# Vimeira



## ian d.cameron (Jul 3, 2005)

Hello Guys.
Searched high and low for a photo of her for a friend, anyone any ideas.
she was Harrison (clyde)

Single Ship Report for "VIMEIRA"
IDNo: 7372804 Name: VIMEIRA Year: 1974 
Builder: Ishikawajima-Harima Country of build: Link: 1432 Ship Design: 
Location of yard: Aioi Yard No: 2398 
Keel: Launch Date: 24.6.74 Date of completion: 9.74 
Type: Bulk carrier Tons: 39858 Naval or paramilitary marking : DWT: 71776 
Length overall: 230.0 LPP: 218.0 Beam: 32.3 Number of screws/Mchy/Speed(kn): 1D-16.5 Material of build: 
Owner as Completed: Flag: UK 
Subsequent History: 
80 NORMAN SPIRIT - 87 OSORNO
Disposal Data: 
BU Xinhui 18.9.01
Ian


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## Oceanspan (Mar 4, 2006)

Hi Ian

I did a trip on the Vimeira in 1979. Looking at my discharge book, I joined in Hamburg on 9.4.79 and paid off in Rotterdam on 21.9.79. Remember loading grain in the River Plate but five months is too long for one trip so maybe I did two. Can't remember going anywhere else on her, anyway. 

I recall both radar scanners failing simultaneously in high winds as we came up the narrow channel in the middle of the Plate. It was late at night and I was firmly ensconced in the bar having a drink with the Deck Cadet. He came up the mast with me and we replaced a broken drive belt in the X band scanner, before returning to the bar to continue where we left off. The S band scanner was a gearing problem and I sorted it out after we berthed up the Rio Parana, after a great deal of head scratching. A thing called a spider arm clutch was slipping and I tightened it up after dismantling the gearbox and locating it. Knew it was in there somewhere, the manual said so!

Remember us touching the bottom several times on the way up as she was a big ship for that neck of the woodds, 70,000dwt, although we only loaded a part cargo up the river, probably at Rosario or maybe San Lorenzo, then topped up in Brasil, possibly at Paranagua. Think it was soya.

The Parana was ablaze on both banks as far as the eye could see as they were burning off the grain stubble. Came upriver at night and it was like sailing through Dante's Inferno.

We had thirteen pilots onboard for the passage upriver! There were two river pilots and two docking pilots as required by the state pilot service, two more of each privately hired by the charterers, plus trainees. You couldn't move on the Bridge for pilots.

Have appended some photos as requested. The black and white one is a postcard sized job I must have found on the ship, showing her on her trials. The colour one is from Skyfotos. 

Regards
Ed


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## Oceanspan (Mar 4, 2006)

Have also found my Argentinian ficha from that trip. Must have saved it for the fingerprints! I had just done three trips down there on the Ulster Star and wrote Vimeira on the same ficha so I could get up the road.


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## lakercapt (Jul 19, 2005)

Harrison (Clyde) had another ship called "Vimera".
She was on charter to Port Line for a while as the Port Dennison.
Sold to a Swedish company in December 1965 and changed flag in Yokahama at that time.
All the British crew flew home and on January got the letter"We regret to inform you that you are surplus to requirements" or words to that effect.
THey were renouned for selling their ships and dumping the crews.
Bill


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## Tony D (May 2, 2004)

My Brother sailed on one of Harrisons of Clyde called Valldemosa in the early sixties,she was previously Empire Fancy I think, found photos of all the vessels we sailed on but never found one of Valldemosa or any information on her at all.


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## ian d.cameron (Jul 3, 2005)

*Vimeria*

Thanks Ed.
I told my mate to go to SN, I knew someone in here would help out, your a star.
Cheers for the info Bill.
Tony D, someone in here will I am sure find Valldemosa for you .
Thanks again lads.
Ian


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## john shaw (Jun 23, 2006)

_"My Brother sailed on one of Harrisons of Clyde called Valldemosa in the early sixties,she was previously Empire Fancy I think, found photos of all the vessels we sailed on but never found one of Valldemosa or any information on her at all.

Empire Fancy 7123grt 427loa 57beam built 1945. Official No: 180349
1945 MOWT managed by Haldin & Philipps, London. 
1946 SHEAF MOUNT, Sheaf SS Co, Newcastle
1957 VALLDEMOSA, Dornoch Shipping Co.
1961 ARDFINNAN, Mullion & Co, Hong Kong.
1967 Court Harwell Shipping Co, Gibraltar.
1968 COURT HARWELL, same owner.
1969 scrapped Hong Kong.

