# Cement carrier LIGAR BAY



## Emmanuel Makarios (Oct 11, 2006)

My first ship was the "Ligar Bay" on which I was the Deck Boy.
The ship traded around the New Zealand coast until the late 1970's when she returned to the UK. I think she was part of the Blue Circle Cement co ?
I am interested in any photos or information about the ship in the UK or beyond. I believe she was wrecked off the South American coast but not sure. Any information would be much appreciated.


----------



## Thamesphil (Jul 22, 2005)

I remember the Ligar Bay very well during her spell in the U.K. She was owned by Blue Circle Cement, but commercially managed and crewed by F.T. Everard & Sons. She regularly ran bulk cement from the BC works at Northfleet to Aberdeen. There is a photo of her on the Thames at www.shipspotting.com, taken by John Jones. http://www.shipspotting.com/modules/myalbum/photo.php?lid=30264

She was eventually sold on and I understand that she did eventually come to grief. However, I don't have the exact details to hand.

Phil


----------



## Emmanuel Makarios (Oct 11, 2006)

Hi Phil,
Many thanks for that information - I have over the years collected any information I can on the LIGAR BAY. I did all my Deck Boy's time on her and there weren't too many trips that I didn't get sea sick. She was a terrible sea boat ! The Crew was made up of mainly older men who liked to be known as Dad's Army . They were happy days !!!


----------



## Gulpers (Sep 8, 2005)

*Ligar Bay*

Emmanuel/Phil,

*LIGAR BAY *
Cement Carrier 
Built: 1964 
IMO Ship No: 6418443 
Gross Tonnage: 1,297 
Deadweight: 1,485 
Call Sign: GPDE 
Flag: Cayman Islands 

She came to grief in 1994 in position 17º 09’N 061º 49’W off Antigua & Barbuda, W.I. 

Another photograph of her *here*

Cheers, (Thumb)


----------



## Emmanuel Makarios (Oct 11, 2006)

Hi Ray,
Many thanks for the information.

Regards
Emmanuel


----------



## photosailer (Jan 3, 2011)

Hi Emmanuel,
I have just seen your post, though a little late, I trained on the Ligar Bay for FT. Everard and Sons, here are some pictures I took while onboard in 1983: http://www.flickr.com/photos/markdyball/

Plus some other good details at: http://leithbuiltships.blogspot.com/2010/09/ligar-bay.html

Regards

Mark


----------



## Duncan112 (Dec 28, 2006)

Thanks for the photos Mark, I remember going on board "Ligar Bay" whilst I was an engineer cadet at Greenhithe, one of my fellow cadets, Simon Mackay's father was Master on her at that time - I believe he was killed shortly afterwards?


----------



## Tim Mark (Jul 12, 2009)

I was on-board (2nd Eng) when we brought it back from NZ to UK. Stopped for fuel in Tahiti on Christmas eve, and had to stay a few days (such is life). When we arrived in UK M. Everard wasn't very happy that we had left one of the cargo cement compressors behind in NZ. A few years late I sailed with Bill Charmain whilst in Zapata Marine; he had been on-board when taking the vsl from UK to NZ. It feels like a lifetime ago!
Rgds
Tim Mark


----------



## skilly57 (Mar 11, 2008)

Hi Tim,

It was a life time ago - it was 1979!

Did the stbd engine throw any timing chains on the trip back to the UK? She had a nasty habit of doing that. 
I had a couple of years on her (1973-4) as 4th engineer when she was owned by Golden Bay Cement in Wellington (GBC was owned by Blue Circle at that time).

The funnel was too short and the M.E. exhaust gases used to get sucked back into the aircon intake & E.R. supply fans. Made a lot of people sick.
After she was initially designed, it was decided to lop 35 feet off the bow (before building) to enable her to turn easier in restricted spaces. That was the biggest mistake - she pounded & slammed like a dunny door in any sort of head sea!
Skilly


----------



## chadburn (Jun 2, 2008)

Skilly, wave pitch v ship length is a very important design feature, the wrong length of ship can make for a very uncomfortable trip. Smiths Dock's where I served my time went to great lengths to collate data before building vessels for Manchester Liners.


----------



## skilly57 (Mar 11, 2008)

Hi Chadburn,

Funnily enough, the cement carrier that replaced the Ligar Bay in 1979 had her bow built by Smith's Docks in 1978. This was the mv Golden Bay, where most of the ship's hull was built by Robb Caledon in Dundee, but the bow was outsourced to Smith's. Where they joined the two sections together really stands out (or, stands in, actually!) as the frame at the join (Frame 125 from memory) was too small and the hull 'dips in' all the way around from bulwark to bulwark.
I have the highly polished Chadburn 'Synchrostep' Electric Telegraph, Serial No. TX1186 cover from this latter vessel sitting on show about 8 feet from where I am sitting. A little momento of 12 years spent on this ship, plus another 24 years since still looking after the Chadburn electro-pneumatic control system.
And, this ship is running harder now than it did during it's first 4 years of service - built like the proverbial brick out-house. Looks like it will retire at the end of 2016 though.
Cheers
Skilly


----------



## chadburn (Jun 2, 2008)

Skilly, thanks for the info, although I have like most Engineers worked on Chadburns equipment I have no connection with Chadburns themselves. When I set up my name on this site I made sure not to add the 's' in order not to cause confusion with a site of of that name. I picked the name as "Finished With Engines" is the last bell a Marine Engineer will hear before paying off and retiring for good.


----------



## Rosscon (May 9, 2021)

Emmanuel Makarios said:


> My first ship was the "Ligar Bay" on which I was the Deck Boy.
> The ship traded around the New Zealand coast until the late 1970's when she returned to the UK. I think she was part of the Blue Circle Cement co ?
> I am interested in any photos or information about the ship in the UK or beyond. I believe she was wrecked off the South American coast but not sure. Any information would be much appreciated.


I was deck boy on the Liger Bay, about1965, bulk cement from Tarakoe to Whanganui, 
New Plymouth & Wellinton. My most memorable experience was being picked by a large swell wave when coming across the Whangnui bar, being bottomed out when she keeled down on the bar. The next swell picked her up and lifted her across the bar.
I had come off the Tofua where I had done my steering time at the wheel but wasn't allowed near the helm on the Liger Bay. Steering gear was terrible and she was barred from going thru the Frence Pass due to her not being able to hold a steady course. She was a roller and more submarine than surface vessel in Cook Stait when the sea got angry but loved every moment at sea on her.
Signed off to Join the Jill Cord for a trip to the east coast US and up the St Lawrence Rivier to Montreal. 
Rosscon
[email protected]


----------



## Tassie48 (Dec 24, 2020)

I remember the Ligar Bay ,Golden Bay and the John Wilson Ticktok, Storm, all the good coasters and see them in the Golden Bay berth by the rail ferries in Wellington and in Wanganui ,Raglan Onehunga, good days indeed tassie48


----------

