# The Onassis Group



## ruud

*Onassis Fleetlists*

Ahoy,
On request, which was lately asked to me, here some fleet lists from the Onassis Group, starting with 1967:and a piccie of the Olympic Fame 1967


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## benjidog

Hi Ruud,

Interesting info on Onassis - I knew he was into shipping in a big way but never saw a list like that. 

It's no wonder that Jackie Kennedy married him with all that lot to look forward to!

Brian


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## ruud

Ahoy,

Here's another list, taken from Ocean Ships, this time 1971, haven't a clue if there were more or less vessels, but indeed a "big fleet" Brian!
The Olympic Accord 1969 included.


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## ruud

Ahoy,

Here a list from 1974, as promised and another vessel from his fleet.
The Olympic Chariot 1963


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## ruud

Ahoy,

Here the list from 1978,and the Olympic Fame 1965, sorry for the poor quality of the piccies, books are in a bad condition and the photos very small to scan, after 30+ years


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## ruud

Ahoy,

Finally the last list at my position, the year 1982, and the Olympic Goal 1965 and the Olympic Grace


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## ruud

Ahoy,

Some more piccies of the Onasis fleet;
The Olympic Freedom 1964 and the Olympic Valley 1953


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## benjidog

From what I have read on the Onassis family, Aristotle Socrates Onassis expected to leave this business to his son Alexander but Alexander was killed in a plane crash in 1973. Ari himself died in 1975 leaving the business to his daughter Christina. Christina died in 1988 after a heart attack and with a history of drug abuse over a long period. The loot then went to Christina's daughter Athina who got her hands on it in 2003 when she became 18 - estimates of the fortune vary between $600 Millon to $2.4 Billion according to which website you look at. Whatever the final figure was she is worth a packet.

If you are feeling lonely Athina I am sure there are a number of SN members who would volunteer to look after you and provide you with financial advice. (*)) 

Brian


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## Knut

*Just want to add*

Onassis was also into Whaling. Olympic Challenger was a whaling factory with no less than 4 funnels. Think it was the old William Barendtz. Right Ruud?
Knut. (Thumb)


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## ruud

Ahoy Knut,
Ha en god kveld,
But I don't know if the Willem Barendzs was renamed as Olympic Challenger, but indeed she had 4 funnels, as shown here;


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## Aristo

Olympic Challenger was a conversion from a wartime T2 tanker, originally named Oregon Trail. She was converted to a whale factory in 1950 but sold along with the rest of Onassis fleet in 1955. She came to Japanese owners and operated until 1972.

There is a photo of her at 
http://www.t2tanker.org/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.ShowItem&g2_itemId=478


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## ruud

Ahoy,

http://www.xs4all.nl/~beejee/WILLEMBARENDSZ.htm

Never heard of the BROMENDAR, anyway not a Dutch vessel!


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## lagerstedt

I was reading one of the threads on SN in which the SN crew member stated that if was "deadman walking" on Onasis ships ie before you could get a berth someone had to cross the bar. 

What made the Onasis group different from other shipping companies? 

Where can I find more info about Onasis ships as they had Tankers and Cargo vessels.

Regards
Blair
NZ


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## gdynia

Blair

If you do a google search there is a wealth of information on his various shipping companies. Apparently he paid top Dollar so hence the term deadman walking


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## non descript

Blair, this link *here* is a start - it is an easy mistake to make, but the man's name and the company is *Onassis* and this spelling may turn up more leads for you.
(Thumb) 
Mark


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## lagerstedt

Thanks guys. It would appear that I had the spelling wrong. Got some guys who sell ships and the like. Says he was ex Onassis

Regards
Blair


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## spongebob

In the 50's I was in the Panamanian port of Balboa on the Rangitane and berthed astern was a then super tanker "World Integrity" owned by the Niarchos Company.
She was about to move eastward through the Panama canal and because of her size, she was one of the biggest ships to enter the canal in those times, the canal authorities were carrying out a survey.
A group of us from Rangitane were on the wharf viewing this giant when we got into discussion with the second mate and the sparkie and were duly invited on board for a drink.
They explained that the authorities had come on board to examine the crew's certification and to paticularly check out the state of the engine room, controls and the steering gear to be sure of a trouble free transit.
The ship was registered under a flag of convenience and there were a few queries about some of the engineers qualifications, particularly the second engineer who was found to be sailing under his brother's ticket or some thing as dubious as that hence the close survey.
She was a newish ship and as we sat drinking in this unbelievably lavish officers smoke room they explained that all Niarchos's latest ships had owners quarters on board in case he was looking for a bed in some port etc but on this ship no proper provision had been made for an adequate officers smoke room. The Captain had apparently approached the head office about the possibility of using the private suite drawing room as a substitute and Niarchos had given his approval providing they covered the seating furniture with protective dust covers. It was a sumptuous set up, a few original art works on the bulkheads, a deck of multi coloured inlaid timber polished to a sheen and elegance all around.
I cannot recall what other generosities were extended to the crew but judging by the general appearance they were living the life of Riley


