Oldie

The classic refrigerated cargo ship CHERRY arrived in Halifax in tow of the tug SVITZER BEDFORD on Friday. Built in 1971, she is a true classic.

Not many ships of that age are still sailing, so it is a bit of a treat to see her. She was built by Nylands of Oslo for German owners as CHERRY. She sailed as CAYMAN (1984-87) and R.P. CAYMAN (1987-1996) before reverting to her orginal name. She has sailed under various flags, and presently flies the very rare Cook Islands flag, a flag of convenience usually used by ships that are well past their life expectancies.

Her longevity may be explained by the fact that she is a refrigerated cargo ship. They are more costly to build than conventional cargo ships or bulkers, and so must retain their value over time in order to make a return on the investment.

The ship is in the Scotiadock II floating drydock at Halifax Shipyard, showing off her flowing hull lines (rarely seen on ships anymore.)