# Batillus and Bellamya?



## Amanita

I'm curious about these two massive supertankers- were they identical twins?
I found a drawing of Batillus online, but no such luck with Bellamya. I'm wondering, because I do computer art as a hobby, and I'm thinking of getting back into 3-D work. Bellamya might be a fun ship to model in a 3d animation program.

Another observation- does anyone else find it sad that these two massive ships only lasted about 10 years before being sent to the scrapyard? 10 years? Were these ships really that poorly built? If Noel Mostert's book "Supership" is to be believed, apparently some of the tankers built then were virtual throwaways, not made to last. Or was it that the price of scrap steel was so good that these awesome vessels were worth more dead than alive? It seems that 1985-86 were BAD years to be a tanker.

Edited to add- Looking at the pictures on Auke Visser's site, I can't help but notice the dual rudders on those ships- VERY interesting, not something I've seen before. Was it an experimental design?


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## stevecz

They were indeed sisters, Batilius launched 01/05/1976, Bellamya launched 29/03/1976. Built by Chantiers de l'Atlantique, St. Nazaire, France for Societe Maritime Shell France. Hull numbers V25 & X25 respectively. The twin rudders were for the two props, driven by two Stal-Laval steam turbine sets, 32,400 Shp each.


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## NORDICA

i only ever saw the Batilius once in wales many years ago at the almwych SBM and was truly massive! i was fishing and my late father told me to look at "that tiny ship over there". she was stunning. she was scrapped cos the ULCC trend started to fall off and sadly the twins were expensive to operate and the price of oil nose dived so they were prime targets and sadly both were scrapped


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## calvin

both pictures can be found on line just using names and looking up images or try helderline.


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## Amanita

Helderline? What's the URL for that? Sounds interesting.


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## calvin

just try using helderline in search boxand it will give it its a very good site for shell.


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## calvin

to amenita try using www.helderline.nl hope you find what you need batillus and bellamya both on the site look in pictires and under b. scroll down till you find the pictures.


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## NORDICA

cool site!


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## davidrwarwick

There where actually 4 sister ships of this class, the 2 Shell "B" ships and 2 built for Elf the "Prairial" (1979-2003) and the "Pierre Guillaumat" (1977-1983) which is the largest ship ever built (no extensions,jumboising etc) unfortunately as you can see it only lasted 6 years. Source :-Auke Vissers site
http://supertankers.topcities.com/index.htm


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## David Byrne

*Cathedral sized ships*

I did some hull surveys on both of these ships in about 1977 and, in order to get over to people how big they were I superimposed on the midship section the front view of Lincoln Cathedral - the top of the towers only just reached the deck of the ship!

If I can find the image I will post it.

David Byrne


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## dwardley

Many of the large tankers built around this time managed to pay for themselves in one or two voyages AG / USG and susbstantial sums were made by owners in the subsequent few years of operation. As more and more were built they were unable to command as much freight in relative terms. The ULCC's such as Batillus and Bellamaya were severely restricted port wise with only a few charterers able to fully utilise their capacity - part cargoes were uneconomic due to the additional operating cost vs a VLCC so they gradually became uneconomic. Having already paid for themselves however the decision to scrap even after such a short life cycle was much easier to take than maintaining them at anchor or in lay up.


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## ARGK342

I was on the S.S.Castleton [Gatx Oswego] which was a reasonable sized ship herself. We tied up beside the Bellamya and I was astounded at her size.

We managed a trip aboard her and were surprised to see a wee French Engineer on watch sitting knitting with his slippers on on the Bridge. Mechanics covered the engine room while he kept an eye on things via cameras.

I've several photos taken of her which I'll need to try and find now. (A)


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## Chouan

I took a picture of her myself when I was on the Castleton, I'll stick it in the gallery.


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## Chouan

Posted now.


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## mikefoster

*Batillus and Bellamya*

I haven't visited for a few months so I'm a little out of touch with recent messages.

But on the subject of the slump in demand for ULCCs and VLCCs, there is a lot of comment in the 2007 History of Royal Dutch Shell, the centenary history.

Mind you, despite being written by a super-strong team of Dutch professorial staff from Utrecht University, plus Stephen Howarth (writer of Sea Shell), the 2007 history was riddled with errors, great and small. For example there was only one indexed reference to ULCCs and that turned out to be one of the VLCC "M" class.

The upshot has been that I've written a 200-page critique. It will probably only go to some of the major libraries (so far to the British Library, the New Boldeian, the Newton and Havard Business School) but I've put it on a CD as a pdf file and I'd be happy to send a few freebies around if there is anyone on this torum with a copy of the centenary history and hence a use for the critique. The Shell International archivists have been decidedly dismayed.

Don't all rush.

Mike Foster


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## quim

Amanita said:


> I'm curious about these two massive supertankers- were they identical twins?
> I found a drawing of Batillus online, but no such luck with Bellamya. I'm wondering, because I do computer art as a hobby, and I'm thinking of getting back into 3-D work. Bellamya might be a fun ship to model in a 3d animation program.
> 
> Another observation- does anyone else find it sad that these two massive ships only lasted about 10 years before being sent to the scrapyard? 10 years? Were these ships really that poorly built? If Noel Mostert's book "Supership" is to be believed, apparently some of the tankers built then were virtual throwaways, not made to last. Or was it that the price of scrap steel was so good that these awesome vessels were worth more dead than alive? It seems that 1985-86 were BAD years to be a tanker.
> 
> Edited to add- Looking at the pictures on Auke Visser's site, I can't help but notice the dual rudders on those ships- VERY interesting, not something I've seen before. Was it an experimental design?


I'm looking for plants of batillus because i want to do a model boat rc about this ship of 3'5m. I need the front and forward plant but i don't find anything.
Can you help me? Excuse my english, is a little bad.
Quim


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## THEDOC

I lightened both of these vessels while I was cargo / deck engineer on Darina.
It took several loads to Naticina (115,000tons) and Darina ((70,000) to bring her up to a manageable draft for her to get into Le Havre.

The engineers indeed do their watch on the bridge dressed casually, bridge located control rooms had been standard on French Shell ships beginning with the D class (UK flag D class motor ships had engine room control rooms while the two steam D class had no control room at all).

After dthe only way back to my ship was via cargo net / crane.


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## John Gurton

I got a photo of the Bellamya being scrapped in Korea, even dwarfing an oil rig being constructed nearby.
I did hear that these vessels were affected by coriolis force, has anyone experienced this?


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## Fluffy24

*Castleton, Cadwalader, Camden, Cadogan, Casterbridge.*



Chouan said:


> I took a picture of her myself when I was on the Castleton, I'll stick it in the gallery.


Hi, I am "Taff" as I was then on board the above names ships when i worked for Gatx-Oswego back in the 70's. I have some fond memories of most of the ships I sailed on except The Cadwalader when i lost 2 mates when they were blown to bits after a boiler explosion. I spent 2 days collecting their body parts in bags and had nightmares for years afterwards. I am to find a photo of all the ships i sailed on to put in an album so that i can show my 24 year old son that life at sea was hard work but good too.


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