Anecdote

In 1970 I was part of a team from the University of Glasgow Department of Naval Architecture that performed as set of shallow water sinkage and trim measurements on the Marinula as part of a wider study the effects on ships with high block coefficients.

We boarded the Marinula heading North from a pilot boat out of Santa Cruz de Tenerife and set up our measuring equipment crossing the Bay of Biscay. To make our measurements we deployed a 10m 'bowsprit' from which we made ultrasonic distance measurements ahead of the bulbous bow onto the water surface to measure bow sinkage and a micromanometer to measure ship trim while under way. An accurate ship's log was deployed as we entered Milford Haven where the actual measurements were made. As I recall the Marinula was typical of many tankers trimming up to 2m by the bow in shallow water when running at 15kts or so, certainly something to bear in mind when entering or leaving port when the state of tide meant the under-keel clearance was marginal!

Although it now 50 years or so ago I'd like to thank once again the captain and crew of the Marinula who helped us on board and made the whole trip a very pleasant and productive experience.

My Father Ronald Joyce Was Chief steward on this ship does anyone remember him

My Father Ronald Joyce Was chief Steward on this Trip would anybody remember him/

Fun sailing in the Caribbean region for 6 months.

Hello my name is Gordon Perry (Jackie) I’m 92 years old, I sailed on the San Amado in 1949. I used my brothers log book, his name was Thomas Perry. I thought I was going to be doing a 6 week trip but in fact it toured around the world for 12 months. They then flew me home from Holland. No one ever knew I went on my brothers book except possibly the Captain because my brother was a Quartwe Master and I had no idea how to sail a ship. My Daughter happened upon this page and saw your Anecdote and we believe that it was to much a coincidence how similar the experience you wrote about was to my actual experience on the ship and figured we would reach out.

Hi I signed on in Copenhagen in November on a really cold evening, the bloke at the Pool in London telling a one tripper. Almost a year later walked down the gangway in Tyne dock. But that ship and the crew made it one of the best trips ever .During that trip we travelled all over the and then some. First port of call Casablanca were we dropped off a young deckle with appendicitis next the old cook who had a bevie problem that was in Trinidad, we got new cook and went on to Havana then headed for Bermuda .There while in the pantry we herd this loud wooshing sound, rushing on deck to see a 20 foot fountain of pink fuel comming out of one of the tanks.I have never seen a second officer do some low flying ashore into the shore pumping shed , the fountain subsided and im here to tell the tail. Only 2nd and I and the shore gang know about this.

On this tanker my father boatsman Gijsbert van Delft (brother of Gerard) made his last journey for Shell around 1969 or 1970.

Joined the Hemifusus my 2nd trip in Rotterdam 04/02/1970 along with three other deck cadets. After completing the discharge and tank cleaning in the English Channel we entered Bute Dry Dock Cardiff 09/02/70 The following day a full crew change was carried out. The ships articles were closed and new articles opened. One of the cadets who had only just joined, decided he was not re-signing on and simply walked off the ship, the one and only time I saw this happening in 40 years at sea. Tiger bay was in full swing and we had some great runs ashore. After sailing we headed west to the Caribbean loading Lub oils in Curacao and discharging in the US. The Capt. was very much old school and had logged/sacked quite a few people in the first 8 weeks. On the 2nd. loading in Curacao the Capt. paid off and was temporarily relieved by an elderly retired Capt. for a month or so. Regrettably a couple of crew members the worse the wear for drink returned from the Madhouse and decided to "have a word" with the Capt. about the numerous loggings and sackings unaware that he had left the vessel, that afternoon. There was a scuffle, outside the Captains cabin with lots of shouting and banging which resulted in the police arriving and the two crew members being arrested, never seen again. We then headed for Panama, Japan, Singapore, Curacao and finally back to the UK without too many further incidents, paying off in London 19/08/1970 (A great learning trip for a cadet but definitely not a happy trip)

My late Father-in-law was the 2nd Radio Officer on Horshell when she was torpedoed. Would be very interested in any information on the voyage and subsequent rescue.

Diala was built 1938 by Bremer Vulkan, Vegesack: she was 8106grt, 465ft x 59ft.
Whist I can find no actual sister ship link there were quite a few similar vessels built during the same period: all 465ft in length x 59ft beam, in fact 17 others.
They were Daphnella, Darina, Daronia, Davila, Delphinula, Desmoulea, Diloma, Diplodon, Dolabella, Donacilla, Donax, Donovania, Dorcasia, Doryssa, Dosina, Dromus, Drupa.
Of those 17, 12 saw out the end of the war i.e. survived and the remaining 5 lost and these were Darina, Donax, Donovania, Doryssa, Dosina,
Doryssa was sunk 25/4/1943 by the Italian submarine Da Vinci, presumably on the Europe side.
Dosina was sunk 26/10/1940 by mine in Queens Channel Mersey.
That leaves :-
Darina 8113grt 465ft x 59ft; built 1939 by Blythswood S.B. Co Ltd of Glasgow and lost 20/5/1942 on passage from Stanlow to Texas City.
Donax 8036grt 465ft x 59ft; built 1938 by Harland & Wolff Glasgow and lost 22/10/42 on passage from Belfast to New York.
Donovania 8149grt 465ft x 59ft; built 1941 by Hawthorn Leslie Hebburn and lost on passage from Lagos to Trinidad.
All possible sister ships are very much alike in specification but as far as routing goes I might discount the Donovania and maybe even Darina i.e. leaving a possible as Donax?
Reference the Flemish Pass wreck article I note the beam as 20mtr therefore agree that 59ft does tie in but wonder why you might consider it as a Diala sister vessel.
I hope this helps.

My dad Bill Young was on this ship in the early 1950’s

Mijn opa Th. J Brouwer heeft gevaren op de Olivia die voer onder La Corona/Shell tijdens de oorlog.
Deze tanker werd in 1942 in de Indische oceaan door japanse schepen onder vuur genomen en tot zinken gebracht.
Op wonderbaarlijke wijze wist mijn opa midden in de nacht onder de ontstane vlammenzee door te zwemmen en ternauwernood aan boord te komen van een reddingssloep samen met slechts 4 scheepsofficieren en een onbekend aantal Chinese bemaningsleden, waarna een dramatische open boot tocht van 29 dagen volgden op de stille oceaan. Er was nauwelijks eten en drinken aan boord, bovendien was de sloep lek en de mast brak af. De ene na de andere opvarende bezweek aan de ontberingen. Uiteindelijk kwam slechts een deel van deze opvarende, inclusief mijn opa, terecht op Madagascar waar zij krijsgevangenen werden.
Ik heb van deze barre reis een zeer uitgebreid artikel dat destijds in 'de blauwe wimpel' is verschenen in 1973. Een wellicht bekend maandblad voor scheepvaart.
Ik zou u de foto's van dit artikel kunnen doorsturen. Mail mij gerust op: tijlvanhooff@yahoo.com