SS M O P 223-C was a suction hopper dredger with a gross register tonnage (GRT) of 2,588, built in 1946 by William Simons & Co Ltd in Renfrew, United Kingdom. Originally launched as Empire Forager, she was constructed during the immediate post-World War II period, with her yard number being 767. The vessel measured 287 feet 7 inches (87.66 meters) between perpendiculars and had an overall length of 295 feet 2 inches (89.97 meters). Her beam was 52 feet 5 inches (15.98 meters), with a depth of 20 feet 8 inches (6.30 meters) and a draught of 21 feet (6.40 meters). She was assessed at 2,588 GRT and 1,091 NRT. Powered by two triple expansion steam engines, each with cylinders measuring 18 inches, 28 inches, and 40 inches in diameter and a stroke of 27 inches, the engines were built by her constructors, William Simons & Co Ltd. Each engine drove a single screw propeller, providing the vessel with the propulsion necessary for her dredging operations. Initially registered in Greenock, her port of registry, she bore the code letters GKLN and the United Kingdom Official Number 169468. Managed by H. Abram Ltd., she served the UK Ministry of War Transport during her early years. In 1949, she was sold to the Argentinian Government, renamed M O P 229-C, and registered in Buenos Aires, operated by the Ministry of Public Works. Later that year, she was renamed La Descanisada. In 1958, she reverted to the name M O P 223-C, a designation she retained until her decommissioning. With the advent of IMO numbers in the 1960s, she was allocated the number 5215818. The vessel served in her dredging capacity until 1976, when she was scrapped, marking her nearly three decades of service as a significant maritime asset in both the UK and Argentina.

This description has been generated using GPT-4.1-NANO based on the Vessel's wikidata information and then modified by ShipIndex.org staff.