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Starboard Broadside view of M.V. BRITISH COAST, c. 1947/1948.

Proudly claiming itself to be ‘the world’s largest coastwise liner fleet’, Coast Lines was the name given in 1917 to an agglomeration of three of Britain’s foremost coastal liner firms formed in 1913. Between 1917 and its eventual demise when taken over by P. & O. in 1970, Coast Lines came to dominate Britain’s coastal liner trade with a voracious policy of acquiring other firms and their services. The British Coast, built at Leith in 1934 was typical of the motor vessels built for Coast Lines in the inter-war years, and the 889 gross ton vessel had accomodation for twelve passengers.Seen here sailing up ’the Drain’ to the firm’s warehouse in the East Bute Dock, c. 1948, the British Coast was sold in 1964. (Source: Shipping at Cardiff: Photographs from the Hansen Collection 1920-1975 by David Jenkins, 1993.)