Memories of the Pamir

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 34021, 10 December 1975, Page 23

Memories of the Pamir

Memories of the Pamir, one of the most famous square-rigged barques of the century, have been revived at Lyttelton with the arrival of the reefer vessel Persimmon.

The Persimmon is one of the fleet of twelve ships owned by the distinguished firm of F. Laiesz, of Hamburg, the 153-year-old company which at one time owned the Pamir, the Passat, •nd a number of other barques of distinction. The Pamir sank in the North Atlantic in 1957 with the loss of 80 lives, while the Passat lives on as a tourist attraction at the Baltic port of Trayemuende. The pressures of modern shipping leave little room for dwelling on past glories but some traditions linger. The names of all the Laiesz ships, including four bulk carriers, two container ships, two fruit carriers, and four reefers of the same class as the Persimmon, begin with the letter P and are taken from Greek mythology. The Persimmon is the second Laiesz ship to bear this name, the first being a barque similar to the Pamir. The master of the modem Persimmon, Captain O. Siegert, is obviously happy with his command. He describes his nine-year-old vessel as "comfortable” compared with more recent ships. As a tramp ship under charter to Japanese interests, the Persimmon has been sent to many unfamiliar ports in recent years. New ports, says Captain Siegert, are always a challenge to seamanship, and life is never monotonous. Captain Siegert is thankfulj that he is not on the North Pacific great circle route; between Japan and North; America, which he considers! the worst in the world. Even; in the height of summer, the sun is seldom seen, and sixi to seven days continuous, ■ heavy fog is not uncommon. Captain Siegert's first im- 1