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Tanker Cherry Duke

6K views 6 replies 7 participants last post by  iankirkland23 
#1 ·
Whilst looking through my collection of memorabilia I came across four photographs of the Tanker Cherry Duke which suffered an on board explosion, Iv'e posted three photos in the Gallery.

I was working on the Umm Shaif Complex at the time and this event would have taken place around about 1980. We heard the explosion on the platform and then the details started to trickle in to us. There was a big panic on because of fears that she might sink on top of and damage the main oil and gas lines from the Complex to Das Island.

As far as I recall there was only one fatality. Fortunately the incident occurred close to Das and their tugs and and our helicopters were able to provide immediate assistance.

I was shown other photographs that were actually taken on board the tanker after the explosion which showed severe wastage and perforations of the gas lines in fact you could see daylight through the coamings of the cargo tank hatches. So obviously this tanker was well past her sell by date and the explosion had loosened the rust which had been keeping her together.

I hovered over the wreck in one of the helicopters, prior to the after end sinking it was aproper mess. Ubfortunately due to fears of spying we were not allowed to have cameras offshore. These photos were taken by one of the Plant Inspectors, whose name I have forgotten, as they were permitted to have a camera for their work.

With the passage of time full details of the incident have escaped me, but I think the Cherry Duke was under the Chines or Singapore flag.

If anyone out there can provide any further details I would be obliged.

Gerry Taylor
 

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#7 ·
Gerry,

The CTX database http://www.c4tx.org/job/cdb/search.html has an entry
on this explosion. Search on ship name and then select precise.
The comment about the corrosion is very valuable
and will be incorporated.

Keep the faith,

Jack Devanney
Jack
As one of the divers involved in the salvage, I can verify she was a rust bucket
Part of the operation involve pumping air into the tanks . As fast as we pumped it in , it came out if holes in the decking, mainly around the butterworth valves .It was days plugging off holes with cement balls I get it to where it would hold.
Ian Kirkland
 
#3 ·
M.T.Cherry Duke IMO No. 5259620. 27400 DWT. Built in UK 1956 as O.B.Sorensen, NOR flag. Renamed Cherry Duke 1974, Owner; Uller (S'pore) Pte. Ltd. Manager; Norse Management Pte. Ltd., Singapore. Exploded 26.08.1979 while under way from Karachi to Djebel Dhanna in ballast.
No cause stated anywhere, but tank cleaning was probably ongoing as she was on a short voyage and had no segregated ballast tanks. Only clean ballast on arrival was a requirement.
 
#4 · (Edited)
When I was an apprentice fitter at Smiths Docks, North Shields I worked on the engine of the O B Sorensen about 1957 or 58. The vessel had a 6 cyl Doxford and the crankshaft had fractured. In the early 1980's I was working at Bahrain Slipway Co., the GM told me to visit the Fwrd half of the Cherry Duke, at anchor off Bahrain and issue a gas free certificate prior to the fwrd half of the vessel being towed away for scrap, to India I think. As I had already pointed out to my GM I was only authorised by the Bahrain authorities to issue gas free certificates for vessels in in my charge undergoing repairs, the GM told me to "get on with it" which I did, the surveyor accepted the certificate and the vessel was towed away for scrap.There are some photos of the fwrd half , taken while at anchor off Bahrain, on this site, in the tanker gallery I think.
 
#5 ·
Whilst looking through my collection of memorabilia I came across four photographs of the Tanker Cherry Duke which suffered an on board explosion, Iv'e posted three photos in the Gallery.

Gerry Taylor
We were on a support vessel close by that day - wandered over at the end of day - I have some pictures of the vessel half submerged - not sure how to attach them here but message me at aspeirs at gmail.com. A couple of our divers borded the vessel after dark and came back with some booze and cigarettes and a puppy!
 

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#6 ·
Casualty details from IHSF SeaWeb
SANK AFTER EXPLOSION 17 MILES OFF DAS ISLAND IN APPROX. LAT. 25 02N., LONG. 53 10E., ON 26/8/79. SHIP DECLARED CONSTRUCTIVE TOTAL LOSS.

EXPLOSION WHICH ROCKED SHIP BELIEVED TO HAVE OCCURRED IN GAS LINES IN EMPTY TANK AFT, ALLEGED CAUSED BY ESCAPE OF GAS. SHIP SANK IN 70 FT. OF WATER.
 
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