first yellow peril

[Philip Etherington]

my very first ship was MV Speciality May 1968 the captain was captain Wadhams

[Des Taff Jenkins]

Hi Philip.
Welcome to the site, hope you get as much enjoyment on this site as so many of us ex seamen have over the years. Plenty of story's and memories to peruse, you may like quit a few find old seafaring mats here.
Cheers Des

[Graham Shaw]

my very first ship was MV Speciality May 1968 the captain was captain Wadhams

INFOLINK

SPECIALITY O.N.184485 1951-1972.jpg

Photo taken off Avonmouth 1/10/71 by Malcolm Cranfield,Shipspotting.com

Fate--after a 21 year service life m.v.SPECIALITY (O.N.1844850)1,557 grt was in collision off Greenhithe on 28/6/72 with the 5,036 grt Argentinian cargo vessel RIO TERCERO, and was broken up by T.W.Ward Ltd at Grays,the following month.

[Keith Tindell]

Had not heard from you for a while Graham, thought you might have jumped ship, nice to see you back.

[j.sabourn]

#3 Is that Grays on the Thames next to Purfleet Graham.? If so, didn"t even know there was a Breakers Yard there. JS

[Graham Shaw]

#3 Is that Grays on the Thames next to Purfleet Graham.? If so, didn"t even know there was a Breakers Yard there. JS

Hi JS-yes,from what I can read on another ship site I will quote the following from Phil, and Tom,fellow members there;

'T.W. Ward ceased operations years ago. They used to have a scrap yard at Grays, Essex and during the 1980s they were still breaking up the odd trawler etc. They also used the berth as a scrap export facility and there were often coasters loading there. However, the land was sold some time ago and I believe it is now all redeveloped with houses and flats.

Phil '
----------------

There was also a more renowned shipbreakers of theirs in Inverkeithing,Fife.

'T.W.Ward also had a yard at Inverkeithing in Fife many large vessels were broken up there,The Company was taken over by Forth Ports in 1986. They still owned the land and the berth but the facility is on long term lease to R.M. Supplies a well known local scrap company. There were many large RN and Merchant vessels broken up there. The only list I know of is when you go into the main office the Hallway is all done up in the mahogany panelling you used to see on old Liners and engraved on the panels are the names of the ships that were broken up there and also there is a number of artifacts fom some of the vessels. The only way I know you may be able to get the information is to contact RM Supplies. Also Ottakers have a book printed locally about Inverkiething and it has pictures of some of the vessels. The company name in Inverkeithing was James A Whyte

Tom'
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[j.sabourn]

#6.. Graham my last official job in the UK was a vessel called the Chieftan which mainly lay in Lowestoft in Mothballs. I was busy getting ready to move to Australia when got a phone call from Briggs Marine to join this vessel in the mid Channel off Dover , I went out to this vessel in a converted MTB , the Chieftan was an old Navy salvage vessel and passed the skipper coming over the bulwark he was ex Greenpeace and was probably not in agreeance to the bottom survey to be conducted for Westminster Dredging in the English Channel and Southern North Sea. I was on this vessel for 15 days then took her back into Lowestoft and relaid her up.
The Chieftan as said was an ex RN salvage vessel O.N.186204 registered in London , do you have any.history on her ? and did Briggs marine own this vessel. Those 15 days paid all my expenses out to Australia
My next ship was the Pacific Dart 2.12.91 in Sunny Dampier CheersJS .

[j.sabourn]

#7 Forgot to put in Briggs Marine is/ was an Aberdeen outfit. JS

[Graham Shaw]

JS Re Yr. # 7.That was easier than I thought,John!

There is a picture of her as CHIEFTAIN within this INFOLINK

and Miramar adds another Owners table:-

ON	LR/IMO	ID	Year	Name	Tons	Change	Starke	Ref.	Registered Owner	Port
186204	5395072	5395072	1955	YANTLET	471		V1955	#1167	Port of London Authority	GBR London
186204	5395072	5395072	1955	CHIEFTAIN	471	1987	V1955	#1167	C-Lift Marine (London) Ltd	GBR London
186204	5395072	5395072	1955	CHIEFTAIN	471	1988	V1955	#1167	C.& R.Briggs (Commercial) Ltd	GBR London
186204	5395072	5395072	1955	CHIEFTAIN	471	1995	V1955	#1167	Connolly Diving Ltd	GBR London
186204	5395072	5395072	1955	CHIEFTAIN	471	2000	V1955	#1167	Mountfield Services Ltd	GBR London

Cheers from Graham


adding PACIFIC DART -from Miramar

ON	LR/IMO	ID	Year	Name	Tons	Change	Starke	Ref.	Registered Owner	Port
11447-81	8104010	8104010	1981	PACIFIC DART	903		V1981	#1059	Swire Offshore Craneships Corp	PAN Panama
11447-81	8104010	8104010	1981	PACIFIC DART	863	1985	V1981	#1059	Swire Marine Corp	PAN Panama
	8104010	8104010	1981	PACIFIC DART	863	2001	V1981	#1059	Swire Marine Corp	SGP Singapore
	8104010	8104010	1981	PACIFIC DART	863	2009	V1981	#1059	Swire Pacific Offshore Operations	SGP Singapore
	8104010	8104010	1981	TALON	863	2013	V1981	#1059	Comarco Maritime Ltd	TZN Zanzibar

[cappy]

Morning graham....im trying to find a photo of everards mv allurity ....ex empire dombey 1944small coastal tanker .....sailed in her in the 50s.....when loaded to her marks only the accomm was above water in a stiff breeze but a great crowd old man the name of brown ...happy memories a great crowd tied up just below the lookout pub in shields every night .....oh happy day...daily run to the tees from the tyne and back bunkering foriegn goers ....if you have a moment perhaps you could help r683532