# Hyrcania MADE Baltic Trading Co



## Trevor Clements

I wonder if anyone on the forum was ever on the old 'Hyrcania', a T2 owned by (3 ships) Baltic Trading? She was built as the Chatterton Hill, in USA. 

I grew up on that ship. I had to, she was a nightmare. Cockroaches, the Flying Bridge moved at night in any sort of sea, breakdowns, leaking boiler safety valve and no water amidships between Punta Cardon and Eastham. The third mate was 72 years old and from Barry, a wonderful old chap with a ticket in sail. 

Trevor Clements


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## Albert Bishop

*Hyrcania*

Blast from the past Trevor, I was on the Hyrcania May 57 to April 58. as an asst steward, Quite an experience, but the saying "Crappy but Happy" springs to mind, Crew flew out from the Tyne (Old Dacota) to join in Amsterdan. Skipper came round in white gloves as soon as we left on his one and only inspection. Took 21 days to reach Curacao. (Boiler tubes went.) Could go on with quite a few stories about that trip, She was scrapped very shortly after Cheers Albi.


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## Trevor Clements

Hi Albert,
Great to hear from you. I joined her in Amsterdam just before Christmas 1960. Captain Griffith Osborne Pritchard, Bill Protheroe was the 72 year old 3rd mate and a chum of the Captain who had been a Barry pilot for most of his life, but he kept me entertained with sea shanties from his days in sail. The Chief Steward and Chief Engineer had a bit of a scrap at the pay off in Eastham. I think she was scrapped in Spain in 1962.

I was just 19, and first surprise was when a bowl of tomato soup was put in front of me, and a cockroach fell off the deckehad into the soup and lay upside down kicking its legs. Still, it satisfied the BOT meat ration for the day (Joking of course!).

She broke down regularly. The leckie was a South Shields man; Jackie Benton he was keen on Country and Western music and we had to hang up imaginary gun belts on enterring his cabin. We staged a mock gun fight in the back streets of Curacao like a wild west scene with some toy pistols he had bought fr his son. I learned a lot fast on that ship, but I didn't regret the experience, and we who sailed on T2s are a fast disappearing breed.

All the best Albert.

Trevor (Sparks)


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## Roger Jordan

Hello Trevor and Albert:
You might be interested in the following movement reports of HYRCANIA. These are extracted from copies that I have here of Lloyd’s Shipping Index (then a daily publication, Monday to Friday) in the years in which the vessel was in service under that name.

29.10.48 left Fawley for unreported destination
10.5.49 left Ras Tanura for Fawley, arrived 31.5.49
21.2.50 left Abadan for Teneriffe; reported in 34 31N 20 52E at 9am on 14.3.50; had engine trouble [this was reported in issues of Lloyd’s List during 7.3.50 to 15.3.50]
1953 on voyage from Punta Cardon to Rotterdam, reported 140 miles SSW of Niton at 9.7pm on 5.12.53
1.4.57 left Fao, and left Pulo Bukom 15.4.57 for Balik Papan 
1958 on voyage from Bachaquero to Buenos Aires, reported in 04 20S 34 53W at noon on 8.10.58
2.4.59 left Mena Ahmadi, and left Port Said 13.4.59, for UK/Continent
9.3.60 left Falmouth for Mena Ahmadi
17.4.61 left Curacao for unreported destination
10.2.62 left Bordeaux for Falmouth, arrived 13.2.62, and laid up
26.4.63 arrived Bilbao from Falmouth; to be broken up

Regards
Roger


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## Albert Bishop

*Hyrcania*

Hi Trevor and Roger. Thanks for the extra info, but I'm a bit surprised she lasted so long before she was scrapped. We all thought she was on her last legs when we were aboard. Its the only ship I was ever on, where when we got orders to go to some destination, we went out to look for it, First port was Curacao, after a few trips with Shell I knew the place well, and couldn't understand why we sailed straight past it. It was almost out of sight by the time the bridge realised their mistake. Second port BA. We ran up and down the S .American coast looking for the entrance to the Plate. West Africa we stopped twenty four hours out to wait for a pilot. Skipper liked the bottle, Mate had come out of retirement, second mate had been a Scotish sheep shearer and played the bagpipes on the wing of the bridge and the third mate was a Latvian who didn't seem to speak much English I could go on. A very eventful trip. Would I do it again? You Bet! Cheers, Albi


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## Trevor Clements

Yes thanks from me too Roger. 

