The WINSTON-SALEM, a steamer, which was later named TICINO, was launched on 27.12.1919 at the G.A. Fuller Co. shipyard in Wilmington N.C. for the United States Shipping Board, Wilmington N.C. She was completed in May 1920. She had a loading capacity of 9840 DWT and her tonnage was 6223 GRT and 3842 NRT. She was equipped with a Triple expansion steam reciprocating engine made by Hooven, Owen, Rentschler & Co. generating an output of 2800 HP, giving a service speed of 10 knots. Her first 27 years she sailed under the American flag (call sign: KUJS, official No: 219746).
In 1936 she was sold under the same name to the owner company Lykes Brothers-Ripley S.S. Co. Inc. at New Orleans. In 1938 the new owners changed their name into Lykes Bros. S.S. Co. Inc., New Orleans. They sold the ship in 1947 to the Compañia Anonima Transportes Panamericanos at Panama, which gave her the name LA GUAYRA. Only the two first letters of the new callsign are known as HP??.
In 1949 the ship changed hands twice; first the Panamanian Compañia de Operaciones Maritimas at Panama bought her and named her MARIA TERESA G. Shortly afterwards she was sold to the Italian company G.E.N. Gestioni Esercizio Navi, Genoa, which kept the name of the ship.
Nautilus S.A. Lugano had the MARIA TERESA G already several months on time charter, transporting coal from the U.S. East Coast to Italy. On 03.06.1950, the Swiss Nautilus A.G. (canton Glarus) bought the steamer who was quite old and gave her in management to the company Nautilus S.A. in Lugano. With the entering into the Swiss ship register she received the name TICINO (call sign HBDX, official No: 029).
Except for one voyage to the Far East in summer 1952 (Aden, Colombo, Hong Kong, Tsingtao) the TICINO sailed in the West African trade, but made a trip to Istanbul and Poti in 1953 and one to Gdansk in 1954. The capacity plan shows one interesting detail, the vessel had bunker spaces for coal midships and double bottom tanks for heavy fuel. The fore- and aft peak could be used to carry heavy fuel, if necessary.According to our information, the TICINO burned heavy fuel. Probably to handle the heavy logs shipped from West Africa, she was later fitted with a heavy lift boom (Jumbo).
The Nautilus A.G. sold the ship on 11.12.1954 to the company Ditta Paolo Coppo Impresa Armatoriale at Genoa, which named the steamer CREA. Because of this transfer to the Italian registry the ship received the callsign IBCE. Due to the change of ownership, the steamer was measured again and presented officially new capacity figures: GRT 6282, NRT: 3788, DWT: 9841. Official No: 3025.
In 1958 the Panamanian Oriental Steamship Corp. in Panama acquired the ship. The company Wheelock, Marden & Co. Ltd. Hong Kong took over her management. Together with the change of owner, the steamer was renamed ROWENA and was put under the flag of Panama (call sign HPJY).
On 14.04.1959 the Hong Kong Rolling Mills in Hong Kong started with the scrapping of the ship.
Sources:
- Swiss Federal Archive, Bern
- Guildhall London (voyage cards)
SwissShips HPS, mb, February 2019