SUDAN - SIDE WHEEL PADDLE STEAMER Setting for a Novel, Two Movies and Other Theatrical Works Since at least 1921 the side wheel paddle steamer SUDAN has periodically plied the waters of the River Nile. Beautifully restored and still in service, she is the only survivor of a fleet of steam ships that once carried those lucky few who had the time and could afford to leisurely cruise in luxury on Egypt's historic river. One such couple was archaeologist Sir Max Mallowan and his wife, Lady Mallowan [left] She was...and still is...far better known as Agatha Christie, the prolific writer of murder mysteries. It was during a cruise on the Nile in 1934 onboard the SUDAN when she was inspired to write Death on the Nile. Published in 1937, Death on the Nile featured the mythical master detective Hercule Poirot, who eventually appeared in 33 novels and 54 short stories written by Agatha Christie. Most of her mysteries included background information drawn from places where she had lived or traveled. A good example of utilizing her travel experiences is her equally popular Murder on the Orient Express, which she wrote in a hotel located at the southern terminus of the railway. It also featured Hercule Poirot, the dapper Belgian sleuth of amazing abilities.
In addition to being beautifully described in her book, the SUDAN was actually used as the setting for many of the scenes in two motion picture adaptations of Death on the Nile. The first film was created in 1978, with Peter Ustinov starring in the role of Hercule Poirot. The poster on the right includes the names of other members of what was an all-star cast. To the credit of the film's producer, the events depicted accurately reflect the book's details. Angela Lansbury played the part of Salome Otterbourne, a romance novelist who also was a secret alcoholic. Speculation persists that Agatha Christie used some of her life experiences to create that character. In 2004, the SUDAN was again utilized as the principal setting for a television film adaptation of Death on the Nile. This version was a little less faithful to the book's details. This time, the leading role was played by British actor David Suchet, who also reprised that role in a long-running TV series entitled Agatha Christie's Poirot which frequently still appears on television. What is perhaps most remarkable is that SUDAN, the floating inspiration for the story has survived a world war, countless conflicts in the Middle East and the dangers of navigating shallow river waters. Plus, she has resisted replacement of her classic and durable steam engines and paddlewheels. 2
The origins of the SUDAN are not without a touch of mystery. Some websites indicate that she was built around 1885 by Bow, McLachlan & Co. a Scottish firm. Supposedly the vessel was a gift for King Fouad I of Egypt and Sudan. The trouble with that claim is (1) Fouad did not become Egypt's king until 1917, and (2) Bow, McLachlan & Co., founded in 1872, just manufactured steering gear and small marine engines at an inland factory until 1900. One of their early products is depicted on the right That year, the firm acquired a shipyard on Scotland's River Clyde and began building ships. One of their specialties in the early 1900s was what are called 'knock down' vessels. These were relatively small ships that were constructed by bolting assemblies together, then numerically match-marking them before being disassembled into pieces easily transportable by steamer and/or railroad. Once the parts arrived at a final destination, they were reassembled, using rivets. This elaborate method of construction was used to build small ships for use on land-locked lakes or on rivers not reachable from the sea because of rapids, waterfalls or other obstructions. Some of the firm's products were built for service on Lake Victoria in Africa in the first decade of the 20th century. Records of the shipbuilding firm indicate that the SUDAN was constructed in 1921 as their Yard #315. She may have been one of the knock down vessels built by Bow, McLachlan & Co. If so, her parts and pieces likely were shipped to a shipyard near Cairo run by Thomas Cook (Egypt) LTD and reassembled there. There is also some speculation [unfounded] that the SUDAN was a paddlewheel vessel used as a floating hospital in Egypt during World War I and subsequently rebuilt and provided with a new engine [perhaps one furnished by the Scottish shipbuilding firm]. Yet another story is that she was started in 1915 in Scotland, but work was suspended due to the Royal Navy's wartime needs and she was not completed until 1921. This last version is perhaps the most creditable. A website called 'Clydebuilt' is considered to be the most authoritative source about ships built on the River Clyde. That website states unequivocally that 'the paddle steamer SUDAN was launched Thursday, 22 March 1917 and completed in 1921'. 3
