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Imperial Direct

PORT MARIA

She was one of the two original ships taken over on the stocks by Imperial Direct and was
launched in December 1900. Built by Ramage & Ferguson in Leith she was quite small (less than
3,000 tons) but a powerful triple expansion engine and her clipper bow meant that she could do 14
knots. Although there were never more than three ships at any one time engaged in running to
Jamaica after the arrival of PORT HENDERSON in 1905 Imperial Direct kept 6 ships on the books.
PORT MARIA was too small and after the first year she spent much of her time laid up. She
occasionally ran to Central America and for a short period provided a 6 weekly service to Bermuda.
In 1910 she was sold to Marseilles as MUSTAPHA and then passed through the hands of 3 Italian
companies as a tramp steamer before being broken up in 1933.

A registered cover addressed to Berlin which was over-franked with a 1/- adhesive in Grand
Cayman on 17th June 1902. It was carried to Kingston by a local schooner and put on PORT
MARIA on 10th July. She arrived in Avonmouth on the 23rd and the letter was delivered in Berlin
two days later.