I was relieved on board on March 2nd 1961 by a much more experienced R/O and after regailing the ROU official in Liverpool with my tales (I was only 19) we all three went back to Eastham so that he could look at the ship. I dont know if he joined or not, but there is no way I would have signed on her again at the time. 

Between Curacao and Searsport Maine, at the end of January 1961 and approaching the Penobscot Bay, the Captain called me up to the bridge at night to take a series of DF bearings, it was misty and they had no radar. When I got there the RCA D/F would not work mysteriously. After a bit of investigation I discovered that "someone" had swapped over the output from the DC converter, I changed them back, took the bearings and got quite a small triangle. I then turned in. The next morning I awoke to find us alongside in Searsport. The Captain then informed me that he was so reliant on the D/F ( they were the only serious bearings taken in the entire time I was aboard), that he would not sail from Searsport until I had got RCA up from Boston to check my work on the D/F. Bear in mind this is winter Maine and there is snow like I have never seen before. Sceptical I went to the dock office and telephoned RCA Boston, to be told that what I had done was fine and they were not coming all the way up to Searsport for nothing. At this the Captain was furious with me, but what could he do? I was the R/O, I had done what I was paid to do so we sailed. Later that day the Leckie informed me that the boiler safety valve was leaking, (I was later to work ashore in combustion systems for water tube boilers, so I know that it means continually making up feed water in the drum from tanks), and that it had all been an excuse to stay in Searsport while they fixed it, and for me to take the blame for the delay. This was borne out by the fact that between Punta Cardon and Eastham we had to stop off at Horta to take on more boiler feedwater. There was no water in the midships section for the entire voyage home.

I believe, though I have no certain knowledge, that the Captain had asked for me to be relieved anyway but that was because he had failed to get us delayed in Searsport, and our relationship had deteriorated a bit when I discovered the extent of the proposed deception. I wont name him, but he was the only Captain with whom I had a less than very cordial relationship.

With hindsight, the time I spent aboard Hyrcania was the best thing that could have happened to me because of how much I learned about the job, about life, and also about people. I will never regret it, and I still have a grudging respect for her and T2s in general. We paid off, and in typically Marconi fashion five days later I was sailing on another ship back to the Bay of Fundy, luckily that was a much happier association.

I dont tell people that story much. Those who have never been to sea tend to think you have made it up, and who wants to admit that they were as green as that. But it was typical of things which happened on the Hyrcania.

So lets swing the lamp!

Trevor.


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## Albert Bishop

*Hyrcania*

Sounds as though you had a pretty eventfull trip as well Trevor. The no radar bit nearly saved you the trouble of joining her. We came very, very, close, in fog, to a collision in the chanel. Went to full astern in one easy movement, and she nearly shook herself to bits. You probably have a photo of her. but if not there is one on this site. For some reason I have no recolection at all of who the R,O,was, we must have had one but its a complete blank I'm afraid. Cheers, Albi.


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## Trevor Clements

Hi Albert,
I do have a photo of her in the Dover straits, which I bought from Skyphotos. There is one on the web too, showing her at anchor and covered with rust, possibly just before she was scrapped.

Strangely although I am not really a diary person, I kept one while I was at sea, which is how I remember some of the 'events'. If I can find it I'll mail you the web address later today.

All the best,

Trevor.


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## E Knight

*Hyrcancia*

A distant cousin of mine
William Creasy Worth was born 13 August 1888 in Bristol. 
Parents were Charles O. Worth (1863-1926) and Emma Jarman (1862-1935) of Fishponds.

Was this William Worth the young man who wrote in my mother's old Mrs. Beeton's Cookery Book, that he had sailed around the world? Yes, this book was probably his, which he used onboard ship. He wrote --the S.S. Hyrcania, Caspian Oil Co. Ltd. 3 & 4 Lime St. Square, London EC2 from Avonmouth Sept. 25, 1916. Arrived at North Shields Nov. 1, 1918. All around the world 2 years & 8 days. (Sadly this book was lost during a sale at mother's house in Montreal, in 1982).

