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Thread: we think we had it tough

  1. #11
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    Default Re: we think we had it tough

    Yes Lewis , I did a couple of 5 months voyages on the ESSO ULIDIA.
    She was one of four of that class, 256,000 DWT, two built in Belfast , two built on the Tyne,
    The Belfast ships, Ulidia and Caledonia, were excellent built tankers, the two Tyne Built tankers Northumbria and Hibernia were Rubbish. falling to pieces from day one.

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    Default Re: we think we had it tough

    Quote Originally Posted by Captain Kong View Post
    Yes Lewis , I did a couple of 5 months voyages on the ESSO ULIDIA.
    She was one of four of that class, 256,000 DWT, two built in Belfast , two built on the Tyne,
    The Belfast ships, Ulidia and Caledonia, were excellent built tankers, the two Tyne Built tankers Northumbria and Hibernia were Rubbish. falling to pieces from day one.
    That is what I heard at the time, I watched the Northumbria launched; I heard that she almost sank alongside the building yard when main condenser cooling water inlet pipe failed, dunno how true that was.

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    Default Re: we think we had it tough

    Thanks Tony,
    the Northumbria really was a mess, we had more than three months in Cape Town having repairs, done in 1976.
    The Hibernia almost broke in half outward bound, in ballast on her maiden voyage and had to be towed stern first to a dry dock in Lisbon, it was found that gaps between the plates were stuffed with welding rods then welded.
    Both had many many construction faults.; Two Belfast ones, perfect.
    Brian

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  5. #14
    Lewis McColl's Avatar
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    Default Re: we think we had it tough

    Sadly a few ships from the Tyne had similar later discovered build quality defects. The Bridge class, ships built for the Seabridge consortium Liverpool Bridge being one (Derbyshire).

    Whilst in commercial service, two of the six Bridge-class vessels sank—Derbyshire in 1980 and Kowloon Bridge in 1986. Between 1982 and 1997, the remaining four vessels were scrapped, the longest surviving vessel being Kona (ex Sir John Hunter).

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    Default Re: we think we had it tough

    Hi Lewis.
    That lift definitely was a Stand Clear job.
    Des
    R510868
    Lest We Forget

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  8. #16
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    Default Re: we think we had it tough

    Brian , why did the Esso Ulidia have such a short service life 1972 and scrapped in 1983. Was that when Esso decided to get out of shipping? I believe if you wanted to work on tankers Esso were top draw, great pay & conditions much better than any of the oil majors.

    You may have seen this link before if not enjoy it is about the building of the Esso Ulidia.

    Esso Ulidia - (1970-1983)

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    Default Re: we think we had it tough

    Remember as a young lad, not that long ago, staying with my GGF in Sunderland.
    From the street where he lived you could see the ship yards and the ships being built.
    The street still exists and the cottages on it all under heritage protection, but all around is gone.
    You cannot see the local pub from there now, let alone any docks but they are now no more as we knew them then.
    Happy daze John in Oz.

    Life is too short to blend in.

    John Strange R737787
    World Traveller

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  12. #18
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    Default Re: we think we had it tough

    Bit of Makem there.

    K.

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    Default Re: we think we had it tough

    Thanks for the photos, Lewis,
    ESSO was the very best Company to work for, Wages, Plus Overtime, leave, conditions, were Excellent
    Leave Deep Sea was two for one, a four month voyage, round the Cape to the Gulf and back got Two Months leave, on the Coastal trades One on and one off, eg. Four weeks on and four weeks off,.

    Every Wednesday and Sunday a bottle of wine with evening dinner, crew mess ans Officers mess, until the Exxon Valdes disaster then Dry ships.
    All uniforms, working clothes and boots Free,

    EXXON shares for sale at 2 for 1, this has made many of their seafarers MILLIONAIRES
    My younger brother made over One Million, Four Hundred Thousand US Dollars by reinvesting dividends.

    I took early retirement at 52 with a GOLDEN Handshake and a Financial Adviser and a Free none contributory pension for life 34 years ago.
    I did a voyage as Mate on a Shell tanker, it was crap compared with ESSO, I walked off, then got a job on the BOWBELLE purely for the experience, which I enjoyed, and to top up my MNOPF Pension,. and finally retired at 60
    I bought a new 3 bed house on the coast for weekends and vacations, World cruises every year [except last] and still have more than I started with.;
    That is why ESSO was the Best Company to work for.,.;

    Some accountant worked out that it was a lot cheaper and more profitable to Charter Tonnage than to own and operate it. So the ships started to head for Taiwan
    Even the men on the Jetty at Fawley, and all the tanker Lorry Drivers were paid off and then became Self Employed.
    Brian
    Last edited by Captain Kong; 18th February 2021 at 02:18 PM.

  14. #20
    Lewis McColl's Avatar
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    Default Re: we think we had it tough

    BP have done this 3 times now, sell the ships sack the sea staff, rebuild the fleet employ more staff, sell the fleet sack the staff, they have just done it again over the last 18 months. They get a new broom as head of the shipping division and he or she says it is cheaper to charter tonnage and so the circle is squared again. Glad I am well out of it.

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