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## Bill Davies

*lagerstedt* 

Sailed as Master for several Greeks in my time commencing with Nick Frangos in the mid 70s. They were never content with you doing your job and invariably drawn into company 'intrigue' in one form or another. However, I have relieved dozens of Greek Master's, now that is an education! Whilst one cannot generalise the handover, cash etc was always a problem. They were in essence 'little business men' all aspiring to be owners. Seamanship/safety?? lets not go there.


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## Bill Davies

Bob,
Certification is a world the 'Greeks' are alien to. Strange that so many of the owners prefix their names with Captain when I now the majority of them have only been in a Masters cabin for coffee. Anything is possible with the Greeks! Believe half of what you are told and take plenty of salt with that.


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## holland25

I went aboard a Greek tanker once, in Indonesia in the late 50's. I cant remember the name or if it was Niarchos or Onassis. The R/O was an Irishman and he seemed to be, at the time, on "film star wages", I was in Blue Flue. The accommodation for the Captain,Chief Engineer and the owners suite was like a Hollywood set. The R/O's cabin was very roomy but extremely spartan, I seem to recall a hospital type bed and metal desk and wardrobe and painted steel bulkheads,he did have his own bathroom. Quite cheerless really.The name Tina Onassis rings a bell but I couldnt be sure.


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## Bill Davies

Holland25.
The Master & Ch.Engineer *HAD* to be looked after! They were in the thick of it. As for the Radio Operators cabin, you are describing my cabin in the NBC Bulk Class and I was Master!! The pay cheque! Excellent.


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## K urgess

Changed the title of the thread to the correct spelling.
Mainly so that a site search will produce the correct results.


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## holland25

R651400 said:


> As an aside Blue Funnel and probably other British companies got a bit of an eye opener when they bought US Liberties at the end of the war.
> Accommodation built to same specification above but very spacious with iced water fountains in the alleyways and engine room.


You are right about the Liberties,I sailed on the Speaker, a T&J, and my cabin was right aft on the bridge deck, port side.It did have wooden fittings, large bunk and two ports, one facing aft and one on the side. The bunks were quite wide, in fact in rough weather we had to wedge ourselves in with lifejackets. Harrisons kept the iced water fountains. The radio room had been updated when I joined her in 56, complete with R/T, which I never saw during my time with BF.
Between my cabin and the Radio Room was a double berth which was used by a Purser. I believe that it had housed 2 R/Os during the war and my room was the Chief R/Os. (Jeremiah O' Brien,San Francisco).


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## Karberg

Hi all
My Father did some time in the Onassis Fleet in the fifties. He worked on the whale chasers & also did a relocation voyage on Onassis' yacht. I don't have much on detail but he spoke of his time in the fleet with great fondness. He had some photos of his time on the chasers but I don't have these in my possession.
Rgds
Peter


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## peter83

*Onassis*

There is a current publication simply titled ONASSIS by George M Foustano availabe through SHIPS IN FOCUS (08450 760078). Unfortunately it is a whopping £89.00

Regards
Peter


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## lagerstedt

Hi Guys.
My interest stated when I read a comment about "deadmen walking" in one of the treads in the Radio Rm thead and here we are. I have since found there is a thread on SN in which our crew mate Rudd has posted some photos. Maybe one of our Mods can locate the comments by Rudd and others and start a thread about Onassis shipping and xfer these comments to it. Rudd also posted some photos of his whale fleet however I did not view them.
A few years ago I had a GM who worked in the operation area of a major international company and at the time I was working as a Project Manager. During talks about staffing issues he said that "If you look after your staff they will look after you, go an extra mile for your staff and they will go a bit further, **** on your staff and they will crap on you and eventually they (the staff) will put you out of business". Having said that it would appear that Onassis did in the main look after his staff and they in turn looked after him. 

