# Gene Trefethen



## Fairfield

A big contract for the Clyde was this bulker taken in the Firth of Clyde Drydock for repair in 1975.
She,if I remember correctly was the same class as ELWOOD MEAD which ran aground a few years previously with a full iron ore cargo and was a major salvage triumph.


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## tanker

Yes
this was a cntract in Japan for build 3 sisters:ELWOOD MEAD-TRNTWOOD and
GENE TREFETHEN.She passed under various flag and for some years was
under ITALIAN flag CINZIA D AMATO.
ELWOOD MEAD ran aground in her maiden voyage from Dampier to Rotterdam
with 122000ton of iron ore on 25 december 1973 north west Guernesy at
Les grunes.61 days after ELWOOD MEAD was refloated and was sold to greek was repaired and named GOOD LEADER


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## Fairfield

tanker said:


> Yes
> this was a cntract in Japan for build 3 sisters:ELWOOD MEAD-TRNTWOOD and
> GENE TREFETHEN.She passed under various flag and for some years was
> under ITALIAN flag CINZIA D AMATO.
> ELWOOD MEAD ran aground in her maiden voyage from Dampier to Rotterdam
> with 122000ton of iron ore on 25 december 1973 north west Guernesy at
> Les grunes.61 days after ELWOOD MEAD was refloated and was sold to greek was repaired and named GOOD LEADER


Saw her in Rotterdam when she was being repaired.


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## aliandrui

*good leader*



Fairfield said:


> Saw her in Rotterdam when she was bein repaired.


do you know what happened to good leader ?regards rui.As we arrived at my grand parents house on christmas morning 1973, my grand father was standing at the door ,pointing out to sea. he said "look out there " .And there was the ELWOOD MEAD stuck on the rocks! We used to watch the tugs most days and 61 days later they pulled her off.I was only 10 at the time, and i allways wondered what happened to her after she was renamed GOOD LEADER.


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## R58484956

Welcome to the site aliandrui, enjoy all it has to offer, I am sure that you will enjoy it, we do.


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## Doug Rogers

Yes indeed welcome to the site and enjoy what we have to offer.


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## aliandrui

Doug Rogers said:


> Yes indeed welcome to the site and enjoy what we have to offer.


thank you very much. by the way, at the same time that the ELWOOD MEAD was grounded ,a ship called PROSPERITY grounded in a storm approx 2 miles away from her, on the night of 16 jan 1974. all 18 hands were lost. her engine can still be seen @ LW, and can be reached by foot . regards Rui.


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## 12-4

Sailed on both the GENE TREFETHAN & TRENTWOOD, Owed by Kaiser out of California. Good company and fine ships. The Elwood Mead ran aground on axmas day at around 2am after the second mate fell asleep in the Pilot chair and failed to alter course. After that no more pilot chairs on the bridge.


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## aliandrui

*elwood mead*

thats fantastic infomation 12-4 do you know where there is more info.


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## Bill Davies

Fairfield,
The 'Elwood Mead' was never repaired in Rotterdam. She was sold to Good Faith Shipping whilst alongside at Vlaardingen. She was then taken to Skaramanga Yard for repair and subsequently traded as Good Leader


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## Ahab

I saw the Good Leader in Rotterdam a long while after the repairs. The Pilot told me she had had a very chequered career since her maiden voyage grounding including a serious fire and breaking out of her moorings somewhere, subsequently destroying a lot of the berth infrastructure. The Master at the time of her maiden voyage grounding, Captain Robert Nowroyter?? ,died only a few years back. He had visited Guernsey as a visitor since that fateful night a few times.


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## Bill Davies

Ahab said:


> I saw the Good Leader in Rotterdam a long while after the repairs. The Pilot told me she had had a very chequered career since her maiden voyage grounding including a serious fire and breaking out of her moorings somewhere, subsequently destroying a lot of the berth infrastructure. The Master at the time of her maiden voyage grounding, Captain Robert Nowroyter?? ,died only a few years back. He had visited Guernsey as a visitor since that fateful night a few times.


Ahab,

I am sorry to hear of Bobs passing. He was a dear friend and mentor.

Brgds

Bill


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## Richard Long

I remember waking up xmas morning and looking out of my bedroom window to see the Elwood Mead aground. I was a teenager living in Gurnsey at the time. Had such a good view I could watch the salvage operation day by day. I've still got original news paper cuttings reporting this incident. Also still got the newspaper cuttings on the incident with the Prosperity which grounded with the sad loss of all on board. It was amasing to see two ships aground almost side by side. I always wondered what the Elwood Mead was renamed. Found it on this site.


