# Amsterdam.



## janathull (Aug 31, 2005)

Hi Everybody,
Trying to track down some info and possibly a photo of a small bulk carrier called Amsterdam. As far as I know she was owned by a company called Tradex, which I believe were based in Geneva, but managed by Silver Line. As far as I can find out she was a flush decker of about 5000 tons. I believe she was in service in the late 70,s early 80,s. Any info on this ship would be very much appreciated. (Thumb)


----------



## david smith (Apr 30, 2004)

I believe this is the Amsterdam, seen in the North Sea.


----------



## pat (Jul 16, 2005)

Regarding the mv Amsterdam that is correct I was r/o on her before she changed flag to British from Liberian and all the Tradex crew were paid off in Italy and a n English crew came onboard from Silver line.we mostly traded arounf the Med and north europe,in fact I was on quite a few of tradax ships around this time also the Saint nazaire ( sister ship to the Amsterdam)
mostly Yugoslav officers and Cabo verde crew is the most cases very happy ships,That is indeed a photo of the Amsterdam and brings back many happy memorries.

Pat


----------



## janathull (Aug 31, 2005)

THANKS FOR THAT. I was on her when we were stuck in Galatz up the Danube at the time of the seamans strike. Was,nt the Carchester a Tradex ship managed by Silver Line. she used to run the Great Lakes to Manchester.


----------



## pat (Jul 16, 2005)

Hallo again well thats a turn up for the book I was also stuck up the Danude in Galatz in the winter of (???) cannot remember the exact date,but cannot remember any Brit onboard as far as I remember the Capt was Yugoslav.
Yes the Carchester was one of Tradax's first bulk carriers and was handed over to Silver line

regards

Pat


----------



## capkelly (Feb 13, 2006)

*Amsterdam*

I was Captain on Tradax (Cargill Corporation) 79/80 on the Carbreeze (Bulker) and Bebedouro (Concentrated Orange Juice in bulk - frozen) with mainly Yugoslav and Indian Officers and crew they had two large OBo's the Seneca and I cannot remember the other as well as Carchester, Carbreeze, Amsterdam, St. Naziere and I believe one other. I left to go ashore as a Surveyor, strange Company run from Switzerland.


----------



## pat (Jul 16, 2005)

ok with being with tradax in 79/80 fine.I was also on the sister obo
to the seneca the Cheyenne (american indian tribe names) they were bought from the Swedes beautiful vessels never seen anything like them before the accomadation was out of this world !
By the way the name of the other small bulkcarrier was the Gent.

regards

Pat


----------



## janathull (Aug 31, 2005)

*Amsterdam*

The Amsterdam was in Galatz with a full British crew early in 81. As I remember it because we were at anchor for ages we ran very short on food and there was very little to be had ashore. Awful place, I was very pleased to get out of there. The reason we were left at anchor I suspect was because of the seamans strike that was going on around the world. There was also a C.P. bulkie at anchor at the same time.


----------



## gdynia (Nov 3, 2005)

janathull said:


> THANKS FOR THAT. I was on her when we were stuck in Galatz up the Danube at the time of the seamans strike. Was,nt the Carchester a Tradex ship managed by Silver Line. she used to run the Great Lakes to Manchester.


I was onboard the Photinia(Stag Line) in same period as Carchester was on Great Lakes Run. Both vessels were running to Trafford Park on a Tunnel Glucose Charter. The Carchester had her funnel marking changed as was sub chartered out to Central Soya Corporation of the States. She was the biggest vessel at that time draft wise to navigate the Manchester Ship Canal. It must of been a 4 year period we were both on run together. When Lakes were closed we ran to South America for Grain or the North Coast of Spain back to Manchester.


----------



## pat (Jul 16, 2005)

In reply to janathull that must have been after the Brits took over some of the Tradax vessels,the reason we were so long in Galatz was that we got iced in ,but agree with you it was the most god awful place Ive ever been
smelly dirty and the biggest bunch of thieves Ive ever seen , thats one place I NEVER want to go back to.Although see that they have quite a thriving ship building industry.

Pat


----------



## janathull (Aug 31, 2005)

I agree with you Pat about thieves, they even stole the bulbs out of the cargo clusters.


----------



## Chouan (Apr 20, 2006)

I was with Tradax when they handed management over. The Indians and Filipinos were offered contracts but on dramatically reduced wages. The Indians who relieved us on take over were on about 10% of our wages and were very poor quality. We had a Dutch old man called De Beer, and both I (3/0) and the 2/0 were British, the 2/0 being of Indian heritage; he was offered a contract on Indian wages, even though he was British!


