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Shell Tankers 1967-1975

152K views 175 replies 78 participants last post by  Jim Glover 
#1 ·
s.s. velletia
s.s. holospira
s.s. hyala
m.s. amastra
m.s. donovania
m.s. daphnella
s.s. axina
s.s.hemisinus ( the saigon flyer )
s.s. vertagus
m.s.amoria
m.s.naticina ( load lightening )
 
#2 ·
Sad story

Alan,
Were you on the Axina when the RO threw a wobbler.
I can't remember which ship I was on but we had just left Durban, Shell office ordered us to do a search for the Axina and to keep things quiet as the Press had not been informed of the "missing" vessel. We steamed up and down the Indian Ocean for a week looking for it, to no avail. Shell had to announce it to the media.
I don't know if this bit of the story is true, but the Chief Engineer, on the Axina, was listening to the BBC World Service on the Sunday Morning and must have spluttered in his Gin & Tonic when the newscaster mentioned that the Axina was still missing and that all hope of finding her was fading.
He legged it up midships to the Old Man's cabin and informed him that they were lost; no we're not was the reply, yes we are said the Chief. (I have a vision of a pantomime scene).
Sparky was visited and sure enough he had developed some form of mental block and would not touch the Morse key. He had been delivering fake messages and nobody on the Axina suspected anything amiss.
 
#3 ·
stevcz.
YES!!!!!
First trip 3rd eng. joined July 70 at Bandar Mahshahr up the river at the top of the Gulf.
I can quote from a newspaper cutting that my old aunt saw in a Glasgow paper, but I cannot remember the exact date.
" No alarm yet" over tanker
Shell Tankers, owners of the Brittish vessel Axina, said in London to-day they did not feel any need for alarm yet over reports that the 12,283-ton(GRT) tanker had not been heard of for some days.
She left Walvis Bay, in South Africa, on October &, bound for Port Sudan.(actually the Gulf.)
Reuter reports said no word had been received from the tanker- with an all-British crew - since then.
The Shell spokesman said the vessel had been sighted off Cape Town and later off Port Elizabeth in the Indian Ocean.
"It is quite normal for a vessel not to be in touch with us during a voyage. They radio that they have left port and give an arrival date and theit destination"
It is possible, the spokesman said, that the Aina ( paper missprint not mine) may be having some engine trouble, and he added-- "We are making all efforts to get in touch with her."

The real story in the next installment, but may be in a month's time as I am leaving the island ( Islay) on holiday.

ATB
All The Best.
Alanengineer.
 
#5 ·
I may as well feel old join the Shell fusillers club:

Engineer apprentice to medical discharge in 1984:

Haustellum,
Hemiglypta,(under the Australian flag)
Harpula,
Hyala,(took this one to scrap in Kaoshiung)
Serenia, (laid this one up in Brunei)
Zenatia,
Axina,
Methane Progress,
Gadinia,
Partula (I guess I really upset somebody in fleet personnel to get this one),
Asprella,
Aulica,
Solen,
Halia,
Achatina,
Lotorium,
Lima,
Halia (again),
Limopsis,
Serenia (again)
Gastrana, and finally
Lampas (left in Le Havre after having prepared her for lay up in Lamlash Bay)

In general happy memories and a career I was sad to part with. (Thumb)
 
#6 ·
Well Nick,
We all had to do a "Tar Tub", mine was the Pallium. At least we didn't get the "PLAGIOLA" !!!!!!!

Here's my ship list:
Humilaria, Nov 1969 - May 1970, 5/E.
Heldia, Jul 1970 - Jan 1971, 5/E.
Alinda, Apr 1971 - Jul 1971, 4/E.
Zenatia, Aug 1971 - Dec 1971, 4/E.
Zaphon, Jan 1972 - May 1972, 4/E.
Hemitrochus, Dec 1972 - May 1973, 4/E.
Pallium, Jul 1973 - Nov 1973, 4/E.
Haustrum, May 1974 - Sep 1974, 3/E.
Asprella, Nov 1974 - Apr 1975, 3/E.
Latirus, Jul 1975 - Nov 1975, 3/E.
Lanistes, Feb 1976 - May 1976, 3/E.
Linga, Aug 1976 - Sep 1976, 3/E.
Latirus, Nov 1976 - Feb 1977, 3/E.
Limnea, May 1977 - Oct 1977, 3/E.
Mena, Jan 1978 - May 1978, 3/E.
Serenia, Jul 1978 - Nov 1978, 3/E.
Shell Expro Offshore, Brent Bravo1979, Fulmar Alpha 1980, Tern Alpha 1989, Syria 1996-2004
 
#7 ·
Bryn Ex Shell

Here`s my list,I did enjoy serving on them all.

