| IMO number | 5013014 |
|---|---|
| Call sign | GCJU |
| Construction number | 695 |
| Tonnage | 19.340 ton |
| Beam | 22m |
| Length overall | 171m |
| Year of construction | 1959 |
| Year of renaming/broken up | 1977 |
| Service for Shell | 1959 to 1977 |
| Cargo | |
| Class | |
| Flag state | |
| Home port | |
| Manager | |
| Shipyard | |
| Status |
ALUCO
Sailors
Anecdotes
| Date | Visitor | Anecdote |
|---|---|---|
| 10/10/2024 - 20:50 | Cyril Hamill |
Ali o Sailed as R/O March to September 1965 |
| 10/10/2024 - 20:48 | Cyril Hamill |
March 65 until September 1965 as Radio officer |
| 11/01/2016 - 17:12 | Michael Kemp |
Joined Aluco as a first trip Deck apprentice on 10th October 1959 for her maiden voyage with Paul Munns, Paddy Slinger, & Richard Lawson with cargo of freshwater to Curacoa.My first watch was 12 to 4 with second officer Jim Connolly en route we conducted speed trials off Newhaven arriving Willemstad 16days later. A few days out we caught a big swell in darkness which listed us severely to starboard resulting loss of power for several minutes. The foremast lookout looked decidedly unwell once on deck! Over the next 8 months we visited Carson,Matadi,Trinidad (Boxing Day), Rotterdam,Thameshaven,early 1960 spent coasting UK waters to Stanlow, Saltend, Killingholme, Teesport, across to Rotterdam,Donges ( cargo of Avgas ),Copenhagen ,Fredericia, then back to CuraA?ao ,en route anchoring in Falmouth for turbine repairs over Easter weekend. Across to Carson loading clean oils for the Med calling at Iskenderun,Beruit, Tripoli (Libya- stern discharge) Malta, Port de Boucher (Marseilles again stern discharge). I paid off Aluco at 10.00 hours on Thursday 3rd June 1960 for leave. I joined Horomya in Rouen on 11th July but that\'s another another story! |
| 05/22/2016 - 16:55 | Paul Munns |
Sailed on maiden voyage from Sunderland To Curacao with fresh water before going over to Punta Cardon to load 18000 tons of unfinished naptha for Wilmington California. Also took her 100 miles up the river Congo to Matadi running aground on the way up, it took us about 2 house to get off the sandbank no damage done. |
| 12/05/2013 - 12:14 | Sid Metcalfe |
Phil Tickle was on the Aluco at the same time as I was, he was deck crew and I was engine room (Fireman). I went over to his parents' house wit my girl friend for a couple of days after we had paid off. Got on well with his dad, Henry, and also met his uncle Les. I recall clearly the incident in Saigon with the bomb on the port quarter. I seem to think that we were tied up on the jetty rather than at anchor. The explosive device had been rigged to the after ropes and would have gone off as we let go aft. The ship was empty of fuel (petrol, JP4) so was full of gas. We would have gone off like a firecracker. I was on the 12-4 watch at the time and went to shake my relief at 0330 hrs, only to find the 2nd Cook, Ray Mears, was knocking everyone up anyway. Altogether on my stint on the Alucu we had 5 trips to Saigon, almost a fortnight in Da Nang Bay, and also a visit to Camh Rahn Bay. I'll post some pics when I get the time. I remember also Dave Fresneau (crew's messman), Richard Wyborn (Blondie), Bob Harlow (Fireman), Doug Edwards (Fireman)Larry Gouder (Pumpman), Frank Glyde (Pantry Boy), Will (galley Boy), Harry the chief cook, Joe Cowley (junior engineer), Johnny Reilly (junior engineer), Bob Slowe (Sloan?) deckhand (DHU),Ray Bye (AB), Tom Kelly (deckhand) Ted the 3rd engineer, Mick Schofield (deck storekeeper) and most of the others. We were a fairly happy crew and most people got along well, considering we were what is commonly known as 'Board of Trade Acquaintences'. I was amused to see a comment by another contributor referring to 'Board of Trade Sports', which was of course Fire and Lifeboat drill, every saturday at sea at 1630 hrs. We would wind down a life boat, run out a few hoses and squirt water around for a wee while. The commencement of this was signalled by 7 short blasts on the hooter and one long one (Abandon Ship). My station was 'Pins and Painters', which involved me pulling the pins out of the davits, then going down onto the main deck to receive the painter, which I would then tie around the bitts. How I would have got into the lifeboat from there remains a mystery. This was my first trip; It was also my last, as I went back to my old job when I signed off. I'm very glad I went though, as it was an experience. I've done some sailing since, but under sail on a tall ship. |
| 10/17/2012 - 16:45 | Phillip Tickle |
Joined her in Singapore in 69, was running Singapore to Saigon and da'nang with jet fuel for the yanks. Vietcong attached a bomb to our anchor chain while in Saigon,one of the lads ( Bob Sloane ) raised the alert and the yanks came and towed it away. Will never forget Bob Sloanes name. Also did north Australia and Gulf,Bandar Mashur to Bandar Abbas. |
| 07/19/2012 - 04:20 | Tony Birtwistle |
I can confirm Jack Nash's comments re the Engine Room Heat on that trip. As a first trip deck cadet (with Nigel Budd) we pleaded for engine time to avoid the Alaska cold on deck. BIG mistake - it was hotter than hell on the 'plates' and we couldn't wait for smoko to hit the fresh, cold air. Tony Birtwistle, Deck Cadet Aluco March - August 1973 |
| 10/11/2010 - 22:46 | Mike Big Taff H... |
after leaving gravesend t.c. it was off to the ship fed. to see what ships they had lined up was supposed to join the geest bay[ banana boat] out of my home port of barry.but gave me an option of shipping out with joe shell, so it was off to anchorage in ice bound alaska!, instead . bit of an eye opener for a 15/16 year old.spent 6 months trading around the far east .got set up by the lads on my 1st visit to boogie st ! sat red faced for the rest of the night ,well for an hour or so ,after quite a few tigers !.visited so many ports,all around the south china sea, had a great time.and to finish the trip off we got caught in a belter of a hurricane on our final trip up to yokahama,water everywhere,no sleep,hot food,fresh water,just tiger+anchor beer!a bit scary at times. |
| 03/31/2010 - 09:17 | Edward Blakemore |
this was my second ship after training in liverpool,we went to aden, durban,hong kong to singapoor 4/5 times and then did four tours going to viet nam in 1966/7 nah trang nah bat and camaron bay,a bit hair raising for a 18year old,i can still remember the night flares, great times as we were a young crew. |
| 01/01/2010 - 09:51 | William Perriton |
my name is william perriton and i served aboard that fantastic ship as a cattering boy from 1975 to 1976 and i want to why i am not on the manifest |
| 01/02/2009 - 18:26 | Jack Nash |
joined ship @anchorage alaska april 1973,ship had diffulty getting along side because of ice,but down on the engine control platform the temp was 100f should have known there was going to be a problem as the temp got hotter and hotter on are way to singapore when the sea temp at one time was 97f in front of the boilers it was 169f bottom of enginroom 160f coolest place control platform at 139f but the worst bit was when blew tubs recorded temp of 195 - 204f ,the problem was caused by one of the boiler side caising burning through and we were unable to repair it with out a complete shut down |
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