# tanker ARCTIC ex: Hollywood



## Capt. Bruno (Jul 13, 2008)

ARCTIC, Br TKR .
Built by Sir J. Laing & Sons as Hollywood-60 later Dealbrook

In the late 50's and early 60's the vessel was chartered by Federal Commerce & Navigation / Watts, Watts to make trips in the Canadian Arctic to re-supply the radar bases of the DEW line and other outports. I would like to hear from folks that might know a bit more about those trips as I am writing a book on a Canadian Company called Branch Lines Ltd. that was later involves in Arctic sealifts.


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## Roger Jordan (May 9, 2008)

Hello Capt Bruno
For the motor tanker HOLLYWOOD, below are particulars of the vessel, example voyages when named HOLLYWOOD and subsequently, and history of changes of owner and name.
Could not find Arctic voyages of ARCTIC because my copies of contemporary Lloyd’s Shipping Index are from the “wrong time of the year”. Hope, however, that some of this is of interest.

Particulars
Official number 184361
Signal letters MLPJ
11,447 tons gross, 6809 tons net, 17,720 tons deadweight
Length overall 521 ft 4 in, breadth 69 ft 10 in, draught 31 ft 1 in
Fitted with NE Marine Engineering Co (1938) Ltd 4-cylinder oil engine 
Service speed 12.5 knots

History
11.10.50 launched by Sir J Laing & Sons Ltd, Sunderland (ship number 789)
6.2.51 delivered to Oil & Molasses Tankers Ltd (manager John I Jacobs & Co Ltd, London) as HOLLYWOOD
1960 sold Federal Sea Equipment Ltd, Nassau, renamed ARCTIC
1962 sold Dealship Ltd (manager J& J Denholm (Management) Ltd, Glasgow), renamed DEALBROOK
20.8.64 arrived Hong Kong to be broken up

Example voyages
HOLLYWOOD
27.11.53 sd Havre for Mena al Ahmadi
12.4.57 sd Haifa for Mena al Ahmadi
24.9.58 sd Amuay Bay for Santos
14.4.59 sd New York for Puerto La Cruz
30.1.60 sd Tonsberg for River Blackwater, ar 2.2.60, laid up
ARCTIC
2.4.61 sd New Orleans for Antwerp
7.7.62 sd Lagos for Montreal, ar Seven Islands 31.7
DEALBROOK
29.4.63 sd New Orleans for Casablanca, sd Houston 5.3
2.8.63 sd Montreal for Arctic, passed Escoumins 3.8.63
24.1.64 sd Augusta for Mena al Ahmadi


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## Capt. Bruno (Jul 13, 2008)

Thank You Roger Jordan,

This helps to put some meat around the bone. I did not expect the official sources to describe at lenght the Arctic trips since most of the time the vessel would either lay at anchor and discharge through a 4" floating hose from the stern or transfer the fuel to a smaller vessel while at anchor again.

Thanks for the info, it will be usefull.


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## Irvingman (Jan 29, 2006)

Kent Line had a Charter with the US Air Force to resupply DEW line bases for a number of years in the late 1980's early 90's. I believe the Irving Arctic (not to be mistaken with the M.V. Arctic ) was one of the first of the Kent Line fleet to go up making it through to Melville Island. 
Other years it was the Irving Nordic and / or Irving Ours Polaire that made the trip.
I was up on the Nordic in the summer of 1990, a marvellous trip though unfortunately all my photos were ruined!
We started in Sonderstrom on the west coast of Greenland, then over to the east coast calling at Kulasuk and Itivdilik (spelling?) Following that we went to Cape Hooper and Cape Dyer then into Foxe Basin to Hall Beach and another base the name of which escapes me.
Accompanied in part by the Canadian Coast Guard. Plenty of fog rolling up the coast of Baffin Island and a lot of uncertainty about what the Ice would do in Foxe Basin. 

Superb scenery and wildlife, we had a certain amount of access ashore as we had two work boats to handle the floating hose and could use them to explore when not discharging. Would love to do it again with a camera that worked!!!!! and more free time.

I was talking to one person working at one of the bases, he said he had come up to work for the extra money to buy his first car after he got married.
"When was that ?" I asked ....."37 years ago" said he "I just keep comming back" 
It was that sort of place.

There are photos of the Irving Arctic, Irving Nordic, Irving Ours Polaire - all of Kent Line - and the M.v. Arctic on this site.

John


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## JoK (Nov 12, 2006)

Irving Ours Polaire was an amazing ship-in that I was always amazed at where she ended up in ice.


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## Capt. Bruno (Jul 13, 2008)

Hello Irvingman,

You must have gone up there with my brother Bernard, he was C/O on the Nordic for one of the DEW line sealifts.

Cheers

Capt. Bruno Boissonneault

Small world !!


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## Irvingman (Jan 29, 2006)

JOK

The Polaire could certainly get into most places even in the ice........problem was she wasn't always able to get herself out!

John


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## Irvingman (Jan 29, 2006)

Capt. Bruno said:


> Hello Irvingman,
> 
> You must have gone up there with my brother Bernard, he was C/O on the Nordic for one of the DEW line sealifts.
> 
> ...


I sailed with Bernard on either the Ocean or Eskimo when he was 2/O and he was on the Nordic as C/O for that run up North. 
As C/O on the Nordic he was watchkeeping and we were shorthanded in the E/R (a 3/e had to fly home) so I didn't see as much of him on that trip.

I left Kent Line the following year.
John


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## JoK (Nov 12, 2006)

Irvingman said:


> JOK
> 
> The Polaire could certainly get into most places even in the ice........problem was she wasn't always able to get herself out!
> 
> John


Yes, I always had the impression she was underpowered for some of the places/conditions she ended up at.


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## Capt. Bruno (Jul 13, 2008)

If we could get back to the vessel at hand, the tanker ARCTIC built in 1951 ex: Hollywood-60. 
In the early 60's , the vessel made some re-supplying trips in the Canadian Arctic during the summer. I would like to know more about the trips of the ARCTIC during those 4-5 summers she spent up north.


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## JoK (Nov 12, 2006)

My apologies.
Anyways, about 10 years ago I had in my hands a scrapbook publication that chronicled the building of the DEW line through news articles. I have no doubt that the information you are looking for would have beeen in it. I have been kicking myself ever since, for not keeping it.


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## Irvingman (Jan 29, 2006)

Sorry can't offer much more help either I'm afraid.


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