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A "Jumbo" query.

3K views 10 replies 7 participants last post by  Ben Boat Jim 
#1 ·
After a lapse of a few months I have started the continuation of a book I am writing, and for that purpose I would like to know the S.W.L. of the Benalbanach's 3 jumbo's. (built 1946 ex Empire Athelstan) She was my first ship as a raw young "Peggy' and what an eye opener.
I am sure some of the lads would have the stats of her, I guessed at 150 tons but thinking again could be 120 tons.
Kind Regards....Jim Morrison.
 
#4 ·
Hi Jim
From Mitchell & Sawyers excellent book 'Empire Ships'.
Empire Athelstan - built 1946 7795 grt
Derricks - 3 x 120 tons - 6 x 10 tons - 6 x 5 tons.
1947 Benalbanach Ben Line
1965 Camelot British India Line
1969 Dragon Castle Panama flag
1975 Broken up at Split
Regards Stan
 
#6 · (Edited)
The 4 heavy lifters. SWL of jumbos.



Jim,
As far as I can remember all 4 heavy lifters (Benwyvis,Benalbanach,Benledi and Benarty) were identical apart from some minor cosmetic differences and, if that statement is correct, the SWL of the jumbos was 120T. I served my time for three and a half years as cadet on the Wyvis, then went back as 3rd mate on the Arty when she was sold to Mollers in Hong Kong in June 1962. Hard workers, but very happy ships and we saw many out of the way parts of the globe such as 6 weeks at Christmas Island in the Pacific 1957 between H bomb tests. Carried a full MOD charter cargo of foodstuffs,general cargo and every just about every square foot of the deck was covered in heavy lifts, from tugs to landing craft and water barges to pontoons. Several thousand squaddies on the island and every man including the commanding officer slept in tents.
Some other ports were Trincomalee to Gan in the Maldives with RAF equipment. Bluff and Napier one trip for wool and prior to that a time charter from Japan to Bluff (took 6 weeks at 5 knots to arrive no earlier than the charter start date)for a full load of wool for Antwerp.
Latakia in Syria with a full discharge of oil pipe line and then a two month lay up at a buoy at Ballachulish on the west coast of Scotland. A lot of the "adventure" has disappeared from seagoing these days......but that is what the square rigger men probably thought of us...
I have a few black and white photos of the Wyvis and the Arty which I will try to post if I can - no promises!
 
#7 ·
Jumbo

Hi John,
Thanks very much for your very informative description of the 4 heavy lift ships, they certainly got around the globe. I remember clearly standing on the salt water line pipe and my chin just touched the top of the bulwarks.
If you can get the photos uplifted that would be fantastic, as you never ever forget your first ship.
Kind Regards Jim Morrison.
 
#8 ·
Jim, there was a multipart article in an early edition of "Ships in Focus Record" about heavy lift ships, have you looked in there ? Let me know, I can look it out for you if you want.

Cheers

Andy
 
#9 ·
Jim and John,
I remember every monday when I left home in Teessside to travel to Saudi Shields when at pre-sea we would pass through British West Hartlepool where i think it was the old Albanach was laid up on stand bye for the MOD, I don'tknow if ben manned it at that time or if it was a contract shore squad that stood bye.
My first deep sea trip on the Valla was with George Fraser Walker ho was 1st mate he had served his time on one of the them and told the cadets all sorts of stories. As you both mentioned it was the adventure that made it so interesting.
Fraser worked for many years as ship co-ordinator for the container group Trio (Ben ,OCL,NYK.MOL.Hapag) the trio was British, German,Japanese.
He scheduled all the ships throughout europe and all the Far East ports he also contracted berths for the group. When he retired he became a marine consultant.
Rgds Ian.
 
#10 ·
I came across the Camelot (ex-Benalbanach) in 1968, I was a cadet on RFA Orangeleaf and we went down to the South Pacific to restore and refuel her. She was loaded up with monitoring equipment - essentially spying on the French A tests which were underway on Muraroa. The RAS was an interesting event as her bunker point was in a hatch on the ships side. The scientists we carried boarded her by jack stay transfer.

She was managed by BI for the MOD.

Joined Ben Line in 1975, then on to Atlantic Drilling 1980.

Iain
 
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