A pic as Sheaf Mount is at:
http://www.geocities.com/captkenn/sheaf_mount.html_


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## Tony D (May 2, 2004)

Thank you Mr Shaw got that,Bro will be chuffed,although I don't think he remembers his time on Valldemosa too fondly,he sailed on her under a Captain Huggins, I sailed with the same Captain on British Monarch another Harrisons/Clyde a couple of years later, he would be what would be called a "character" in these politically correct and litigious times.
(Thumb)


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## lakercapt (Jul 19, 2005)

Tony D said:


> Thank you Mr Shaw got that,Bro will be chuffed,although I don't think he remembers his time on Valldemosa too fondly,he sailed on her under a Captain Huggins, I sailed with the same Captain on British Monarch another Harrisons/Clyde a couple of years later, he would be what would be called a "character" in these politically correct and litigious times.
> (Thumb)


Captain Huggins ah a fright from the past. He was as nutty as a fruit cake. I sailed with him on "Celtic Monarch" and any one of his actions should have had the big boys in white coats taking him away.
Sailed from Adelaide to Chiba in Japan and he had cut down on the bunkers so we run out of fuel on the way there. Told us to falsify our log book entries to show heavy weather and head winds every day even when it was calm, I refused to be part of the lying.
Had to be towed to Tokyo Bay where we anchored to be refueled.
Wind came up and ith the bardge bouncing about the hose burst spraying the bridge housing with black fuel oil ( it had been painted on passage). Fuel oil from yin to yang.
Got alongside and were informed that prospective buyers were coming to view the ship and have it as presentable as possible !!!!
The enine room was a nightmare with scavange fires and breakdowns a frequent occurance. 
No they did not buy the ship as we all wished so we could get off.
Left in Japan when my time was up to go and get married.
A very unfortunate vessel where hardly a day went by without some misadventure. Worste was the death of the 3rd Enineer in Tokyo.
Not any good memories of that trip.
Bill


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## Tony D (May 2, 2004)

We were at Commisioners Bouys in Shields when Captain Huggins left the ship he had to have surgery if I remember correctly so he had to take that trip off, our new Captain was on the bridge, Mate on the focsul head getting ready to let go,Captain Huggins was shouting order up to the Mate Mr Jones(another character) from the deck of the Shields ferry,19 month trip that turned out to be,we would have had fun , I had sailed with Captain Huggins for a few short trips at this time and in truth I got on ok with him,but the stories about him were legion,we don't produce such characters nowadays,and I think we are the poorer for it.
hee hee.


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## lakercapt (Jul 19, 2005)

Would that mate Mr. Jones be the one that was nicknamed teapot Jones (don't know how he got it though)
Characters like Capt. Huggins would not be tolerated in todays industry. He had so many idiosyncrasies that it would take pages to relate them. One in particular I remember was how he wanted the ships position written on a chart. A fix was usually indicated with a circle drawn arround it. He wanted an arrow pointing in the direction we were going. As mate I was strongly tempted to getting him certifed as some of his actions were more than bizzare.
After the fiasco of running out of fuel he was fired. Not for running out of fuel but for lying about it!!!


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## Tony D (May 2, 2004)

Don't recal him having that nickname, tall distiguished looking grey haired Welshman was Mr Jones but with a fondness for Gin,I remember him calling me to his cabin in Singapore I think, he proudly showed a full length portrait he had had painted of himself for his sisters,tall proud, at attention neat uniform, gold braid gleaming with pristine cap under his arm,
"didn't know you had a new uniform like that Mr Jones" sez I,
"Oh I just got the chap to paint that on me" sez he.
You couldn't make it up.
hee hee.


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## brianwatson (Aug 30, 2007)

This began with the 1970's Vimeira which I sailed on in 1977. Need to look out my old books to double check exact dates but sure I signed on in Port Talbot then we went up to Narvik, Norway, back to UK then off to Brazil before coming back to Europe, I think Hamburg.


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## jax123 (Aug 3, 2008)

Was on Vimeira in 1976 doing the BISCO charter, which meant heading north to Kirkeness and Narvick in winter and Tuberao and Freetown in summer!!! Sounds crazy but I think the North ports reduced iron ore prices in winter.
It made for a few hairy trips and on one round North Cape the spare prop, just behind the bridge, shifted and nearly tore loose in heavy rolling and it was at that time secured only by a 2 inch bolt through the centre which bent like a bannana! 
I t was not a bad ship though and its sister ship, Venetia was probably the most succesful UMS ship I ever sailed on going 37 days without a single alarm, though admitedly it was mostly on a good weather run.
Jack Kirk


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## ROBERT HENDERSON (Apr 11, 2008)

Wthe Capt Huggins be a Welshman previously with Buries Marks? I sailed on the La Cordillera in 1951, the C/O on that voyage was a Mister Huggins, I have a photo of him I will post sometime.
Robert


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## tony stockton (Feb 13, 2009)

brianwatson said:


> This began with the 1970's Vimeira which I sailed on in 1977. Need to look out my old books to double check exact dates but sure I signed on in Port Talbot then we went up to Narvik, Norway, back to UK then off to Brazil before coming back to Europe, I think Hamburg.


I joined the Vimeira in Middlesbough in August 77 went up to Narvik back to Middlesbough then to Rio had a wonderful week there, We then went to Texas to load Grain for a port in the black sea, we were along side for six weeks, I paid off in Hamburg after six months away, What a first trip[=P]


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