PALUDINA (3)

About

Completed 1968 as "URSHALIM" for Grosvenor Shipping. In time-charter for STUK as a bitumen carrier. 1973 sold to STUK and renamed "PALUDINA". 1986 sold Troodos Shipping and renamed Nobility. 1987 renamed Ebony L. 1990 sold to Enybe Shipping and renamed Tonje Cob. 19-1-1992 arrived Mamonal for scrap.

Also known as
Urshalim
Nobility
Ebony L
Tonje Cob
IMO number
6806262
Call sign
GYCJ
Construction number
776
Tonnage
25.539 ton
Beam
23m
Length overall
175m
Year of construction
1968
Year of renaming/broken up
1992
Service for Shell
1968 to 1986
Cargo
Class
Flag state
Home port
Manager
Shipyard
Status
Photo(s)

Comments

Sailors

Name Job Period Details
Frank Robertson chief engineer 1972 to 1978 worn out chief engineer
Gwilym Arfon Wi... deckhand (d.h.u.) 1972 to 1973
Mike Christensen extra 2nd engineer 1973 motor time
Colin S. Bland 4th engineer 1973 to 1974
Iain Gillie Campbell 5th engineer 1973
Ian Bishop 5th engineer, 3rd engineer 1973 to 1981
Christopher Str... 2nd steward 1973 to 1975
Mike Fred Fryer pumpman 1973 to 1974
Shaun Fitzgerald catering boy/galley boy 1974
Will Hitchcock 2nd cook 1974
Andy Payne radio officer 1974
Stephen Catchpole 2nd cook and baker 1974 to 1975
Lawson Lovett catering boy/galley boy 1974
Derek Fleetwood 5th engineer 1975 newly married, accompanied by wife
Paul Fuller 3rd mate 1975
Robert Jones fireman 1975
Verner Haidak radio officer 1975 to 1976
George Mcbain able seaman 1975
Peter G. Furmston radio officer 1975
Ron Frend 5th engineer 1975
Beverly Olds wife 1975 Wife of Ron Frend
Bob Knowles assistant steward 1976
Stephen Bunce 5th engineer 1976 to 1977
Kevin Blackburn 4th engineer 1976
Ken Williamson able seaman 1977 to 1978
Paul Ayers efficient deckhand 1977
Peter B. Pamment chief officer 1977
Roger Beecroft 5th engineer 1977
Geoff Akehurst 2nd officer 1977
Roger Roue 2nd engineer 1977
Roy Robertson 2nd mate 1978 to 1979
Ron Frend 3rd engineer 1978
John Tarling 3rd mate 1978 to 1979
Cefyn Grafton radio officer 1978 to 1979
Dale Dennis catering 1978
Robin Macleod 2nd mate 1978
Kevin Rowbottom efficient deckhand 1979
James Bain catering boy 1979 to 1980
David R. Byrne 3 petty officer 1979 to 1983 motorman, petty officer motorman
Andrew Selway radio officer 1979 to 1981
Graham Lister 5th engineer 1979 to 1980
Nick Roberts 2nd navigating officer 1979
Mike Brown catering offficer 1979 to 1980
Clive Bay efficient deckhand 1979 to 1980
Meg Schneider unknown 1980 to 1982 friend of Chris Strawbridge
Ron Frend 2nd engineer 1980 to 1981
John Pickering chef kok 1980
Willie Carle chief engineer 1980
Donald Macready 5th engineer 1980
Stephen Campbell catering boy/galley boy 1980
Graham Gould 5th engineer 1980
Stephen Wray stoker/fireman 1981
Jan Rusinek catering boy/galley boy 1981 to 1982
Andy Chambers efficient deckhand 1981
John Briton chief and ships cook 1981 to 1984 chief cook
John Crackett motorman 1981 to 1982
Les Straughan 2nd engineer 1981 to 1982
John Tallon galley boy/crew messman 1981 to 1983
Daren Edwards junior catering rating 1981 jcr
Mike Ryan 3rd mate 1981
Roy Halsall pumpman 1981
Simon Corcoran able seaman (grade 2) 1981
Shaun Overton assistant steward 1981 to 1982
Michael Turnbull 5th engineer 1982
Colion Greenall pumpman 1982
kevinkstephenso... Third Mate 1982 to 1983
Kevin Luckhurst efficient deckhand 1982 to 1985
Alan Cheese steward 1982 to 1983
John P M Cusson captain (commanding officer) 1982
Garry Marshall 2nd cook 1982
John Wlikinson-... chef kok 1982
Andy Lewis motorman 1982 to 1983
Robert T. Dunbar 2nd officer 1982
Shaun Bromwell deckhand 1982 to 1983
Peter Wright 5th engineer 1982
David Beeston 2nd engineer 1983 to 1986
Graham Lister 4th engineer 1983
David Beeston 2nd engineer 1983 to 1984 stuk
Derek Wallace D... chief officer 1983 to 1984
Robert Scott engineer cadet 1983
Raymond Laws chief steward 1983
Paul Crouch 5th engineer 1983
Charles Stobbart catering offficer 1984
Dave Freeman 2nd mate 1984
Robert Keith catering offficer 1984 to 1985
Capt. John Pete... master 1984
Stuart Gallaway 2nd mate 1984
Nick Jenkins sg2 sst 1984
Robert Yuille 3rd engineer 1984
Eric Cordiner mg 1 1984
Mark W. Dottin motorman 1984
Robin Campbell-... extra 2nd engineer 1984 motor time
John P M Cusson captain (commanding officer) 1984
David John Evans 3rd mate 1984 to 1985
Peter Wilson 1 steward 1984
Carl Waldrom able seaman (grade 2) 1985 sg2, sst
Dave Gowns unknown 1985
Christopher Wat... 5th engineer 1985 to 1986
David Beeston 2nd engineer 1986
Peter G. Furmston radio officer 1986 radio officer opl singapore, out of class sold to troodos
Jonathan Rushton chief officer 1986

