Bermuda's passenger steamer Bermudian was requisitioned briefly in 1914 and again in June 1917, leaving the island without its regular service. The Admiralty lent the laid-up cruiser HMS Charybdis for conversion to carry passengers and cargo between Bermuda and New York. Cutting away internal bulkheads created about 26,000 cubic feet of chilled cargo space. Two of the eight boilers were removed in 1918 to make room for vegetables, and the remaining machinery worked under natural draught at about ten knots, compared with the cruiser's original maximum of 21 knots. There were berths for only 65 passengers, so additional travellers sometimes slept on the dining-room floor. Charybdis made 37 voyages in 21 months, maintaining supplies and agricultural exports for an island population of about 20,000. The conversion had consumed £55,000 by December 1918, and most voyages lost money. Bermudian eventually returned under the name Fort Hamilton, while the cruiser was handed back to the Admiralty on 1 January 1920 and subsequently sold for scrap.
Notable Point · 2:53:47-2:58:54
A cruiser becomes Bermuda's emergency lifeline
HMS Charybdis carried Bermuda's food, produce, and passengers after its regular steamer was requisitioned, despite a cramped and costly conversion.