----------



## pat (Jul 16, 2005)

*Amsterdam*

In answer to chouan yes I remember Capt De Beer sailed with him when he was 2nd Mate with ZIM lines and then many years later he joined Tradax which was managed by Tadax in Switzerland for the big grain importers and exporters Cargil when it slowly changed over to British management it seemed to go down hill but have sailed on quite a few of the small bulkcarriers and the big ones as well.

Pat


----------



## Chouan (Apr 20, 2006)

Please see picture of the Geneve, sister to the Amsterdam in the Tankers section of the gallery. I can post more pictures if you want them.


----------



## Orbitaman (Oct 5, 2007)

If I remember correctly, there were originally six sister ships built - Geneve, Amsterdam, Tarragona, Hamburg, Ghent and another, which whilst built for tradax was sold soon after delivery and renamed 'Early Bird'. The ships were basic in the extreme, with green painted rendering on the cabin decks (The 3rd Mates cabin on the Hamburg had a collection of snooker balls painted on it to brighten it up!) and two showers between six Officers. Due to space constraints, the ladders inside the accommodation were almost vertical and The Master could never watch the television in the messroom at mealtimes as it was positioned above his place at the table. The feeding rate at the time I sailed with Tradax ran to the princely sum of $2 a day - luxury!


----------



## Chouan (Apr 20, 2006)

The food could be good, or terrible, dependent upon the Old Man and the Cheif Thief, if they had good consciences the food was good, if not it wasn't. But we'll all have heard that story before!
One extreme was Crayfish tails and Steak Tournedos, the other was curried pieces of pork fat, literally.


----------



## Orbitaman (Oct 5, 2007)

I quite agree. during one trip, the catering varied from oxtail twice a week because the Captain discovered that none of the Officers would eat it and pork adobo twice a week because it cost next to nothing to make, through to parma ham, freshly made salami's and whole parmesan cheeses, this down to careful planning and purchasing at the right ports. In general, the more the captain moaned about keeping within the feeding rate, the worse the food was and more of the feeding rate went into his pocket.


----------



## boris de souza (Dec 4, 2006)

*Tradax SA, Geneva*

I sailed on the Tarragona, Ghent, St. Naziere(sp?) Carchester, and the Caratlantic. Signed on the Tarragona at the Shiogama Yard in Japan on the shakedown cruise, and back to Rotterdam with rolled steel for cargo. Interesting voyage. Anyone remember the Carchester?




Orbitaman said:


> If I remember correctly, there were originally six sister ships built - Geneve, Amsterdam, Tarragona, Hamburg, Ghent and another, which whilst built for tradax was sold soon after delivery and renamed 'Early Bird'. The ships were basic in the extreme, with green painted rendering on the cabin decks (The 3rd Mates cabin on the Hamburg had a collection of snooker balls painted on it to brighten it up!) and two showers between six Officers. Due to space constraints, the ladders inside the accommodation were almost vertical and The Master could never watch the television in the messroom at mealtimes as it was positioned above his place at the table. The feeding rate at the time I sailed with Tradax ran to the princely sum of $2 a day - luxury!


----------



## boris de souza (Dec 4, 2006)

*M/V Carchester*

I sailed on the Carchester as well - beautiful ship - on the Great Lakes - Manchester, as well as the iron ore winter runs from Narvik/Norway and Tubarao/Brazil to Antwerp. The old girl does not look good on the one image I have, but I will up load it. Happy memories!!





gdynia said:


> I was onboard the Photinia(Stag Line) in same period as Carchester was on Great Lakes Run. Both vessels were running to Trafford Park on a Tunnel Glucose Charter. The Carchester had her funnel marking changed as was sub chartered out to Central Soya Corporation of the States. She was the biggest vessel at that time draft wise to navigate the Manchester Ship Canal. It must of been a 4 year period we were both on run together. When Lakes were closed we ran to South America for Grain or the North Coast of Spain back to Manchester.


----------



## Bjorne (Dec 26, 2008)

Hi
I sailed on Amsterdam about 1973 as 1st Eng. We mostly sailed to Ireland, France,England,Poland and Russia. Captain and Deck officers dutch. Sparks Irish, Chief cook Italian (Porcen Madonna), Engineers spanish,swedish (me) and jugoslavian. rest of crew mostly Cape Verde
Exept bosun Dutch and one OS german. Sailed under Liberian flagg.
Bjorne


----------

