esso northumbria
esso northumbria
Hi Andy, thanks for that. Not been to Guernsey for 20 years now, used to go regular on the Esso Caernarvon. I have sailed with Jack Aalen`s son, Ashle
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Hi Ray,

There were four ships of that class, I sailed on them all.

They were designed by a friend of mine who died last year, Joe Hirder, he lived near Norfolk, Virginia.

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ESSO- Northumbria, and Hibernia, both built in Swan Hunters, Tyne. and Ulidia, and Caledonia both built in Belfast.

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The two Tyne built ships always had a lot of problems, hull cracking on the Hibernia on the maiden voyage and many problems on Northumbria. The Rudder stock fractured in 1976 off Cape Town and we were towed in along side the outer breakwater. the biggest ship ever to go into Cape Town at that time, three months alongside.

I didnt experience any problems with the lifts.

There was a lot of corrosion causing many problems and a lot of problems in the engine room.

There was flexing of the hull in heavy weather, the fore deck used to go up and down, bending like carrying a long plank. This was necessary as if it wasnt flexible they would have snapped in half. The Sheer strake was made of high tensile steel to accommodate this movement.

They were built 1970.

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Esso Northumbria

B. 1970. 256,000 dwt, Swan Hunter S. B. Ltd. Steam Turbine. B/U at Kaohsiung in 1982

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I enjoyed the trip of six months on her.

Cheers

Brian.

Hi Bill,

Joe told me he had designed the Northumbria class of VLCC for EXXON.

He also arranged for Princess Anne to launch the Northumbria and then when the launch was delayed for a while he went to Buckingham Palace to arrange a later date for the launch.

Joe was not the type of man to exagerate. so I believed him.

I met him socially many times and he would read out my seafaring poems out to the members of his EXXON Club in Virginia Beach.

It was a great pleasure to have known him and his wife Shirley.

I will send you a PM of exerpts of various emails so it will give you some idea of his life style.

Cheers

Brian.

I sailed on most of the ESSO Big ones, four of the Northumbria class and the best were the Kockums buit ones Demetia and Dalriada.

The ships were slightly larger tonnage and better built, the accommodation was much nicer as well.

The DEMETIA was hit by an Exocet Missile in the Gulf , Iraq/ Iran war.

I enjoyed my time with ESSO and got a great Golden Hand shake when I took early retirement, plus free pension.

They looked after us very well.

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. The biggest Tanker I ever went on was the BATILUS, French Shell Tanker, I sailed around the Cape on her when I was with Court Helicopters, there were several flights to her with various parcels of cargo from Cape Town, so I stayed on board for around three hours with the Paperwork as she steamed around the Cape. Now she was BIG.!

560,000 tons, she was on her maiden Voyage in 1976. It was like being on the Isle of Man. I have photos somewhere. She only lasted seven years.

CALEDONIA , DEMETIA, HIBERNIA, BATILUS.

Attached Images

Esso%20Caledonia-02.jpg (54.1 KB, 112 views)

Esso%20Demetia-01.jpg (56.9 KB, 68 views)

Esso%20Hibernia-01.jpg (51.7 KB, 98 views)

Batillus-02.jpg (44.7 KB, 177 views)

There was very little difference in them Brian. From the 'Bantry Class' in 1970 to King Alexander they all seemed a little 'samey'.

What stays in my mind more is the accommodation and I use the above ULCCs as examples . The Bantry Class were BASIC (steel Bulkheads in accomodation) and I use capitals to make the point whilst the King Alexander was sumptuous due her previous Scandinavian owners. One company I sailed in whose ULCCs were perhaps bordering on the lavish was Grand Bassa Tankers. Absolutely out of this world. All Italian except for me and the German C/Eng.

As for early retirement Brian, you must have 'blue eyes'. In Jan 2005 I had 50 years unbroken and no kindly owner to look kindly on me. That's life.

Brgds

Bill