Pictures of Ships, Tugs, Off Shore Rigs, Barges, and those who work them

Just had the Tall Ships Race in Stavanger ,here are a few pictures from when they sailed out of town on their way to Harlingen in Holland.

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Are those glazed windows in Bruvik’s hull sides?

Not sure. Here is another picture of her:

One more from a different angle and different day:

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That last image nails it.

Another veteran that is seen here regularly, since she is still serving in Hurtigruten.
She call twice on every 11-day round trip, Bergen - Kirkenes - Bergen :

Here she is at the regular wharf in Aalesund 13. April this year:

Turning the bow away from the wharf by using stern springline:

On her way north for the xxx time:

The Lofoten has a large fan club. Some travel only on this ship for her nostalgic feel:
https://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=541751

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A veteran boat meet in Bergen has just completed.
Here a picture of the entry into Vaagen by some of the larger boats:

PS> The naval boat in front is KNM Hitra that replaced the Heland on the Shetland run during WW II:

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Sheerleg crane UGLEN was in town for crew change on her way to Hammerfest for her next job.
She is one of the rear self-propelled units of this type, certified to operate unattended by tugs in any waters:

She is what may be described as “full bodied”:

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She was built in 1978, but have been well maintained and upgraded several times, last from 600 t. to 800 t. SWL in 2014:
http://www.jjuc.no/crane-vessels

I have worked with the Uglen a few times and different places, but remember especially an operation in the summer of 1984.
We where using Uglen when loading a very long flare boom for the Heimdal Field on a barge at Kaldnes Shipyard, situated in the fairly narrow Kanalen in Tonsberg, Eastern Norway:
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On the opposite bank is/was a popular park where a lot of people had congregated to watch the spectacle.
To get the boom in the right position on the barge the Uglen had to turn, causing the tip of the boom to swing over the canal front and well into the park.
It appeared that people in Tonsberg was well drilled in lifting safety, since they scattered to higher ground, away from the danger zone.
A booming warning in his most commanding voice from the Captain of the Uglen MAY have helped to get them moving though.

More veteran boats regularly seen here in Aalesund.
Here is one of the old school local boats carrying passengers and goods to/from islands and isolated villages in the fjords until abt. 1970’s.
Parat III. Built 1936, 56’ Loa:
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She is now offering trips for tourists and charter trips for company gatherings etc.

Some of the old equipment is still in the wheelhouse, but the engine is of newer date:

Parat III used to run between Aalesund and Langevaag for a number of years, carrying passengers to town for work and school in the mornings, together with milk destined for the Dairy, and back home in the afternoon. She was replaced on this service in the early 1970’s and served for a while as “Gripruta”, to/from Grio Island off Kristiansund.

The service is still active. Here is the present boat in the route:

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Another veteran that I knew well in my young days is “Brannsproyta”, the old Fire Boat in Aalesund.
Built 1952. Loa 20.5 m.(67’):

Her main job now is participating in Veteran Boat festivals and greeting Cruise ships that wants to pay for a bit of show.
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Although no long in active service, she can still put up a show:
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She is well maintained by an enthusiastic group of pensioner:

Just look at this engine room:

And the Wheelhouse:

PS> I used to sell newspaper to the crew on Brannsproyta back in the mid-1950’s

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One more veteran boat that is stationed here in Aalesund is the very suitably named “Bilfergen” (“Carferry”) Built 1921 58’ Loa. She was in active service as a car ferry until 1972.
She was the first vessels in service in Norway purpose built to carry cars by the RoRo method. Cars were loaded transverse over the sides.
In 1934 the arrangement was changed to “double ended” with the bow and stern arrangement still being used on the large modern ferries of today::


The large doors allowed cars to drive through.

The stern has changed but arrangement to land the ramp is still in place:

She is still being used for excursion from time to time. Seen here backing out from the wharf:


(Notice the Parat III in the background)

Here seen steaming along Borgundfjorden on one of here excursions:


The original Bolinder semi-diesel engine made in 1916 is still installed.

I don’t know how well this will translate, but here is her history:

I found an English article about Bilfergen:

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Another old car ferry from the fjords is the Valldal. Seen here on a trip from Valldal to Geiranger sometime ago:

She was originally built for the US Navy during WWII, but converted in Norway in 1947.

PS> Built as Mine Sweeper in 1944.

Sad ending for the Valldal:

Just found that her original name was USS YMS 167, which lead to this link:
http://www.navsource.org/archives/11/19167.htm

I left the Blink after two trips to attend Aalesund Maritime Collage from 1962 - 1964.
During school holiday in 1963 I joined another small ship as Bosun.
This was the “Mosjoen”, IMO No. 5242469, 2871 Dwt, 2000 GRT, built in Lubeck, Germany in 1958. She was chartered by Norsk Hydro (Now Yara), especially to carry fertilizer in bulk from Glomfjord to Oslo and heavy titan ore from Joessingfjord to Rotterdam. She then loaded fertilzer in bags to various ports in Spain and finally took Potash from Barcelona back to Glomfjord. (With a additional load of 96% spirits for the Norwegian market)

She had a checkered history. Here she is as Mosjoen, belonging to Thorvald Klavenes, Oslo:
Mosjoen
Sold to Simon Moegster, Stavanger and re-named Stavmoey in 1965:

Sold back to Thorvald Klavenes and re-named Bantry in 1968:

Sold again to Simon Moegster and re-named Stavfoss in 1971:


Not many ships has been sold twice between the same two Owners.

Finally, sold to a Colombian owner and re-named Don Nicky in 1974.
She was involved in a major dispute with Colombian drug lords and arrested by US Customs. The Owner got shot and the case between the family and US customs is not yet resolved, as far as I know.

She “hit an unknown object” and sunk in pos. 6.19N/77.32W in 1985.
Couldn’t she have been …?? No, that is unthinkable. (Or is it??)

Maybe someone here know something more about the Dona Nicky and her faith??

Details of the Don Nicky (ex Mosjoen):
https://skipshistorie.net/Oslo/OSL347TorvaldKlaveness/Tekster/OSL34719580200000%20MOSJOEN.htm

I did a little search myself and came across this letter from the wife of the former owner of Don Nicky:

This is a link to the source: Joe Biden's Awful Record on Drug Policy | StoptheDrugWar.org

This letter smells fishy. The writer claims to be a US Citizen and also claims that the Dept of State canceled her visa. US citizens don’t need visas to enter the US. Visas are issued to foreigners giving them permission to enter the US.

She state to be a US citizen when this letter is written (2008) but may not have been when the forteiture process was ongoing:

Besides it does not say they lost their visa, only that it was requested.