 22 cabin‐class staterooms and three deluxe staterooms. The cabin‐class staterooms are small—actually too small for two persons to dress comfortably at the same time—but the berths are comfortable. The deluxe cabins, are excellent and have private baths. There is plenty of deck space, plus a comfortable lounge, a small bar and a writing room.

Single rates during the winter season for the voyage from Jamaica to Trinidad are $144 for inside cabins and $155 for outside cabins. The fare for the deluxe cabins is $288. The winter fares go into effect with the first sailing immediately before Christmas and end with the first voyage after Easter.

There is a 10 per cent reduction on round trips. If British West Indies Airways is used for the return passage, a 5 per cent reduction is granted on the plane fare.

The ships also carry deck passengers. While the fare of only $24, without food, is obviously a bargain for a voyage of about 11 days, only the young, hardy and brash should attempt it. There are 60 berths in dormitories for men and women on a first‐come, first‐served basis, but as many as 200 persons often crowd the small deck space. The only food usually available is sandwiches. Coffee, tea, soft drinks and beer also are sold.

During the trip from Jamaica to St. Kitts, there are motion pictures and bingo. Otherwise, the passengers entertain themselves with cards or long discussions on the merits of the various islands.

Usually, the passengers are early to bed after full days of sightseeing, and the bar and lounge are deserted by 9 or 10 P.M. There are few complaints by passengers, and generally they are very happy ships.

With the increase in passengers, reservations should be made well in advance, either through the Furness, Withy branch in New York, or through a travel agent.

What happened to the ships?

There is limited information on the ultimate disposition of the two ships. Some information can be gleaned from this article and is worth a read.