SS STAVANGERFJORD launched in 1917 for the Norwegian America Line…1918 transferred from Birkenhead to New York and laid up there…first voyage later in the year New York-Oslo…1924 converted to oil firing…1931 refitted, returned to regular service the following year…1939 laid up at Norway…1940 served as accommodation ship for German army…1945 post-war voyage Oslo-New York…1956 general overhaul and modernization…1963 sold for scrap…
Source: https://www.facebook.com/groups/FoxStarLine/permalink/1391153418373963/
Now back at the building yard in Vestnes.
A real veteran vessel is nearing completion of an extensive restorations periode. Scheduled for launching this spring.
Source: (In Norwegian only)
Hurtigruten MS Lofoten, blt. 1964, on one of her many port calls, somewhere along the Norwegian coast, sometime during her 56-year (1964-2020) serving on the 11.day long Coastal Express Service from Bergen to Kirkenes v.v., with 34 ports of call each way:
“There are no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing”, but it will be nice to get onboard again after a quick visit ashore.
Photo posted by: [Inge Aspsæter]
She is still in operation, but now as a school Ship:
Here is a presentation of the vessel and her history, so far:
PS: An even older Hurtigruten ship, MS Nordstjernen, is still in existence, but in operation mainly in Svalbard during summer seasons:
A galeas is a small, typically two-masted Scandinavian merchant sailing vessel, common in the Baltic and North Seas from the 17th to early 20th centuries. Often ketch-rigged with a square stern, they evolved from Dutch galliots for coastal trading. Today, restored vessels like Loyal (1877) and Søblomsten (1864) are celebrated heritage ships, used for chartering.
2 Historic museum ships, the oceangoing tug ELBE from 1959 from Maassluis and the drift logger SCH 236 from 1950 from Scheveningen, at Damen Maaskant Shipyards in Stellendam. Both ready for the upcoming sailing season after drydocking.
Photo: Eric Groen (c)
It’s their only ship. They sure are weird. I was ashore in San Francisco in the early Eighties and waiting for a bus by Union Square. This absolutely gorgeous young woman, no makeup, sidles up to me and starts a conversation, ends up inviting me to have a cup of coffee with her. I said sure, and we start down the sidewalk. About fifty feet later we approach a door with Scientology graphics. I stopped and laughed. See you later, I said. Severely disappointed.
“The higher rank of commodore is permanently reserved for the reincarnation of the late L. Ron Hubbard, founder of Scientology.”
The Nisseki Maru was an Ultra Large Crude Carrier completed in 1971, representing a major milestone in Japan’s shipbuilding industry during a period of rapid expansion in global oil transport. Built by Ishikawajima-Harima at the Kure shipyard under yard number 2168, the vessel featured a deadweight tonnage of 372,698 and a gross tonnage of 184,855. Measuring 347 meters in length with a beam of 54.50 meters, it was among the largest tankers of its time, powered by an engine system producing 29,840 kW. The construction process moved quickly, with the keel laid on November 18, 1970, followed by its launch in April 1971 and final delivery in September 1971 to its original owner, Tokyo Tanker KK.
During its operational life, the Nisseki Maru served as an important part of the Japanese merchant fleet, later coming under the ownership of JX Tanker Co., Ltd. in 1984. Built for large-scale global oil transport, the vessel operated with a deep draft of 27.07 meters, enabling it to carry significant cargo volumes across international routes. Despite its size and capacity, its service life lasted around fourteen years before industry changes led to its retirement. In 1985, the ship was sent to Hakodate for dismantling, where demolition was carried out by Teraoka Iron Works on May 31, marking the end of its role as one of the notable ULCCs of its era.
Posted by: The Global Insight
Source: https://www.facebook.com/groups/924269271503210/permalink/2034812293782230/
Edit - Christian Radich has come in for an extensive upgrade that will last the whole summer.
The picture was taken at the GOT Yard yard in Vågsbygd, where the masts are ashore, and soon the ship will be shipped into dry dock at Bredalsholmen Dock and Vessel Protection Center.
During the early Eighties she called New Orleans, and was docked right downtown and open to visitors. I went aboard, located the Master, and asked if I could at least make the leg to Miami with her. Showed him my Z-card, passport etc. Sadly, was not to be, as he said he was unable to allow that. She’s a beautiful ship.
It was 1980, I was living in the French Quarter at that time -
