Each of the pictures below is a link to videos etc
Built by W. Harkess and sons at Middlesborough, U.K.(construction No 192) She was launched on the 15th of Feb, finished on the 10th April 1912. She began to sail on 16th April under orders of the Captain D. Aurelio del Arco. Just one day after the Fatal sinking of the "RMS Titanic" in the cold North Atlantic Seas!
In January of 1925, she went aground in Arrecife (Lanzarote) during a strong storm. In March of 1929, she suffered a small fire with little damages. In December of 1930 she went to the Aid of the gunboat “Uad Ras” that was aground in Cala Fuster (Fuerteventura). In September of 1931 she towed to the Steamship “Tordera” safely into Port from about 200 miles North of Tenerife. On 15th July of 1933 she had a collision with the “Águila de Oro” causing her damages to the value €60 ! In February of 1934 she was able to help the fishing vessel “Pedro” that was aground near Cabo Juby (on the Sahara coast).
The "La Palma" is now berthed at the end of the Old 'Jetfoil Terminal' which is opposite the Dock Entrance.
If you are lucky and make contact with Don José Louis he may allow you on board to look around. Obviously dependent on how busy they are at the time. The Steamship is open for tours on the First Saturday of Each Month. There are some great fotos below that pay homage to the Mailboats past. There is even a Jailhouse below. It is very interesting.
Especially because......Steamships similar to this took 500 to 1000 immigrants at a time to Venezuela, Columbia and Cuba in the 1930's because of Franco, disastrous economics, the cochineal beetle industry collapsing and Worldwide recession. The sad facts are that only a few survived the journeys............