MS Zenobia and Marietta Holley

MS Zenobia was a Swedish built Challenger-class RO-RO ferry launched in 1979 that capsized and sank close to Larnaca, Cyprus, in June 1980 on her maiden voyage. She now rests on her port side in approximately 42 metres (138 ft) of water and was named as one of The Times top ten wreck diving sites in the world in 2003.

Contents 1 History 2 Wreck diving 3 Sister Ships 4 References

History

The Zenobia was built at the Kockums Varv AB shipyard in Sweden and was delivered to her owners Rederi AB Nordö in late 1979. She left Malmö, Sweden on her maiden voyage, bound for Tartous, Syria on 4 May 1980, loaded with 104 lorries with cargo destined for Mediterranean and the Middle East. She passed through the Strait of Gibraltar on 22 May 1980, stopping first at Heraklion, Crete and then to Piraeus, Athens, Greece. On the way to Athens the captain noticed steering problems and the Zenobia began listing to port. Following checks, it was determined the list was caused by excess water that had been pumped into the ballast tanks, this was pumped out and she then departed for her penultimate stop at Larnaca, Cyprus before reaching Syria.

She arrived at Larnaca on 2 June 1980, where the ballast problem had reoccurred, engineers discovered that the computerised pumping system was pumping excess water into the side ballast tanks due to a software error, making the list progressively worse. On 4 June, the Zenobia was towed out of Larnaca harbour to prevent her becoming an obstruction should the worst happen and was left at anchor roughly 1.5 – 2 km offshore. On 5 June, with the ship listing at around 45° the captain dismissed the engineers and maintenance crew and requests from the captain to return her to Larnaca harbour were denied.

At around 2:30am 7 June 1980, the Zenobia capsized and sank in Larnaca Bay to a depth of roughly 42 metres (138 ft), taking her estimated £200 million worth of cargo with her. According to local legend, the Zenobia '​s owners never collected the insurance money and no formal investigation has ever been published. Since sinking she has become a popular dive site for visitors to Cyprus and was named one of the world's top ten dive sites by The Times in March 2003. There were no casualties in the disaster. Wreck diving Wreck of the Zenobia

As a dive site, the Zenobia provides a wide range of challenges to scuba divers, from a fairly simple dive to 16 metres (52 ft) depth along the starboard side of the ship (suitable for newly qualified divers); moving up to a more advanced dive inside the upper car deck and accommodation block, right up to extremely adventurous dives within the lower car deck or the engine room (which are only suitable for very experienced divers).

Although all hands were safely taken off the ship before she sank, the lives of six scuba divers have been lost in the intervening years.There was also a truckload of frozen animals on board when the ship went down so the bones of the animals can been seen on the second car deck. There is also a full cargo of eggs that lies on the sea bed (42 mts). Sister Ships

The Zenobia has two sister ships: SeaFrance Cézanne - Scrapped in India Stena Fantasia - Currently serving as Wawel with Polferries

Marietta Holley and MS Zenobia

Marietta Holley (16 July 1836–1 March 1926), was an American humorist who used satire to comment on U.S. society and politics. Holley's writing was frequently compared to that of Mark Twain and Edgar Nye.

Holley was the youngest of Mary Tabor and John Milton's 7 children. The family lived on a small farm in Jefferson County, NY. At 14 she ended her formal educationm in order to supplement the family income by giving piano lessons. At 17 she converted to the Baptist faith and joined the Adams Village Baptist Church. Her father died when she was 25, and Holley took charge of the farm and care of her sick mother and sister. After she became a successful novelist, she built a mansion called "Bonnie View" near her family's home in Pierrepont. Holley never married. She died in 1926 at age 89.