"Hyrcania" built as "R. Graham" in 1908 by Armstrong Whitworth, Newcastle,
renamed 1914. 5227 gross tons, registered dimensions 385 x 50.7 x 30.4
feet, triple expansion steam engine. Port of registry, London.
Source: Lloyds Register of Shipping 1916.

---


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## Albert Bishop

Bit of useless info for anyone interested. Hyrcania means land of the wolves, and was a small country at the south end of the Caspian sea,( which was known to the ancient Greeks as the Hyrcanian sea) About 590 bc. it became part of the persian empire under the rule of Darius, It then dropped out of history untill it became a T2 tanker in the 1940s, Cheers Albi.


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## stan mayes

Thankyou Albi - it is interesting to me and other members..

What of the other tankers of Baltic Trading Co? All of them known to me..
Varand - Shirak - Karabagh - Caspia - Shirvan - Kars and another T2 Zeitoun.
Regards
Stan


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## Albert Bishop

Morning Stan, All seem to be older place names from around the Caspian area, except Zeitoun which is a suburb of Cairo, I'm very surprised they had so many ships. Around 1960 we always thought they only had the two Cheers Albi


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## stan mayes

Hello Albi -thanks for your reply.
I often saw their ships in the Thames prewar.They lost four during the war.
Shirak - sunk by U 47 on 19.10.40 Aruba for Thames.
Caspia -sunk by U 81 on 16.4.42 off Beirut.
Kars - torpedoed by U 96 on 22.2.42 off Halifax..Aft end salvaged and beached on 27th Feb..
Shirvan - sunk by U 300 on 10.11.44 off Iceland
Regards
Stan


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## Albert Bishop

Amazing how much info can come out of the life of an old T2. and mr Knights reference to the original co. being the Caspian oil co. must account for all the strange names being from around that area. Cheers, Albi


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## frank fish

In 1956 I was in Tandjong Priok (Djakarta) and bumped into a crowd off the Hyrcania in the RADIO BAR. I remember that the first mate was Alf. Shaw from North Shields the Uncle of an old school friend of mine and the brother of a former commodore of Shell Tankers. She looked pretty crappy then and obviously didn't improve with age


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## stan mayes

Hi Frank,
I made the maiden voyage as AB in Neritina of Anglo Saxon Pet.Co [later Shell] -7th Dec 1943 to 1st May 1944.
William Shaw was her Master and was Commodore of the company at the time.
He was known as Butcher Shaw - I think because of his attitude toward Chinese crews.
Stan


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## Albert Bishop

I've just come across an old photo I took of the Hyrcanias well deck. I've posted on the gallery so it may bring back a few memories
Cheers Albi


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## Trevor Clements

Albert,
Please may I use that photo in an article I am writing for the Radio Officers Association? I will of course attribute it to you. It shows the Radio Room and the battery box. Also the flying bridge along which I ran many times to get food, and got soaked too when the old girl was heavy laden.

Trevor


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## Albert Bishop

Hi Trevor, Been off the site for a while and just spotted your request.
Bit late, but no problem. use the photo as much as you like. Cheers Albi.


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## Trevor Clements

*Hyrcania Photo*

Many thanks Albert. By the way; a very Happy New year to you.

50 years ago today I was in Barry on Hyrcania, and we picked up dear old Bill Protheroe. On the 5th we sailed in ballast for Venezuela.

All the best,

Trevor.


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## D A Young

*Hyrcania*

Good morning

I am a new member and am just amazed to find details of the Hyrcania.

My grandfather was Hendry Davies and recently I came across a silver salver which was a wedding gift to my Grandfather and grandmother Charlotte on the celebration of their marriage from the crew of the Hyrcania in 1909.

He came from the Barry area of Wales so if anyone can fill me in on any details or indeed tell me what position my Grandfather had on Hrycania I would be obliged.

Furthermore, another relative Horatio Davies was a Bristol channel pilot on the cutter Hope - can anyone throw any light on this please?

Shipping has remained in my family and now my Nephew is in the merchant navy on BP tankers.