Anecdotes

Date Visitor Anecdote
04/07/2017 - 10:50 Kevin Luckhurst

We where in Kuwait discharging into 30 ton lorries. We only pumped during the day and the bitumen hardened in the pipes over night.
One morning we got set to discharge again and tanker driver was standing over the hole that our discharge pipe went into on the top of the truck. He was in typical Arab dress of kaftan and flip flops and tried to get him to stand well clear of the hatch. However he would not listen and choose to peer into where our pipe went into the truck.
The pumpman had to us quite a bit of pressure this morning to clear the blockages. There was so much pressure that when the bitumen left the end of the discharge pipe it bounced straight up and out. The Arab was sprayed with bitumen from head to foot and could dance pretty well. I haven't got a clue what happened to him, it was in the middle of Ramadan and I remember being thirsty, Amstel time.

01/05/2016 - 11:32 Capt. John Pete...

I had a very happy 3 1/2 months on the 'Paludina', shifting bitumen from Curacao and Venezuala to the east coast ports of America. I remember asking the agent to get the largest Confederate flag he could purchase. We transited the rivers to both Charleston and Savanah on at least one occassion with the US courtesy flag on the starboard yardarm and the Confederate flag flying on the port yard arm. At that time, this was hugely received by other craft on the river sounding their whistles and when passing under any road bridge, the trucks and some cars would sound their horns. Something you would most certainly end up in jail for these days. As well as calling at these 2 ports, we visited Fort Lauderdale and Moorehead City on charter to Trumbolt Asphalt. We also called at Santa Domingo and Puerto Rico with one trip through the Panama Canal to Portland Maine, Oregon. Hard working ship, especially for the engineers. I recall the 3 generators were named Faith, Hope and Charity, and the main engine had 8 cylinders with each cylinder named #1 cylinder Snow White, and the remaining cylinders after the 7 dwarfs.

05/06/2014 - 21:34 Robert Scott

A great ship to do my second trip as engineering cadet before being made redundant in 1983!
East and West coast of the USA via Curacao every week or so. A fine time.
Eventually "bumped into the castle" on entering "the cut" in Curacao.
The end of another "old man". Doesn't look to have been the best of ships for the deck side?

11/09/2013 - 01:26 Terry Chapman

I was the biggest tosser ever to set sail on this boat

09/02/2013 - 18:02 Shaun Bromwell

Joined on my 19th birthday at Gibraltar. Great crew. Carried bitumen between the West Indies and Kuwait on a contract to build the Trans-Arabian highway. Carrying liquid bitumen in the Gulf with broken air-con is a nightmare. Took four weeks to discharge each cargo and nowhere to go ashore. I think we had a McDonald's on Xmas Eve before the militia made us wait in the sun for two hours to get back to the ship. Run aground and went on fire in Syros. Paid off in January.

03/04/2012 - 15:07 Paul Ayers

Not sure of the year think it was 77,The old man was Capt Farnell I'd sailed with him previously on the Hinnites, he was one of the best he loved getting his overalls on and doing a bit of painting. The mate was an aussie, can't remember his name, another great bloke though (he paid the overtime).The 9 deck crew were all edh,s and ab's, We had splinters in our ar--s we spent virtually the whole trip on chairs and stages, we even replaced all the accomodation window frames, what a job that was.great trip,great crowd,great memories.

02/14/2012 - 14:08 Roy Halsall

Have fond memories of my time spent aboard the Paludina!
Was Pumpman aboard her , on the Yankee coast. Earned a fortune too! Loads of Overtime, L.O.S. etc etc. Great crew, Good Run, Great Fun!
A cracking Ship!

12/04/2011 - 20:39 Bob Knowles

I had the grave misfortune to serve about this vessel during the early part of 1976. I joined with a very good mate of mine Ray Oliver - and with the best of intentions took up our roles of A/S ( assisant Stewards ) accordingly.

The master was in commard of his first ship and boy O boy did it show !

Conditions on the ship could only be described as terrible.

On one occasion the sewage stsyem failed and our accomodation was flooded with human waste. When Ray and I reported the horrendous situation to the Captain he appeared to be only slighty interested and said that he the engineers would 'deal with it' in due course.

The combination of S*** and P*** all over the deck - no air conditioning and + 35 degrees did not exactly bring out the best in us and as a result we decided to jump ship before one of us murdered the Captain.

Ray and I had left the ship at 3.00pm on morning when the ship was berthed in Savanna. We took the Greyhound bus down to Fort Lauderdale and had two fantastic weeks - spending most of our time on the beach during the day and then in the discos at night. When our dosh ran out - we gave ourselves over to the authorities who promptly banged us up for 7 days before we were flown back to the UK. A week later we meet with a Shell Shipping Manager and a union Rep and were given the news that a number of other issues had occured with other crew members and an officer.

Whilst Ray or I would ever suggest that jumping ship is a good tactic - there are times when conditions are so vile that drastic action is called for.

Just for the record - Ray and I then joined a number of P&O ships and enjoyed many happy years at sea without a single issue. We are both now happliy married with families of our own.

If there are any other poor souls who were subjected to that ship during the early part of 1976 - I would be happy to hear from you.

01/14/2010 - 08:30 Carl Waldrom

Was on board when the captain logged everyone for "did conspire with others to usurp the masters authority" in other words mutiny!, He left the vessel soon after, still have the pink sheet somewhere, the only one I ever had in nearly 20 years at sea.