Builders: John Crown & Sons Ltd, Sunderland 1938
Propulsion type: Motor Vessel
Owners: Thomas Round & Sons, John C Round, General Steam Navigation Co Ltd, E Zammit & Co Malta
Service dates: 1938 - 1994
Tonnage: Net 163 Gross 250
Comments:
Built as New Royal Lady, she took the place of MV Royal Lady for operation out of Scarborough. Purchased by the General Steam Navigation Co in November 1947, for use in PLA dock cruises around London, MV Crested Eagle had an operational speed of around 14 knots, which was ideal for her excursion duties. A copy of a handbill advertising her PLA Dock Cruises can be seen by clicking here. She also operated trips from Tower Pier, where she is seen above, to Gravesend and Southend Pier. In 1952 she was based at Ramsgate for local cruises. Later, she operated from Gravesend to Southend and Clacton, going on charter to P&A Campbell in 1957 for trips from Eastbourne and Hastings on the South Coast. For an onboard picture of her whilst on charter on the South Coast, during her final season, please click here. At the end of the charter Crested Eagle was sold to E Zammit & Co Malta and renamed Imperial Eagle. She made her first voyage between Malta & Gozo on 1st June 1958 and had accommodation for 70 passengers with room for 10 cars. She remained on the Mgarr to Marfa route until March 1968 after which she was used to transport cargo and animals from Gozo to Valletta. In Malta she was owned by Sunny & Maria Pisani , a family from Gozo. MV Imperial Eagle was sold to the local diving community on 28th November 1995, to be scuttled as an attraction for divers off Qawra point and to form the main attraction for an Underwater Marine Park Project. She was scuttled on 19 July 1999 in 40 metres of water, half a kilometre off Qawra Point and interesting pictures of her underwater can be seen at http://www.subwayscuba.com/imperialeagle.html. I am grateful to Jules Christian Business Development Manager, Media Consulta International,Valletta Malta for details of her latter career and final fate.