Regards
Blair
NZ


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## non descript

lagerstedt said:


> Hi Guys.
> My interest stated when I read a comment about "deadmen walking" in one of the treads in the Radio Rm thead and here we are. I have since found there is a thread on SN in which our crew mate Rudd has posted some photos. Maybe one of our Mods can locate the comments by Rudd and others and start a thread about Onassis shipping and xfer these comments to it. Rudd also posted some photos of his whale fleet however I did not view them.
> Regards
> Blair
> NZ


Blair,
I have done as you asked and the two threads on *Onassis *have been merged, that is why your comment that was* # 1 *(on the thread that you started) is now shown in chronological order and appears here as *# 13*, although at first glance it looks strange, the concept is there and with this explanation it makes sense of why your *# 13 *appears as it does.

I have also split the postings on the *WILLEM BARENDSZ* as they were off-topic and they now have their own thread under that name *here*.
(Thumb) 
Mark


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## Jan Hendrik

Mark,
You tried to convert the name to English 
please correct spelling to WILLEM BARENDSZ
Whereby Willem is Dutch for William.
The "z" at the end means "zoon" or "son"
The old name giving at the time was that this person was the "son" of the old Willem. 
Jan

Then referring *back to Onassis*.
I think apart from *Onassis* and *Niarchos*, there is a third name to be mentioned as all 3 competed fiercely within their industry: *Livanos*.
These were the 3 giants always mentioned in one sentence.
I visited many ships of all 3 companies and supervised a lot of drydockings incl Tina Onassis, Al Malik Saud Al Awal etc.....most dockings took place at Wilton Feijenoord Schiedam.
These vessels were also part in the race being the world's largest.
Jan


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## non descript

Jan Hendrik said:


> Mark,
> You tried to convert the name to English
> please correct spelling to WILLEM BARENDSZ
> Whereby Willem is Dutch for William.
> The "z" at the end means "zoon" or "son"
> The old name giving at the time was that this person was the "son" of the old Willem.
> Jan



Thanks Jan and I have made the correction.
(Thumb) 
Mark


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## Jan Hendrik

Thanks for the additional info on this company.

The lists provided by Ruud are very authentic and great to see all the old names back again.

Vinke and Co has always been the agent of Onassis and I had the pleasure of having a desk in the Rotterdam office next to Kimon Onassis, a cousin of Aristoteles. 
We visited their ships together quite a lot and also experienced the transformation from white to black topsides in the mid sixties.
Jan


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## coronatus242

I'm looking for any images of Olympic Challenger, the Onassis whaling factory ship.

Does anyone have any they can share?

If so, please send them to [email protected]... thanks very much!


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## geobro

I was in Grytviken (Sth Georgia) in 1956 when the Olympic Challenger with accompanying catchers (including his yacht, Christina, converted for the occasion) came in for repairs, seeking assistance from the Pesca whaling station. This was denied as the Onassis fleet, and all who sailed, were blacklisted in whaling circles. They reputedly killled everything... mothers and calves, lactating females, small ones, forbidden species, etc. 


I believe this was a one-off venture and the fleet was sold to the Japanese soon afterwards. Six of the catcher boats were subsequently leased by the Pesca company for one season, then returned to Japan. They were named Otori-Maru 1,2, 3 etc.

Photographs I took of the fleet were lost in a house fire


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## coronatus242

That's unfortunate.

I appreciate the difficulty and dislike that people have for whaling in general.
I myself do not care for the practice AT ALL, but you probably lost what was a relatively important historical record (in addition to your sense of security... sorry about your house!!!)

Thanks for your reply

Michael


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## geobro

Michael
I agree. There is no need for whaling now. Post war there was a great need for fats, and margarine at that time was the main product of whale oil.


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## JimC

Saw Tina Onassis in 1954. She was biggest tanker in the world then - 45,000 tons (I think).
Named after his daughter?


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## soundlight

Hello !! i wish to have information about the ship named evanghelia or the siter ship anastasia... i know that both of them are wreck on the black sea coast..if some one can help me...seams that both of them make part of the onassis fleet..


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## geocondo

holland25 said:


> I went aboard a Greek tanker once, in Indonesia in the late 50's. I cant remember the name or if it was Niarchos or Onassis. The R/O was an Irishman and he seemed to be, at the time, on "film star wages", I was in Blue Flue. The accommodation for the Captain,Chief Engineer and the owners suite was like a Hollywood set. The R/O's cabin was very roomy but extremely spartan, I seem to recall a hospital type bed and metal desk and wardrobe and painted steel bulkheads,he did have his own bathroom. Quite cheerless really.The name Tina Onassis rings a bell but I couldnt be sure.


Being of Greek heritage I heard many times back in the early 60's that Onassis paid significantly higher wages to his employees.


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