Any comments or help you could give me in helping to fill in gaps ion my family knowledge would be great. Thank you


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## E Knight

Good Day David Young, I don't know much about the Hyrcancia other than a cousin William Creasy Worth (1888- ) worked on the vessel. You might consult TheShips List for more details of the ship. I also put your e-mail on genealogical lists: Bristol-Somerset & Bristol-District, which you can join freely on the Rootsweb Mailing List. His name was in a book of my mother's (Mrs. Beeton's Cookery) but was lost during a sale at her house in 1992. 
All the best, E. Knight


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## ianrobson36

Hi my name is Ian RobsonI was Junior Engineer on the Hyrcania joined 2-5-58 left 11-3-59 Amsterdam to Curacao did th run to Maracibo and back.
My cabin was the first one on the right coming out of the mess and was called the coffin wide at one end and narrow at the other the ship was full of cockroaches the food was terrible but we had a great time in Curacao. Like everyone else learned a lot.regards.
Ian


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## Albert Bishop

Hi Ian, I did the same trip as you on the Hyrcania. I was an asst std at the time, Can't place you, but no doubt if I saw you the memouries would all come back, About the food, The galley boy paid off sick after a few weeks, then the cook fell down an irrigation ditch and broke his leg on the way to the pub in BA. The second cook was on his own for the rest of the trip. I still see him and he always says "I still have nightmares about that bl**dy ship" Never mind Ian, we all learnt a lot on that trip, and I think I enjoyed it. Though God knows why. Good to know you are still around. Cheers Albi.


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## Trevor Clements

Albert your photo was in the last edition of the Radio Offciers Association journal together with my article about my time on Hyrcania. Ian is right about the cockroaches, she was riddled with them.


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## Albert Bishop

Hi Trevor, Glad to see someone found a use for one of my photos
and a slightly late seasons greetings to you and yours. Cheers A


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## northwind

Hello Trevor
I signed on the Hyrcania in Amsterdam mid 1953 she had just had the hull and deck reinforced with steel straps rivetted on, presumably the welding was becoming suspect. Sailed on her for about a year, Fawley - Mena, couple of times Curacao- Piney Point Maryland, Punta Cardon, Las Piedras. Captain was called Garret, a really likeable and respected chap. She was in reasonable condition then and I have quite happy memories of her, surprised to hear what a floating wreck she became. Sister ship was another T2 named Zeitoun (spelling?) I seem to recall -- Best regards, Derek


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## catefs

Hello, I have been researching my Grandfather Cptn John Mckay Robertson and came across the California Passenger and Crew List for the Hyrcania, (28 August 1952). 
JMR - 55years, 5'9" and 185 lbs (can never have too much info!) was the Captain. Happy to share the list if there is any interest. 
Does anyone remember him??
Kind regards, Cate


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## northwind

Hello Cate
I sailed on the Hyrcania as an R/O between June 53 and april 54. The first Captain was E. Garrett but as far as I can remember and deduce from my very smudged and indistinct discharge book Captain Robertson joined sept 53. Afraid my memory for detail is rather poor but I do recall that at one stage he got the fitness bug and used to run from the forecastle down the cat walk and then round the stern, several times (quite a decent work-out) orry haven't got more detail for you - Regards, Derek


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## catefs

*Captain John Roberson and the Hyrcania*

Hello Derek, your memory is to be commended! I'm unsure where my Grandfather was in 1953 as I only have the crew and passenger list for August 1952. The R/O was George Kenneth Hicks (17 years). 
This is all very new to me and I'm piecing bits and pieces together all over the place. No doubt it will all make sense some time.
But thanks, anyway for your speedy reply. 
Kind regards, Cate


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## catefs

Hello again
If your surname is James (could be Jones - the writing is tiny) then you appear on the 1957 "List or manifest of aliens employed on the vessel as members of crew" arriving Curacao on 1/1/1957. Happy to email you a copy.

Have just added it as an attachment - fingers crossed it works!


Kind regards, Cate


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## northwind

*tes Hyrcania*

Thanks for the response Cate,
However, the person on the list was not me. My name is Derek James and I was a Radio Officer on the ship. 

good searching - Regards Derek


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## ianrobson36

I served on board the Hyrcania as 3rd eng. for a year 1958--59, joined ship in Amsterdam to Curacao spent most of the year to load Lake Maracaibo back to Curacao, one trip to Aruba and one trip to Perth Amboy N.J. last trip back to Amsterdam paid off. Great time and crew 
never had any problems in eng. room. Pity about the ship itself was in a terrible state and infected with cockroaches.

Gingerbeer


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