Holley enjoyed a prolific writing career and was a bestselling author in the late 19th century, though she was widely forgotten by the time of her death. Her first poems were published locally in the Adams Journal, which led to successes in more prominent periodicals such as Peterson's Magazine. In 1872, her first novel, My Opinions and Betsey Bobbet's, was released by the American Publishing Company. She wrote over 25 books, including one collection of poems, two dramas and one long poem, between 1873 and 1914. Among her novels was a 10-book series that detailed the travels and married life of Samantha and Josiah Allen as they journey outside Samantha's rural hometown, which was similar to Holley's own in Jefferson County, New York. Holley herself spent most of her life close to her family's farm; aside from Saratoga and Coney Island, she never actually visited the places to which she sent her fictional protagonists; she instead depended on maps, guidebooks, and descriptions for the necessary details.

Many of Holley’s writings share themes of prohibition and women's rights. Many contemporary writers and suffragists held her in high regard; her famous friends included Susan B. Anthony, Twain, and Clara Barton. Anthony frequently asked Holley to give speeches at suffrage conventions because of Holley's support of women's suffrage, but she refused public appearances.

Along with Frances Miriam Whitcher and Ann S. Stephens, Marietta Holley is remembered as one of America's most significant early female humorists. Publications Advertisement in the Jan, 1896 issue of McClure's Magazine for Samantha in Europe My Opinions and Betsey Bobbet's: Designed as a Beacon Light, To guide Women to Life Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness, But which May Be read by Members of the Sterner Sect, Without Injury to Themselves or The Book. Josiah Allen’s Wife. Hartford Conn., : American Publishing Company, 1873, c. 1872 Josiah Allen’s Wife as a P.A. and P.I.: Designed as a Bright and Shining Light, To Pierce the Fogs of Error and Injustice That Surround Society and Josiah, And to Bring More Clearly to View the Path That Leads Straight on to Virtue and Happiness. Josiah Allen’s Wife. Hartford, Conn.: American Publishing Company, c. 1877 Betsey Bobbet: A Drama. Adams, N.Y.: W. J. Allen, 1880 The Lament of the Mormon Wife. Josiah Allen’s Wife. Hartford, Conn. : American Publishing Company, 1880 My Wayward Pardner; or, My Trials with Josiah, America, the Widow Bump, and Etcetery. Josiah Allen’s Wife. Hartford Conn., American Publishing Company, 1880 Miss Richard’s Boy and Other Stories. Hartford, Ct.: American Publishing, 1883 Sweet Cicely: Josiah Allen as a Politician. New York: Funk and Wagnalls, 1885 Miss Jones' Quilting and Other Stories. New York: J.S. Ogilvie, 1887 Poems. New York: Funk and Wagnalls, 1887 Samantha at Saratoga or Flirtin’ with Fashion. Philadelphia: Hubbard Brothers, 1887 Samantha Among the Brethren. New York: Funk and Wagnalls, 1890 Samantha on the Race Problem. New York: Dodd, Mead, 1892; republished 1898 as Samantha Among the Colored Folks Tirzah Ann's Summer Trip and Other Sketches. New York: F. M. Lupton, 1892 Samantha at the World’s Fair. New York: Funk and Wagnalls, 1893 Widder Doodle’s Love Affair and Other Stories. New York: F. M. Lupton, 1893 Josiah's Alarm and Abel Perry’s Funeral. Philadelphia: Lippincott, 1895 Samantha in Europe. New York: Funk and Wagnalls, 1895 Samantha at the St. Louis Exposition. New York: G. W. Dillingham, 1904 Around the World With Josiah Allen’s Wife. New York: G. W. Dillingham, 1905 Samantha Vs. Josiah: Being the Story of the Borrowed Automobile and What Became of It. New York: Funk and Wagnalls, 1906 Samantha on Children’s Rights. New York: G. W. Dillingham, 1909 Josiah’s Secret. Watertown, N.Y.: Hungerford-Holbrook, 1910 How I Wrote My First Books. Harper’s Bazaar (September 1911) Samantha at Coney Island and a Thousand Other Islands. New York: Christian Herald, 1911 Samantha on the Woman Question. New York: Fleming H. Revell, 1913 Josiah Allen on the Woman Question. New York: Fleming H. Revell, 1914 What Is Behind Ouija? The World Magazine (27 June 1920): 5,13 The Story of My Life, Published serially. Watertown Daily Times, Watertown, N.Y., 5 February to 9 April 1931
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