Four Ships

[hartman045]

1962. The Adofeltis II (I think is the name) Todays graffiti artists would have loved that!



1968. I know nothing other than it was another late evening snap.



A buoy, a tug and a ship. That's what rivers are about. Not art. c1970c.



Late 1980s or early 90s. That crane on the left, appeared in nearly every photograph taken on or near the river.

[Jarrow Pete]

The crane was in Brigham and Cowans yard. Dougie Holmsron from Quarry Lane father used to operate it. Seem to remember it blowing down one night in the gales.

[brian c]

The ship to the right of the crane, is it one of the Norwegian whalers?

[Pilot]

Brian, The whalers were long gone by the time the picture was taken.

[Pilot]

The first ship is the Adlefotis II which lost its engines while entering the river.

[Pilot]

The Orange gas tanker entering the river I would query the date as the tug was I think not built till 1980

[brian c]

Brian, The whalers were long gone by the time the picture was taken.

Thanks Pilot, it was the twin funnels that confused me.

[baldy.smith]

Brian, The whalers were long gone by the time the picture was taken.

Thanks Pilot, it was the twin funnels that confused me.

Both the "Southern Harvester" and the "Southern Venture" had the twin funnels.

We don't know the date the photo was taken, the Ship is in the exact spot where they used to berth.

On closer inspection of the photo, the ships colours do not match the Salveson colours
the name on the stern is not that of one of the Whalers. The whalers were operating
until 1961 at least. That is according to a website I visited.

[hartman045]

The whalers use to moor off the Mill Dam, exactly where that ship is in the sunset photo.

[baldy.smith]

The whalers use to moor off the Mill Dam, exactly where that ship is in the sunset photo.

Whish is what I said in the post above yours.

[Pilot]

The picture is taken at Brighams not Middle docks, with Smiths opposite, the whalers moored just above the middle dam at middle Dock quay about half a mile further up river from this picture.

[baldy.smith]

Looks like you're right Pilot, but there again if anyone should know, it would be you.

[Jarrow Pete]

Baldy, standing looking at the river at Mill Dam, whalers were berthed to the left. My grandfather used to be watchman on them and would often take me on board in the 50s.
A lot of the crews came from Shetland and Orkney, used to drink with a couple of old timers in the legion club in Lerwick Shetland. Called in there a couple of weeks ago one night and did not see any of them, maybe they have passed on as they must be in their eighties.

[baldy.smith]

I know that Pete, I used to spend a lot of time down there and I was always impressed by the size
of the "sister ships" they used to come in regularly for refits etc and be there for months on end.
Pilot is correct I think, because the building to the stern of the ship is not the "Customs House"
the "Customs House" would be several hundred yards upriver from the bow of the ship.

[ralph]

The crane was in Brigham and Cowans yard. Dougie Holmsron from Quarry Lane father used to operate it. Seem to remember it blowing down one night in the gales.

The ship in the centre on the North side, is either the Port Chalmers or the Port Caroline, refrigerated cargo ships, and for Port line, the last of their type. I remember being told that each one carried enough lamb to keep the whole of Britain going for nearly a week! I was on the Port Montreal heading West through the Panama Canal when the Port Chalmers passed us sailing East and returning from its maiden voyage. We all believed that such ships would drastically reduce the size of the Port Line fleet. Container ships ultimately caused their demise - but we did not trealise it then.

[denis]

The cranes were built by BUTTERS and a family of father and two sons .one of which split his arm when putting in the jib pin.he went to hospital in the morning and in the afternoon was back on site.
When they were doing the riveting myself and another plumber had to put up a pipe so that the rivets landed near the job

[martymont]

I think that gas tanker may be the Gandara she took a long time to I kno i was working on her in 76 just finished my apprenticeship, Arctic d steel the tanks were constructed from had a brown dust covering, the welders had to use special rods, you could not fix any dogs etc ont the tanks themselves

[captain beefheart]

i recall a ship built at hawthorn leslie called the emilio zapata, this was a gas tanker looking very much like the picture

[Pilot]

By the condition of the hull I don't think the gas tanker was a new ship we used to get a lot of these ships, usually Norwegian, running to Velva Liquids into what used to be Esso main jetty the tug looks to be the Seasider or one of her class built between 1980 and 1985.

[martymont]

[googlevid]http://www.shieldsgazette.com/audio-vid ... 6142945.jp[/googlevid]

found this piece of history enjoy