The original owner and operator of the SUDAN was the world-renowned Thomas Cook & Son travel agency. Along with several other similar vessels [see 1922 advertisement, below], she offered three week-long cruises during what is grandly described as the golden age of River Nile cruising. 4
The two images on the left date to 1933. Agatha Christie and her husband did not cruise on the SUDAN until the following year. Nevertheless, these are typical scenes they very likely would have witnessed. The SUDAN is 236 feet long, with a beam of 32 feet and draws just 9.5 feet, fully loaded. Her displacement is a mere 600 tons. Her twin steam engines, circa 1921, have never been replaced, but they have been overhauled several times. Built by Bow McLachlan & Co., each of these vintage machines is a triple expansion, three cylinder engine that can deliver 500 horsepower to one of the vessel's two side-mounted paddle wheels. Her top speed is 9.5 knots. The following image shows the SUDAN as she appeared in 1922. Aside from some additions to her uppermost deck her profile is remarkably similar; even after ninety years. 5
Her riveted hull [right] has stood up well under years of use and misuse. When World War II erupted in 1939, it marked the end of peaceful River Nile cruising and tourism in general in Egypt for a number of years. Docked and abandoned during the war, the SUDAN lay largely unused over the next fifty years. One of the few uses that the vessel contributed was to serve as the setting for a number of the scenes in the 1978 film version of Death on the Nile. In the mid-1950s, a renewed popularity in Nile cruises resulted in the SUDAN being sold by Thomas Cook & Son to an Egyptian firm. She was then put back into service, albeit briefly by another Egyptian firm, Eastmar Nile Cruises. Unrest in the Middle East, including a series of armed conflicts between Egypt and Israel in the 1960s and 1970s interrupted cruising on the Nile and the SUDAN became idle once again. In the early 1990s, a German tour operator resumed cruise service using the SUDAN. For reasons unknown, this venture did not last very long, and the aging vessel was laid up once again by her Egyptian owners. Happily, in 2000 two directors of the French touring firm Voyageurs du Monte discovered the abandoned and deteriorating SUDAN. They joined forces with her owners and undertook a refit that took six months. In 2006, Voyageurs du Monte acquired ownership of the vessel and subjected her to a major restoration and modernization. They wisely retained the vessel's original steam engines and side-wheel paddle wheel propulsion system. Air conditioning was installed and all of her public spaces were painstakingly restored to the way they must had appeared when Agatha Christie once mused on SUDAN's open decks in the 1930s. The result was a wonderful blend of 'Belle Epoque' and modern comfort. Written descriptions can not do justice to the result. Instead, the images on the next two pages are provided to indicate what resulted from her 2006 restoration. 6
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Not surprisingly, the restoration that took place in 2006 included naming the SUDAN's five suites and 19 staterooms for promotional purposes. In addition to the obvious choice of 'Suite Agatha Christie', most of the others honor characters in the murder mystery Death on the Nile and a few individuals found in other Agatha Christie novels. In June of 2011, the SUDAN was dry docked and given a general overhaul. The owners' anticipation is that will be repeated every five years or so. For how long...ah, that's the final mystery of the SUDAN. 9
Agatha Christie, surely the SUDAN's most famous passenger was born into a wealthy upper-middle-class British family in 1890. She served in a hospital during World War I where she observed Belgian refugees in addition to caring for them. One irrepressible fellow inspired her to create the character of Hercule Poirot. Her first novel, which featured Poirot, launched her literary career. She is considered by many to be the best-selling novelist of all time. Her creations, which include 66 detective novels, 54 short stories, six romance novels and several stage plays have been translated into at least 103 languages. An estimated two billion copies of her books have been sold, to date. In 1971, three years after her husband was knighted for his archeological accomplishments, she was made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II in recognition of her contributions to literature. Dame Agatha Christie passed away in 1976 at age 85. Apparently, in addition to being a prolific writer, she also had a keen sense of humor, as the following delightful quotation attests... 10