Source: Photo by Mats Brevik, at www.grosstonnage.com 2014
MAILBOAT NAME: M/V Betty K VIII
PAST NAMES: none
DIMENSIONS: 2,191 gross tons, 1,492 tons capacity (deadweight), described as a general cargo ship.
CONSTRUCTION: by Lurssen Werft, Bremen, German, IMO # 8410328 – presently flagged to Avatiu, Cook Islands
YEAR BUILT: 1984
EARLY CAREER: Florida to Nassau
BAHAMAS CAREER: Miami FL-Nassau run starting around May, 2014
CAPTAINS: not known
FATE: still plying the route under ownership of the Betty K Line
OWNERS: Manager Betty K Line, Nassau, Bahamas (owners listed at Gull Shipping of Ottersoy, Norway, suggesting that the ship is being chartered into the Bahamas)
OWNERS: Manager Betty K Line, Nassau, Bahamas (owners listed at Gull Shipping of Ottersoy, Norway, suggesting that the ship is being chartered into the Bahamas)
From the website of the Betty K Line, summer 2014:
“Betty K has been serving The Bahamas since 1920 and has grown to be full service shipping company operating between Miami – Nassau, and Nassau – Abaco.
Betty K named after the daughter of the founder, The Late Mr. C. Trevor Kelly. A Fully owned Bahamian company was born out of an idea from the owner who saw the need to purchase a boat to take care of their personal needs.
The boat then, nicknamed the “Potato and Onion” boat would transport lumber for the Kelly families, has now grown to be one of the largest carrier serving The Bahamas, operating between Miami – Nassau and Nassau – Abaco. Betty K also operates two vessels BK VI and BK VII. We ship Full container loads (FCL), Less than Container Loads (LCL), Consolidations, Heavy Equipment, Boats, Vehicles, Personal Effects, Barrel and Refrigerated Cargo.“
Historian and author Kevin Griffin kindly provided the following:
“The other was the 164-ton Betty K, built in 1938. The “motor boats,” as the Duchess called them, offered sailings every Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday in each direction between Nassau and Miami. Before the war, they had sailed from Miami at Noon and from Nassau at 2 pm but now they moved back and forth as cargo offered.
The vessels were named after the two daughters of Trevor Kelly, owner of the Kelly Lumber Company, who had started the service in 1920. The Miami agents were Saunders & Mader, who had also represented the Queen of Nassau and a number of other small ships in this service, and Nassau agents were Albury & Company. More than eighty years later, Betty K Agencies Ltd of Nassau would introduce the sixth and seventh ships of that name, the 1,457-ton Betty K VI in 2004 and 2,028-ton Betty K VII in 2006.”
The vessels were named after the two daughters of Trevor Kelly, owner of the Kelly Lumber Company, who had started the service in 1920. The Miami agents were Saunders & Mader, who had also represented the Queen of Nassau and a number of other small ships in this service, and Nassau agents were Albury & Company. More than eighty years later, Betty K Agencies Ltd of Nassau would introduce the sixth and seventh ships of that name, the 1,457-ton Betty K VI in 2004 and 2,028-ton Betty K VII in 2006.”
Source: Mr. Griffin’s kind post on the “Ena K” entry in this blog, June 2014