Capulonix Dec 61 - July 62 5/E
Hemifusus Sep 62 - July 63 5/E
Partula Nov 63 - May 64 5/E
San Gaspar June 64 - Aug 64 4/E Ex Eagle Oil
San Calisto Nov 64 - July 65 4/E Ex Eagle Oil
Hyria Oct 65 - Apr 66 3/E
Hima May 66 - Sept 66 3E
Gastrana Dec 66 - May 67 3/E To shipbreakers Hong Kong
 
#8 ·
As an ex Cunarder who sailed over 250 times on the same ship (QE) it seems strange
that some companies changed their staff between ships so often. On one web site I see that one person served his whole sea going life on one ship, from maiden voyage to scrap. He obviously did not work for Shell.
 
#9 ·
My experiences of working on Shell Tankers were from February 1965 through to October 1967.
My list:-
STS Platidia, yes a tar boat but it was to me the best.
SS Methane Princess (Shell Managed)
SS Amoria
SS Clymene (Shell Charter)
Any info of their respective fates and pictures would be much appreciated. I have a picture of the Clymene and Methane Princess but any others would be most welcome.
 
#10 ·
More Shell Lists

I wasn't going to but how could I resist.
"Helcion" Sept. 1962 (Tilbury) - May 1963 (Cardiff)
"Helisoma" June 1963 Tilbury) - Jan. 1964 (Immingham)
"San Fabian" Feb. 1964 (Ellesmere Port) - April 1964 (Tilbury)
"San Conrado" Dec. 1964 (Rotterdam) - Jan. 1964 (Tilbury)
"Alinda" Sept. 1965 (Tilbury) - Jan. 1966 (Ellesmere Port)
"Haminea" March 1966 (Cardiff) - Oct. 1966 (Ellesmere Port)
"Dorcasia" Jan. 1967 (Malmo) - July 1967 (Rotterdam)
"Hyria" Sept. 1967 (Singapore) - March 1968 (Yokohama)
"Hadra" April 1968 (Birkenhead) - Feb. 1969 (Durban)
"Humilaria" May 1969 (Singapore) - Nov. 1969 (Singapore)

Let's put it this way, I enjoyed some more than others.
 
#55 ·
#16 ·
Shelltankerman

(Applause) Hi sailed on the megara
lanistes (new)from chiba
lampas
felipes twice New from haugesund 2 curacao to west africa
halia lightening
litiopa new from chiba
naticina
great times especialy felipes down on the west african coastto scaramanger dry dock
 
#18 ·
More Shell

Davila Oct/63 - Jan/64
Axina Apr/64 - July/64
Ninella July/64 - Dec/64
Rita Dec/64 - Dec/64

Davila went to the breakers yard in Spain Jan 64.
Ninella d/d in Singapore after losing port aft lifeboat during Board of Trade sports in the Pesian Gulf
Rita d/d in Singapore after being hit amidships by a liberty ship that lost steering in the harbour.
Some fun times.
Jim Mac
 
#45 ·
Davila Oct/63 - Jan/64
Axina Apr/64 - July/64
Ninella July/64 - Dec/64
Rita Dec/64 - Dec/64

Davila went to the breakers yard in Spain Jan 64.
Ninella d/d in Singapore after losing port aft lifeboat during Board of Trade sports in the Pesian Gulf
Rita d/d in Singapore after being hit amidships by a liberty ship that lost steering in the harbour.
Some fun times.
Jim Mac
Ninella's last occupation was as floating storage at Saigon before going to scrap march'66 in Taiwan. I was Mate, Jeff Cush Master, don't remember other names. What a job! double pay war bonus plus Eastern bonus, not much work, and next to no watchkeeping .
 
