| IMO number | 5514621 |
|---|---|
| Call sign | GSWC |
| Construction number | 1815 |
| Tonnage | 19.349 ton |
| Beam | 21m |
| Length overall | 169m |
| Year of construction | 1954 |
| Year of renaming/broken up | 1968 |
| Service for Shell | 1954 to 1968 |
| Cargo | |
| Class | |
| Flag state | |
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| Manager | |
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| Status |
HELCION (2)
Sailors
Anecdotes
| Date | Visitor | Anecdote |
|---|---|---|
| 11/12/2022 - 17:21 | Elaine Hardy |
I believe my father, William J Smyth, sailed on this ship’s maiden voyage as Chief Engineer. |
| 09/06/2017 - 20:27 | Bernard Jones |
We lost the Alternators in Mid Ocean, a total blackout, boiler water got dangerously low, Engineers managed to get things going in time, also we lost starboard Anchor in Hamburg Harbour, so a pretty eventful trip, trip I done on her was from CuraA?ao to Buenos Aries Argentina, apart from these problems it was a good trip. |
| 01/22/2017 - 15:06 | David Hone |
My first Shell Tanker which I joined in the London river from the pool as a 16 year old pantry boy. It was September 1962 and we loaded at Shellhaven for Avonmouth, Swansea & Dublin then headed for Curacao not returning to the the UK until the end of April 1963. We loaded for Honolulu and then back to Curacao for a couple of trips to W.Africa and then to Rouen & Rotterdam where we left 5 months 28 days into the the trip so we couldn't pay off. Mind you, it was so cold I don't think anybody would've wanted to. Back to the Caribbean but this time we loaded at St. Nicolas, Aruba (the only timr I ever went there with Shell) again for Rouen & Rotterdam and then Cardiff drydock. However about an hour out of Aruba we broke down and were towed to Curacao for repairs. We spent about two weeks there before re-loading and heading again for Rouen & Rotterdam and then Cardiff drydock. We lost a man overboard on the way home, Jock Hay, an AB from Aberdeen but that's another (rather sad) story. We eventually paid off in Cardiff the day after arriving due to waiting for a court of enquiry to be sorted out. We were given A?2 Channel Money so we could go ashore and duly spent most of it in the Ship & Pilot and the North Star Club. Eventually I got home to Yorkshire with a sun tan and a decent pay-off just as spring was at last starting to happen. |
| 12/17/2015 - 16:28 | Roger Duke |
I joined the Helcion as Engineer Apprentice ( first trip ) in Cardiff Dry Dock and left at Tilbury Dry Dock 6 months later. The Vessel sailed,we had quite an eventful trip, as reported the Vessel blacked out off Belem in Brazil, The failure due to loss of fuel oil to the main Boilers. ( A Junior Engineer was to pack a Gland on the fuel system and the gland blew out due to the valve being incorrectly fitted at the previous Dry Dock ) The diesel generator was put on line, and due to a restriction of oil to the geared blower the unit failed. Engineers re metaled the two bearings, and hand scrapped them in and restarted the Diesel and again ran up the plant. The D/G had previously suffered a partial seizure, and after a few hours failed this time the crank shaft had fractured. The plant was attempted to be restarted using natural draught for the boilers and when full boiler pressure was achieved the plant was run up on one boiler. Due to humidity and steam being drawn back into the upper ER as the forced draught fans for the boiler failed. At that point the company Instructed ships staff not to try any more and the Vessel was taken into tow by another Vessel (Alkmaar) . After which a tug ( Sea Falk ) towed the Vessel into Trinidad, where temporary repairs were made. During the trip the Vessel had suffered a light Grounding in one of the rivers in Brazil. On arrival at Tilbury Dry Dock it was discovered that there was an Indentation of nearly 200 feet length, along the Stbd. side. Not only was the Ship unique in her design, She was unlucky. The ships staff were from all over the UK and were a great crew to sail with. |
| 01/04/2012 - 11:51 | John Peter Briand |
Joined the Helcion in Bute dock, Cardiff on 7th May 1963 as first trip 3rd mate. My first Shell Tanker, and Sam Weller was Master, with Mr Bowtell as mate. I had just completed an apprenticeship with Runcimans of Newcastle - 3 1/2 years of tramping which saw me complete 3 circumnavigations between the ages of 16 and 19. |
| 09/09/2011 - 15:51 | Thomas Geoffrey... |
My first ship,sailed from "the warrior" PembrokeDock on Friday 13th!! She broke down well actually the result of a mistake in engineering off the mouth of the Amazon. Originally towed out of danger by the "Alkmar" and later towed to Trinidad by a Bugsier tug called the "Seefalke". Parentsnotfied by Shell and allegedly made the national dailies at home. I was later told that the tow was the longets recorded but I don't know that for sure. |
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