# J.W. Bates



## Caltex Newcastle

Has anyone got or know where I can get pictures of the drill ship J.W. Bates, which I believe was converted from a whaling vessel to drill ship in the 1960s.

Thanks


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## john shaw

info and pre-conversion pic at

http://thor-dahl.lardex.net/skip/skipstekst/1948_thorshovdi.htm

with pics which appear to be of the converted drill ship at

http://thor-dahl.lardex.net/skip/skipstekst/1948_thorshovdiekstraside.htm


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## Caltex Newcastle

Thanks John. Many years ago I bought the Observer's Book of Ships and there was mention of the vessel and a silhouette of it. Although I no longer have the book, I've always wanted to know what the ship looked like. Now I know.

Again Thanks.


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## john shaw

you're welcome. Seems to have been a pioneering ship:

1965 A/S Aker Drilling Company Ltd. is established 8 May 1965.
1966 A/S Aker Drilling is contracted for the conversion of the floating whale factory Thorshøvdi into the drill ship M/V Drillship.
1967 On 13. November "M/S Drillship" starts drilling for Amoco, and becomes the first drill ship in operation in the North Sea.


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## Chris99

*J. W. Bates*

I am not sure the original question regarding the JWB was completely resolved. As it so happens, I was associated with that ship for many years as Naval Architect. Originally a Norwegian whaling factory, it was converted by Aker to a drillship (actually named "Drillship") in the late '60s for Falcon Seaboard and operated initially in the North Sea. The 8-point mooring system (3" chain) was totally inadequate and the performance was dismal. Reading & Bates Offshore inherited the vessel in 1972, renamed it "J. W. Bates", and did operate it mostly outside harsh invironments. However, as large as the vessel was, it possessed inadequate variable deck load and was plagued with serious hull maintenance problems. It was ultimately retired in the mid '80s. I probably have a fair bit of do***entation and pictures but it would be quite a chore to recover it.


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## jimmo8

*Jwb*

Was this vessel also called SONDA 1 at some time? 
I recall a drillship of that name in the North Sea - late 60's early 70's. It was also a converted whale factory ship and had difficulty maintaining station.


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## O.M.Bugge

jimmo8 said:


> Was this vessel also called SONDA 1 at some time?
> I recall a drillship of that name in the North Sea - late 60's early 70's. It was also a converted whale factory ship and had difficulty maintaining station.


Yes that is the same vessel, but only SONDA 1 for a short time.


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## David Weber

I worked on this ship in 72-73 as a materialsman in the warehouse section. I signed on in Rotterdam, NL and off in Kaval, GR.


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