Elstree Grange 1979-1984

[Mike Holland-Lloyd]

Hi All,

Does anyone have any news of the two product tankers built at Harland & Wolff in 1979, Hornby Grange and Elstree Grange. I know they were sold in the 80's and as a result I was made redundant.

Does anyone know if Captain C.J.Welch, P.J.E. Charman and G.V.Spong are still enjoying retirement.... or what.

Best regards to all

MHL

[non descript]

Ordered in 1977 from Harland & Wolff, Elstree Grange (Hull 1710) and Hornby Grange (Hull 1709) were christened and delivered side by side in June 1979, then remained as twins, for the rest of their lives; being re-named Santa Lucia and Santa Barbara respectively when they transferred into the care of the Tung Group in 1984, where they traded somewhat unsatisfactorily until they were sold to Belgian Transpetrol in 1988. Eventually both ships arrived at Alang Beach to be broken up within two weeks of each other.

A picture to go with it is here ( http://www.shipsnostalgia.com/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/30392/si/hornby%20grange/what/allfields)

[R58484956]

MV Santa Lucia Ex Elstree Grange 35546 tons built 1979 by H& W Belfast.
228.28 x 32.29 x 13.324. 6 cylinder 2SA B&w diesel built by H&W 20500bhp
(15079Kw) 1 wt boiler (of) 32.8 bar. 2 Auxiliary boilers (1 of, 1 ex gas)
3 generators 780Kw 440 volts 60 Hz AC. Code flags ELEF7. DF,ESD, GyC,Pfd,
Radar, RT. Registered Monrovia, Liberian flag. Owned by Fest Pacific Co; Ltd and managed by Denholm Ship Management Ltd. 15.5 Knots.

[non descript]

I have copied the relevant posts across to this new thread, as it seemed only fair to give this lady her own thread.

[Mike Kemble]

This is not the WW2 one, is it?

[ChandlerBird]

If it is, then a seaman named Wheeler won the George Cross for bravery on her, saving two other crew men, I think?

[Mike Kemble]

I had a query from a family member about the Elstree Grange and this was the only image I could find but did find two references to two Eltree's, one post war, and that image about looks decidely post war. Hope I am wrong.

[geoff johnson (lofty)]

Mike , This was a liberty ship launched in 1944 as the SAMETRICK it was renamed
ELSTREE GRANGE BY Holders. I sailed on her in 1948 as Deck boy and on my second trip was paid of in BA. Geoff Johnson (Lofty)

[geoff johnson (lofty)]

If it is, then a seaman named Wheeler won the George Cross for bravery on her, saving two other crew men, I think?

The Elstree Grange that you are refering to was bombed in Liverpool
Docks and was severly damaged that it was scrapped.
Geoff Johnson (Lofty)

[Mike Kemble]

thanks gents, I presume she means the bombed ship in Liverpool, I will ask.

[geoff johnson (lofty)]

More info is available in the SN Gallery.Look up ELSTREE GRANGE.
GEOff Johnson (Lofty)

[tonymorcom]

Hi All,

Does anyone have any news of the two product tankers built at Harland & Wolff in 1979, Hornby Grange and Elstree Grange. I know they were sold in the 80's and as a result I was made redundant.

Does anyone know if Captain C.J.Welch, P.J.E. Charman and G.V.Spong are still enjoying retirement.... or what.

Best regards to all

MHL

I wonder if you remember me Mike, I sailed with you a couple of times in 1975 and 1977 on Orotava as Cadet then 3rd Mate. Remember the MY Angelina incident??

[nickpaton]

Elstree Grange was the last ship I was Radio Officer on before leaving the Merchant Navy, and spent a lot of time at Harland and Wolfe as part of the commissioning crew.

Whilst doing speed trials in the Irish Sea, we were ordered to immediately kill the main engines as the Hardwick had just had an engine blow out caused by a rag being left in the engine, and the resulting excess crankcase pressure blew out the engine inspection hatches killing a number of crew members. We were then towed back by tug whilst our engines were stripped down and checked and declared rag-free.

Also it was the only time the automatic Distress Equipment actually went off in anger, and because I was commissioning crew I was not the actual RO so didn't get to deal with it! Turned out to be a sailing vessel stuck in some mud.

During her maiden voyage we picked up crude from Bonny in Nigeria and were then given orders to head for the Cape Verde Islands for bunkers.......except apparently someone in the US office claimed never to have sent such a message. However it's very difficult to get "Cape Verde Islands" mixed up in morse compared with goodness knows where they actually meant!!

In any case we ended up going there, and we headed at full speed for the harbour wall with the intention of throwing the engine in reverse to slow us down. As Full Astern was rung nothing happened and it turned out the reverse gear mech had jammed having been in the forward position for so long!
Fortunately the gentle application of multiple sledge hammer blows pursuaded it to engage at the last moment, but not before the locals were seen to be frantically running from the rapidly approaching bows!!

Having finally got "on station" the rest of the voyage was spent transporting crude between Bonaire and Galveston / Mississippi, with the odd job off loading oil tankers that were too wrecked to pass US Safety standards.

Captains Spong and Craven captained the vessel during my time on it.

A good but somewhat unexciting ship but great having all that brand new radio gear to play with!

[vasco]

Think I may have to correct you a bit there.

It was not the Hardwicke it was the Hornby. Various stories but the favourite was something to do with the Oil Mist detector.

Nobody was injured, let alone killed. It happened at 04:05, luckily three engineers, Malcolm (who is on this site), Gerry Watkiss, other I can't remember(ronnie,Roddy), were in the control room, so they tested the emergency escape.

Ev Partington, the second had gone back to his cabin to get something just as the changing room door shhattered, there was a screw neck high stuck in his door. I was 2/O on there at the time.

I think there is a more detailed thread about this and click here for 2 photos of the aftermath, and a load of other Houlder related http://www.shipsnostalgia.com/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/95028/title/hornby-grange-1979-cra/cat/500 .

By the way Nick, we must have met up in Belfast, I stood by the 2 of them and if I remeber right we nicked your radio gear as ours didn't work.

[nickpaton]

Thanks for the corrections Vasco and very good to meet you too.

Being so long ago I can't remember you, but now you mention it I think I do remember losing some of our radio gear for a while!

I was backwards and forwards between Newcastle and Belfast during trials, especially when they tore the engine down after the Hornby incident so it's entirely possible you were on board while I was away - or you were on board at the same time but we all seemed to be doing our own thing at the time and it was only when the ship was finally handed over to us that we got to know one another.

Got to say I'm relieved that no one was hurt in the explosion.