# Robrix and Nellie M



## oddjobman (Dec 3, 2014)

I have seen two fotos of these vessels. They cannot be posted here because of copyright.
The puzzle is that they look identical.
Nellie M built 1972 @ Cochranes ,Selby. Eventually Timrix 1984.
Robrix built1975 as Silloth Stag @ Beverley Shipbuilders 1975

Can anyone cast any light on this?


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## cueball44 (Feb 15, 2010)

Nellie M - Tim Rix >


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## cueball44 (Feb 15, 2010)

Silloth Stag - Rob Rix >


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## oddjobman (Dec 3, 2014)

Thanks for posting those two fotos. Apart from a ref. to history book of Cochranes yard, which I do not have, no-one has yet explained why the Timrix and Robrix appear identical. They were built at different yards, and some years apart.


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## BillH (Oct 10, 2007)

NELLIE M 
O.N. 343137. 783g. 448n. 1,180d. 202’ 6” x 34’ 4” x 12’ 11”oa.
Post 1978: 954g. 594n. 1,393d. 72.73 x 10.47 x 3.763 metres. 
8-cyl. 4 S.C.S.A. (241 x 305mm) by W. H. Allen, Sons and Company Ltd., Bedford. 1,160bhp. 12 kts.
12.7.1971: Keel laid by Cochrane and Sons Ltd., Selby (Yard No.1542) for Metcalf Motor Coaster Ltd., (T. Metcalf, manager), London. 
2.2.1972: Launched 
15.4.1972: Completed. 
1972: Owners acquired by Booker Line Ltd., Liverpool and S. William Coe and Company Ltd., Liverpool appointed as managers. 
1978: Sold to Coe, Metcalf Shipping Ltd., (same managers). 
1978: Lengthened. 
1980: Removed from management. 
7.2.1981: Whilst on a voyage from Blyth to Coleraine with 1260 tons of coal and anchored off Moville, in Lough Foyle, awaiting favourable weather conditions to cross the sand bar to enter the River Bann, the vessel was boarded by a gang of seven masked men who had hijacked the Moville pilot boat FOYLE LEADER, forcing the coxswain to take them out to the vessel. Once on board they planted 3 bombs and forced the 9 crew onto the pilot boat and then into a rubber dinghy which was towed toward the shore. Only one bomb exploded, causing the vessel to sink to the bottom, partly submerged, in Irish Republic waters. The Irish Republican Army claimed responsibly for the attack, claiming that the vessel was a commercial target. Irish bomb disposal experts subsequently cleared the vessel of explosives. 
12.7.1981: Refloated by P.R. Eurosalve Ltd, Folkestone and subsequently towed to Londonderry where her cargo was discharged then to await a decision on her future. Her underwriters abandoned the vessel to her salvors as a Constructive Total Loss. Vessel subsequently repaired at Londonderry. 
1982: Sold to Lofoten Cia Nav, Panama and renamed ELLIE. 
1984: Sold to Phoenix Offshore Ltd, Wadebridge with Panamanian registry retained. 
1984: Sold to Timrix Shipping Company Ltd., (J. R. Rix and Sons Ltd., managers), and renamed TIMRIX. 
1987: Managers became Rix Shipping Co Ltd, Hull. 
1991: Transferred to the Bahamas register. 
1995: Sold to Apex Maritime Ltd. (Seaflight Ltd., Dulwich, London, managers), Malta and renamed MALTESE VENTURE. 
1996: Sold to Modern Marine Operations (Pro Chart BV, Rotterdam, managers), St. Helier, Jersey, and renamed SPEZI. 
1997: Sold to Simon Lyon-Smith and others, Crediton. 
1997: Sold to Maritima Santa Catalina, Isla de San Andres, Columbia. 
1998: Sold to Caribbean Island Shipping Inc, Belize and renamed DOVE. 
2000: Sold to unspecified owners. 
2005: Sold to St Marten Ltda, Cartegena de Indias, Colombia and renamed AMAZONS DOLPHIN. 
5.2009: Sold to unspecified owners and renamed OCEANIC LADY, under St Vincent and Grenadines flag. 
3.2011: Renamed CARMEN II, under Sao Tome and Principe flag. 
7.2015: Sold to Transporadora Maritima El Carmen, Colombia and to Togo flag.


ROBRIX 
800g. 435n. 1,184d. 61.73 x 10.47 x 3.937 metres.
8-cyl. 4 S.C.S.A. (241 x 305mm) by W. H. Allen, Sons & Company Ltd., Bedford. 1,200 bhp, 12 kts.
31.12.1974: Launched as TILSTONE MAID by Beverley Shipbuilding & Engineering Company Ltd., Beverley (Yard No. 1562 ) for Tilling Construction Company Ltd., London. 
3.1975: Completed but delivery refused by client and vessel not registered. 
10.4.1975: Sold to Stag Line Ltd., Shields, for £585,412 including minor modifications and renamed SILLOTH STAG. (O.N. 338115.) 
21.4.1975: Delivered onto a four-year charter to Silloth Shipping Ltd., Annan. 
11.1975: Stag Line Ltd., acquired shares in the charterers. 
27.5.1982: Released from charter and G. T. Gillie & Blair Ltd., Newcastle appointed as managers. 
1.7.1982: Sold to Westfield Shipping Company Ltd., (James Fisher & Sons p.l.c. proprietors), (same managers).
1988: Purchased by Robrix Shipping Company Ltd., (J. R. Rix & Sons Ltd., managers), and renamed ROBRIX.
1996: Sold to Aned Maritime Ltd, Malta and renamed SPRITE
1997: Sold to Nortrans Shipping Group and renamed KONVIK under Belize flag
8.1998: Sold to Edarte ShPK Import/Export, and rename EDARTE
11.1998: To Albania flag
11.2002: Renamed FROJDI
4.2004: Sold to Albsea Trans ShPK, Albania
9.2012: Last reported PSC inspection
5.1.2013: Last report of movement; Departing Ravenna, Italy bound for Durres, Albania


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## oddjobman (Dec 3, 2014)

*Robrix and Timrix./Nellie M*

Thanks for that info. I am aware of the history of both vessels. What I am trying to discover is why both vessels appear very similar. Almost as if both were built from the same plans, but at different yards and years.
Has anyone any clues?


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## Erimus (Feb 20, 2012)

Have you heard of 'paragraph' vessels?

If the gross tonnage of a ship is above a certain level, governments may require additional equipment to be fitted to her or more crew provided. A paragraph ship is one whose tonnage is just below that level, so saving the owner money.

A good example would be :-http://sfarnytt.stena.com/archive---paragraph-vessels.html

We once had a couple of Dutch vessels of different shipyards build and owned and managed by their Masters....apart from the name and the funnel markings they could have been 'peas from same pod'..

Does this give any help?

geoff


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