#20 · (Edited)
Hello to all you Shell guys worked by one of your ships for 2 wks in Falmouth England before shipping out on a Norwegian vessel in the early fifties she was Panamanian flag. I believe there were 6 in the fleet crewed through your hiring system the pool ,German built all began with the letter C what were all the names please ,this is not a quiz ,it`s a request for information
 
#21 ·
Shell Germany 'C' class

janbonde said:
Hello to all you Shell guys worked by one of your ships for 2 wks in Falmouth England before shipping out on a Norwegian vessel in the early fifties she was Panamanian flag. I believe there were 6 in the fleet crewed through your hiring system the pool ,German built all began with the letter C what were all the names please ,this is not a quiz ,it`s a request for information
According to helderline the following ships were built for Shell at Bethlehem Steel, Quincy Mass.
Caperata (1950)
Capiluna (1960)
Capisteria (1960)
Caprella (3) (1950)
Caprinus (1950)
Capsa (3) (1950)
Capulonix (1959)
Capulus (1950)
Lovellia (1959)
Patro (1959)
The information listed in the helderline web site shows that five of them were transfered to German flag in 1959
Caperata
Caprella
Caprinus
Capsa
Capulus
All 28/29,000 DWT.

Cheers
Jim MacIntyre
 
#23 ·
I worked for Stuk too!
Achatina(can you believe it was still around in the early 1980'sI remember a big hole in the bulkheads between 4 and 5 genter tanks.....she went off to scrap shortly after)
Paludina the tar tub queen!Another great story in LA at lunchtime the discharge pipe burst and bitumin was pouring into LA harbor.Every bloody car that had a flashing light on it descended onto the scene.They arrested the old man for pollution until they found out it was a shore side pipe that burst and the polluter was the American company that owned the terminal.....oooooops!
Drupa, Now where would we be without 4 months in the Brent?Everyone needs to freeze their a**es off at some time in their life!I remember we had the TV people on board at Shell haven as we were getting our safety awards for the year.Just out of the port you could see the oil being pumped into a tank that was already full and the stuff was going everywhere.The old man in a blind panic said well you have your story,we have work to do,so goodbye.They were escorted out of the terminal the long way round where the tank could not be seen..........oooooooops!
Litiopa, joined her in New Orleans.she was held up for three days due to bad weather.........Shell in their infinite wisdom put us up in a great hotel on Bourbon Street, then proceeded to give us $35.00 a day per diem.I don't think I have ever drunk as much beer in my life!Then we sailed off to Kharg Island Iran where the ship got robbed by the Iranian Soldiers.I had an ak47 stuffed in my mouth after I refused to hand over my Yankee Dollars.I got a busted tooth and load in my shorts.Funniest thing about that was we got our black out kits from Shellstores in London that consisted of black bin liners and a roll of masking tape.Like thats gonna stop shrapnel!!
Shell was great to work for,and I miss the guys and the ships.
Pete
 
#24 ·
shell was good to work for especailly when you had to be put up in hotels at the shipbuilders exspence and still be given money for troubles mind you sake flow fast and furious in chiba while standing by as lanistes and litiopa were made ready for maiden voyages and to top it of were even given sayanora parties by the shipbuilder. great and missed .but mostly the comradeship you can never find ashore we were and always be one of a kind no matter how much barnacales gather under us.
 
#25 ·
I was a (BP) Engineering Apprentice at Acton Technical College 1955/57 and am trying to locate the Shell apprentices there at that time
Dennis Chamberlain
Alan Ewins
Ron Ford
John Hinds
Bob Picavance
Ken Wheatley

I have found Ian Huckle and Gerald Wealstead and would be intersted if anyone knows of these 6 guys

Graham Wallace
 
#26 ·
Shelling of S.S. Haustrum

Myself and a few others are looking into the shelling of SS Haustrum in We think the January of 1967. We connot find any news referances to the incident.We have been lead to think that the skipper was from Hull and was badly injured and the helmsman was killed.Can anybody shed more light on this shelling.
Taxidave
 
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