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## Bill Davies

Well Richard,
Following the grounding at 03:45hrs, 26th December 1973,the 'Elwood Mead' was towed to Vlaardingen where she discharged her cargo and declared a CTL. 
She was subsequently sold to Capt Nicholas Frangos (Good Faith Shipping) and renamed 'Good Leader'. The vessel was repaired at Skaramanga and continued trading with Good Faith.

Brgds

Bill


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## greta1643

Bill Davies said:


> Well Richard,
> Following the grounding at 03:45hrs, 26th December 1973,the 'Elwood Mead' was towed to Vlaardingen where she discharged her cargo and declared a CTL.
> She was subsequently sold to Capt Nicholas Frangos (Good Faith Shipping) and renamed 'Good Leader'. The vessel was repaired at Skaramanga and continued trading with Good Faith.
> 
> Brgds
> 
> Bill


hello gentlemen !

here is this GOOD LEADER (you will notice how Good Faith used the former ship's wording). as far as I know the 3 bulkers had also an obo sister : CHU FUJINO.
cheers


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## Billieboy

Bill Davies said:


> Well Richard,
> Following the grounding at 03:45hrs, 26th December 1973,the 'Elwood Mead' was towed to Vlaardingen where she discharged her cargo and declared a CTL.
> She was subsequently sold to Capt Nicholas Frangos (Good Faith Shipping) and renamed 'Good Leader'. The vessel was repaired at Skaramanga and continued trading with Good Faith.
> 
> Brgds
> 
> Bill


The Elwood Mede was discharged at EMO Maasvlakte, salvors used three Yokohama fenders to position ship and various barges. The EMO berth was the only one available that weekend. The Hull was docked at Wilton Feyanoord dock 3 for class inspection and a few patches were fitted in the week she was in the dock. Class issued a tow/voyage certificate for the salvors to get the ship back to the builders yard for permanent repairs. The Salvors sold the hull on, the total salvage/profit, was the biggest single incident/job at the time.


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## Wanstead

Hello Greta1643,
There were three sisters. Trentwood, Gene Trefethen & Elwood Mead. The fourth of the class was Chu Fujino, an OBO as you say. I like the touch of implementing the old name into the new. Only an economical Greek, what?

Hello Billyboy
The Elwood Mead was sold by her owners , not the Salvors, to Good Faith and proceeded to Skaramanga, not the builders yard, for repair.


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## Tony Crompton

"Trentwood" and "Gene Trefethen" were regular visitors to the Tees, I piloted them on a number of occasions. Bill Davies was master of "Gene Trefethan" when I was aboard. Fine "Well run" ships.

Tony


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## Billieboy

Thanks MA, I stand corrected. I was only aware of the job as a Valve repairer, it was only a few years later that I got deeper into the ship repair bit.


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## Wanstead

You're welcome Billieboy.


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## greta1643

*good leader*



Wanstead said:


> Hello Greta1643,
> There were three sisters. Trentwood, Gene Trefethen & Elwood Mead. The fourth of the class was Chu Fujino, an OBO as you say. I like the touch of implementing the old name into the new. Only an economical Greek, what?
> 
> Hello Billyboy
> The Elwood Mead was sold by her owners , not the Salvors, to Good Faith and proceeded to Skaramanga, not the builders yard, for repair.


hello Sirs,
one GOOD LEADER shot (I have other ones, but am unable to send them...).
the owner of ELWOOD MEAD seemes to be a Hendy International Co, 
of California. As far as I remember they also owned a coupel of panamax bulkers (CHALMETTE,...). 
Best regards


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## greta1643

*Chu Fujino*



Wanstead said:


> Hello Greta1643,
> There were three sisters. Trentwood, Gene Trefethen & Elwood Mead. The fourth of the class was Chu Fujino, an OBO as you say. I like the touch of implementing the old name into the new. Only an economical Greek, what?
> 
> Hello Billyboy
> The Elwood Mead was sold by her owners , not the Salvors, to Good Faith and proceeded to Skaramanga, not the builders yard, for repair.


Hello gentlemen,
a photo of CHU FUJINO leaving Dunkirk. I think she was later sold to chileans...
regards


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## gadgee

For more on this thread see here:-
http://www.shipsnostalgia.com/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/76994/title/chu-fujino/cat/503


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## Rennie Cameron

Folks, can anyone help me with the Beam of the Gene Trefethen (or her identical)...and similarly max draft. Many thanks, Rennie


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