Thanks for those pictures from the Norwegian scene.
Now for something away from Norway; Veteran ship Cap San Diego arriving in Warnemunde a few days ago:
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A series of pictures from the docking of the first VLCC to load in a US port:
Still do not get away with offshore STS though.
My first ship.
The Hermione, a replica of the ship that carried Lafayette back to France. I shot this as she was slowww steaming into the Lunenburg, Nova Scotia harbor in July 2015 on her last stop on the way back to Europe. She left the next day and in spite of my best efforts I was unable to wrangle a visit aboard.
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Only two ULCCs left in the world and they are both flying the Belgian flag and now owned by Euronav:
Back in the late 1970’s/early 1980’s there were several ULCCs laid up side by side in a fjord in Norway:
Three flying French flag. (Two Shell, one Elf) Three Esso tankers.
Not far away was two more: (Norwegian (NOR) flag)
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Launching a heavy port icebreaker in Russia:
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Here’s a landing craft I ran when the regular guy wasn’t available.
It’s South East Alaska, had a little stove that burned diesel, kept the wheelhouse nice and warm.
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My first ship was the Square rigger “Soerlandet” for pre-sea training:
I joined in Febr. 1959 at the tender age of 15 years and three months.
At the time she was the last of the large Tall Ships without propulsion.
I joined the M/T Polyrambler in R’dam in May, 1959:
She traded mainly East of Suez, incl. some months in the so called “Singapore trade”. (Loading crude in Indonesia and British North Borneo (Sabah and Sarawak) and discharging in Singapore)
After some 14 months we returned to Northern Europe (Antwerp) and I signed off.
Next I joined Tamesis of Wilh. Wilhelmsen line, a typical liner of her time:
We first did a round trip from Northern Europe to Australia and back, then two trips on the Far East run. This included my first visit to China (Shanghai) which was still in the grips of a famine caused by Mao’s “Great Leap Forward”.
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Here is the same landing craft, we are pushed up against either the Noordam, or the Nieuw Amsterdam while they are anchored out off Juneau Alaksa.
The crew is transferring luggage of passengers getting off in that port.
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The latest entry to Russia’s icebreaker fleet:
Fast stop in Bodø today, took a picture of the Norwegian Coastal Administration vessel Villa and veteran ship Gamle Salten.
Time to continue the reminiscence about the “good ol’ days”.
My next ship was the Theben, also of Wilh. Wilhelmsen Line. She was doing the Far East Express run due to her speed and only called at main ports. (Round Trip time; 4 1/2 mth.)
She had one of the first B&W diesel engines over 9000 Hp, with a service speed of 18-19 kts.
She was actually able to do a bit more when needed:
Once, when we were about to get overtaken by a P&O liner, the Chief Eng. (who never ventured anywhere near the engine room except for weekly inspections and to take pressure diagrammes once a month or so) actually went down and personally to increase the RPMs to max.
He then returned to his normal walking routine on the boat deck to watch us leave the P&O liner in our wake. (No extra consumption showed up in the book. He always had some spare “up his sleeve”)
M/V Theben:
PS> As can be seen she experienced two wars in Basrah
This ship may be familiar to some on this forum?
She is now a problem for many in Norway:
LNG powered Fish feed carrier Nyksund at Sjogata, Aalesund:
Side gate open for easy access:
Pallet lifts:
SS Hansteen is a real veteran, built as a Geographical Survey/ Research vessel in 1866 and equipped with both sails and a steam engine. Now restored to her former glory and still able to sail, even in open waters:
https://visittrondheim.no/opplevelser-i-trondheim/sds-hansteen
She is presently on tour around the Trondheim fjord with Capt. Jan-Olav Storli in command:
http://www.captainsvoyage.com/its-a-captains-life---one/the-big-story---one-of-them.html
Here is a video from the engine room on an earlier trip:
Still the original plant.
Leaving from Levanger:
Being overtaken by a former whaler:
This one with a 60 Hp Bolinder semi-diesel.
A similar ex-whaler, the MK Heland has an interesting history:
http://www.sunnmore.museum.no/english/sunnmoere-museum/boats/mk-heland/
She has a Heimdal 2-cyl. 130 hp Semi-diesel installed in 1960. Hear the sound here:
Here is some pictures of MK Heland taken a few days ago, as she prepares for a trip to Shetland to participate in a documentary about the Shetland traffic during WW II:
No onboard pictures as the deck had just been given a coat of Linseed oil.
And before you ask; no, I’m not going on the trip
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After two round trips to the Far East on board MV Theben and just after starting the third, I had a stupid and self-inflicted accident while in Bremerhaven,Germany.
I was signed off and sent to Oslo for treatment, alone and by train via Copenhagen.
When declared fit I joined a smaller Wilh. Wilhemsen liner ship, the MV Teneriffa:
http://www.lardex.net/TONSBERG/willemsen/skipsliste/1952teneriffa.htm
She was on the NWE to USEC, GoM and Central America run. Round trip time was abt 4 1/2 mths. with calls from Boston to Vera Cruz on the American side. (My first visit to the Americas)
I made only one trip on this ship, since I had been accepted to join Aalesund Navigation School in Aug. 1962. Another round trip would have made me late to join.
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To fill in the time until start of school I joined a small ship chartered by Fred Olsen Lines on the Eastern Norway to NW Spain, Portugal and Morocco run. MV Blink:
PS> As Tropic Venture she was managed by my Father-in-law on behalf of Cluny Ross and used on the Singapore to Cocos Islands and Fremantle run.
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We had our wedding reception onboard the Gamle Salten in 2003 when she was based in Stavanger.Nice old ship, she sailed up to Lysefjord in beautiful weather during the reception and everyone onboard thought it was a great day.
https://forum.gcaptain.com/uploads/short-url/bRkxrCriDiiparIfEMGRZ16uPlq.jpg
A couple more veterans that has joined a growing fleet here in Aalesund/Sunnmore the last year or so. Both have served many years in regular service around the Norwegian coast and fjords.
First the Slogen. She is now stationed in Saebo and operate mainly in the Hjorundfjord as a charter boat:
In her former glory as the ferry Landego:
The next is what was know as “Fjord Bus” and served in the fjords around Bergen. She is now stationed in Langevaag, near Aalesund. She also do trips to Hjorundfjord and charter tours elsewhere in the district. Still with her original name Bruvik:
Earlier this summer she was running daily trips to Molde for the Jazz Festival.
Here coming alongside to start her trip:
