Silverweir

Nice modern looking ship for 1961. Often wondered if there was any particular reason for derricks to be stowed athwartships rather than F and A?

regards
Dave

Thanks for posting this photo Dave. Silver Line seems to be the mystery company with almost no webb sites or literature devoted to it? Used to see them quite a bit on the Aussie coast but could never find any info on this company.

ian

Assume that derricks stowed athwartships left the hatches clear for deck cargoes?

regards.

Martin

"Silverweir" was an ore-strengthened bulk carrier and probably worked most of her cargoes with shore-based loading and discharging equipment. Having her derricks stowed like this would save having to top and drop them in each port and in heavy weather they are up on the mast houses out of harm's way.
The origins of the Silver Line date back to 1908 when the brothers Stanley and John Thompson, formed the St Helen's Steamshipping Co Ltd. The brothers were related to the J. L. Thompson shipbuilding company which built many of their ships. Silver Line was officially registered in 1925 and ordered 19 motor cargo liners for a new around the world service in conjunction with Leif Hoegh. Post WW2 a new fleet of 6 cargo liners was ordered but not taken delivery of as the company decided to revert to tramping. Of the liners ordered a twin-funnelled pair were sold to Cunard as "Alsatia"and "Andria" and of the other 4 Blue Funnel took 3, "Teiresias", "Ulysses" and "Teucer", and Jardines took the last one which they renamed "Eastern Glory". Apparently they were all very luxuriously appointed and quite put ships ordered by their new owners to shame. In 1974 Silver Line became part of the Vlasov Group. Vlasov is the world's biggest ship-management company and its very upmarket cruise division is known as Silversea Cruises, so the Silver name sort of lives on.

Dave, your input is very good indeed, well done and thank you. (I found your comments on Kaye, Son & Co Ltd to be equally impressive).

Thanks also from me. Do you know of any webb sites related to this company?
ian

Ian, Sorry, I'm not aware of a Silver Line web site.

Thanks indeed Dave,
I know more about Silver Line from your posting than I did when I worked for them albeit , briefly in the 1970's!
I was on the ore carrier " Sivershore " & the acid tanker " Silvereagle".

The Silverweir looks similar to the Silvershore ( which was built for a subsidiary - the Bishopsgate Shipping Co. Ltd., as the "Aldersgate &quot but by 1975 had no derricks or masts. I cannot say if they were sisters of one class, although I suspect so - will investigate later .

The Silverweir was sold in 1969 to the Greeks for $1.8 million and renamed " Agios Antonios".

On 18/10/1973 she went aground while leaving Coondapur ( yes, a new one for me too, the port is in the State of Karnataka,just south of Goa ) for Constanza and was later abandoned by her crew.

She was a CTL and offered for sale " as is ".

Nothing seems to have occurred for some years and the final report I can find is in 1978 (n.b.) .... " The wreck of Agios Antonios has been sold to Indo Overseas Wreck Salvage and salvage work has recently been in progress"

So I reckon she was broken up in situ.

Regards,
Rick

Very interesting info on Silver line, always wondered what happened to the company. I did three trips on the Silvermain one of which was as a new ship from the builders in Pula, was also on the Silvershore and Silverosprey.
TREVOR

Trevor, in 1984 Silver Line in combination with Van Ommeren UK, formed a new company called V Ships. They are a very large ship management company with in the region of 900 vessels managed. They have a brokerage arm which I believe may still go under the name of Silver Line. Colin