HARPULA

About

Completed 1955 as "HARPULA" for STUK. 5-10-1975 arrived Kaohsiung for scrap.

IMO number
5143118
Call sign
GVBJ
Construction number
1485
Tonnage
19.000 ton
Beam
21m
Length overall
169m
Year of construction
1955
Year of renaming/broken up
1975
Service for Shell
1955 to 1975
Cargo
Class
Flag state
Home port
Manager
Shipyard
Status
Photo(s)

Comments

Sailors

Name Job Period Details
Terence Brackenbury assistant steward
Leo J. Mc Shane 3rd officer 1955 to 1957
William Bill Coppard apprentice engineer 1955 to 1956 maiden voyage
Ian Robertson deck apprentice 1955 to 1956 On maiden voyage
Melvyn Hake junior ordinary seaman 1955 to 1956 maiden voyage
Rodger Laycock deck apprentice 1956 to 1957
David Rogers deck apprentice 1956 to 1957
Daniel Rutherford 2nd cook and baker 1956
George Harrison catering 1957 catering/cabin
Bernard Reynolds deck apprentice 1957 to 1958
Samuel Hugh Allen 2nd engineer 1958 to 1959
David Mcadam 4th engineer 1958 to 1959
James Hitch apprentice engineer 1958
Terry Ayres deck boy 1959 to 1960
David Golding Zig deck apprentice 1959
Graham Willliam... 3rd engineer 1960 to 1961
John Beckket junior ordinary seaman 1960 to 1961
Geoff Walker assistant steward 1961 to 1962
Philip Ablett chef kok 1962 to 1963
Ian Watson apprentice engineer 1962 to 1963
Nick Jock Orr cabin boy 1962 to 1963
Leslie Watson 4th engineer 1963 to 1964
William George ... 5th engineer 1963 to 1964
Mauice Moe Lake efficient deckhand 1963
Richard Hindle 3rd engineer 1964 to 1965
Norman Thomas assistant steward 1964
Kerry Dunn deck apprentice 1964 to 1965
David Coldwell 3rd mate 1964 March to July
Chris Spencer deck apprentice 1964 to 1965
Trevor Cox deck apprentice 1964
Howard Fitzgerald 2nd cook and baker 1964 to 1965
Charles Stobbart 2nd cook 1964
Ian R. Burridge catering boy 1965
Mick Kenny Luck... deckhand (d.h.u.) 1965
Gwyn Melville W... senior ordinary seaman 1966
Michael Stapleton able seaman 1966 to 1968
Joseph Moore apprentice engineer 1967
Noel McConnell apprentice engineer 1967
Thomas Orr Graden 5th engineer 1967 to 1968
Noel McConnell apprentice engineer 1967
Vic Hubbert 2nd mate 1967
James Douglas Slater 4th engineer 1967
Desmond Sissons 5th engineer 1967
Roy Derbyshire junior ordinary seaman, senior ordinary seaman 1968 to 1969
Michael Downes deck cadet 1968 to 1969
Bert Batenburg engineer 1970
Peter Anthony Cocker 2nd officer 1970
Andrew Pascoe apprentice engineer 1970 to 1971
Richard Driver assistant steward 1971 to 1972
Timothy F. Porter 3rd mate 1971 to 1972
Alan Campion 5th engineer 1971 to 1972
Kevin Maund deck boy 1971 to 1972
Chris Wallace 5th engineer 1972 to 1973
Thomas Malcolm ... 3rd engineer 1972
Geoff Hoyle 4th engineer 1972
Colin Saunders junior ordinary seaman 1973 to 1974
Derek Simpson messman 1973 to 1974
Brian Graham chief engineer 1973
Geoffrey Forster 2 assistant steward 1974
Roy Humphreys 5th engineer 1974
Brian Boyle 4th engineer 1974 to 1975
Steven William Veal 4th engineer 1975
Noel Anthony Ra... master 1975
Steve Sherwood deck cadet 1975 My first trip, as a 16-year old. Last deck cadet aboard, used to do all the tank cleaning then have all the ports off. There was one engineering cadet left too, Ceri Wilding.
Joe Colliver engineer cadet 1975
Alan Robertson deck cadet 1975
Robin Dunn deck cadet 1975

Anecdotes

Date Visitor Anecdote
08/24/2015 - 13:43 Colin Wood Mm

As harbourmaster at Wyndham in Western Australia, I had several contacts with the Harpula, all rememberal.

The Master at this time was a Captain Scarfe, who I came to respect. After her first visit to Wyndham, her arrival was first notified by a contact from the 2nd. Mate to a sister at the hospital and later confirmed by the agent.

On one visit we had a major problem. As pilot as well as HM I was berthing the vessel at the last possible time on a falling tide. Unfortunately the outgoing tide past the wreck of the "KOOLAMA" off the out end of the wharf caused the vessel to shear to starboard away from the wharf. We had no tug or line boat assistance in this port and as soon as we tried to correct the swing we took a very strong swing to starboard when the stern of the vessel got the ebb tide pushing the vessel off of the wharf.

Although full astern was wrung, it had little impact on the fully loaded vessel and we were heading for an impact with the wharf. Let go the anchor was called. Unfortunately the carpenter was standing by the port anchor which, though still in the pipe, was let go a little late. This caused the anchor to land on the wooden wharf. This caused some amusement as the anchor chaste one of the mooring gang who was limping down the wharf as fast as could go.

04/28/2013 - 13:44 Steven William Veal

I was on this ship when we took it for scrap. Some great parties with anchor and Tiger beer! Sad to see the old girl go, but to be honest she was the best ship I sailed on. Met some Aussies on a trawler, who swapped prawns for beer as we waited at anchor to enter the scrap yard. The guy who stayed on till 1976 must have been lonely!

07/31/2009 - 16:02 Graham Willliam...

Whilst aboard the ship we were aground for about ten days, until another shell tanker came to offload som of the cargo to allow us to float.
At this time William Alan Middlemass was the chief engineer.

07/31/2009 - 15:58 Graham Willliam...

During the time I was on this boat we were aground in Kingston Jamaica for approx ten days. Another shell taanker was sent to offload some of the cargo in order that we could refloat.William Alan Middlemass was the chief engineer at this time

07/31/2009 - 15:58 Graham Willliam...

During the time I was on this boat we were aground in Kingston Jamaica for approx ten days. Another shell taanker was sent to offload some of the cargo in order that we could refloat.William Alan Middlemass was the chief engineer at this time