# T2 tanker Marine Duval



## Bob S

*MARINE DUVAL * was built in 1944 by the Kaiser Companies Swan Island yard in Portland Oregon as the T2 tanker *CHALMETTE*. She was renamed *STANVAC BRISBANE * in 1948, *ESSO LYNCHBURG * in 1951, *LYNCHBURG* in 1956 and *MARINE DUVAL * in 1969. 
When seen in Galveston, Texas on the 31st March 2002 she was operating as a chemical tanker for Marine Transport Corporation with a gross tonnage of 15008 and looking much modified.


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## oldbosun

Re "Marine Duval". 
Amazing! She must have had extensive and extreme renovations because I feel like saying "Where are the masts, and what did they do with the bridge section amidships?".

Astonishing that they can take a hull that old, make it totally unrecognisable and still call it a 'T2'. Obviously they did, but it still leaves me scratching my head.


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## Bob S

I was a bit surprised when I looked her up in Lloyds too.


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## turbines48

*Marine Duval*

Google search shows her as scrapped in 2002


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## Dave Edge

Arrived Mumbai 20 November 2002 to be broken up.


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## mclean

Dave Edge said:


> Arrived Mumbai 20 November 2002 to be broken up.


Having sailed on two T2,s during 1957/58, its hard to believe. regards Colin


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## janbonde

Hi Old bosun on the lakes there are two ships that were built one as an oiler for the US navy during the war,they are still trading the Middleton belonging to Oglebay norton and the Lee A Tregurtha of Lakes Shipping,she to was built as a tanker during the war.Both trading as self unloaders


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## surfaceblow

*Marine Duval*

The Marine Duval is a name from the past I use to borrow parts from her while she was layed up in Galveston around 1991 or 92. Back in those days Penzoil which owned the Marine Duval would keep a Chief Engineer onboard so I had to sign for the parts. Over the years Penzoil updated the machinery on the Duval. While the Floridian's engine room stayed pretty much original. Both ships still had its turbo electric power plant. 

I was Chief Engineer on the Marine Floridian which was on the same charter but was owned by MTL or the bank. The normal trip was from Galveston to Tampa. Sometimes we would go to Port Sulfur and Moorehead City. 

Both ships were converted to carry molten sulfur. The cargo was kept at around 280 F. It was the only Tank Vessel I was on that we would use the biggest rose bud to heat the cargo pipes to melt the sulfur to get the cargo flowing again. Then the Mates and Captain would fire the deck hands for having lighters in their pockets while on deck.

TTFN
Joe


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## surfaceblow

*Marine Duval House*



oldbosun said:


> Re "Marine Duval".
> Amazing! She must have had extensive and extreme renovations because I feel like saying "Where are the masts, and what did they do with the bridge section amidships?".
> 
> Astonishing that they can take a hull that old, make it totally unrecognisable and still call it a 'T2'. Obviously they did, but it still leaves me scratching my head.


They cut off the amidshiphouse from the main deck and reweld it Shelter Deck and all above the Engineers Level. So all the natural vents were replaced by noisey electric fans under the mates rooms. 

All the rooms kept its T2 charm salt water heads, deck, engine and steward toilets and showers for the unlicensed crew but with the addition of Air Conditioning. The Chief Stewards room was used for the Cargo Office. The Wheelhouse still had the telemotor system and a Window Air Conditioning Unit. 

The hull foward of the Aft Pumproom was replaced. But they put back the steam winches back on. 

Just forward and aft of the manifold there were posts with small booms on them. 


TTFN
Joe


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## cmakin

surfaceblow said:


> They cut off the amidshiphouse from the main deck and reweld it Shelter Deck and all above the Engineers Level. So all the natural vents were replaced by noisey electric fans under the mates rooms.
> 
> All the rooms kept its T2 charm salt water heads, deck, engine and steward toilets and showers for the unlicensed crew but with the addition of Air Conditioning. The Chief Stewards room was used for the Cargo Office. The Wheelhouse still had the telemotor system and a Window Air Conditioning Unit.
> 
> The hull foward of the Aft Pumproom was replaced. But they put back the steam winches back on.
> 
> Just forward and aft of the manifold there were posts with small booms on them.
> 
> 
> TTFN
> Joe


I was the ABS Surveyor back when the DUVAL and FLORIDIAN were running in and out of Galveston. The DUVAL was laid up so much that I used the machine shop like it was my own. I remember the upgrade on the DUVAL. They made all the main engine controls electronic; but, as you said, didn't do the same to the FLORIDIAN. Now, I can't recall which one it was, but was it the FLORIDIAN that had the mud header leak on the port boiler back in the mid 90's? Memory fades. . . .


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## surfaceblow

cmakin said:


> I was the ABS Surveyor back when the DUVAL and FLORIDIAN were running in and out of Galveston. The DUVAL was laid up so much that I used the machine shop like it was my own. I remember the upgrade on the DUVAL. They made all the main engine controls electronic; but, as you said, didn't do the same to the FLORIDIAN. Now, I can't recall which one it was, but was it the FLORIDIAN that had the mud header leak on the port boiler back in the mid 90's? Memory fades. . . .


We had so many boiler leaks back then we finally got the boilers retubed using boiler tubes from the Sabine warehouse. I had to write requisitions to replace the tubes and have the new tubes deliveried to the Sabine warehouse. The Marine Super and the purchasing department were not to happy about explaining to the owners that we just bought new tubes for another company. But the boilers got retubed without the six month wait for the new tubes.

You were lucky using the Duval's machine shop, the Floridian did not have a working lathe for a very long time. The lathe was used to hold the packing material. When Marine Super bought us a second hand lathe we still could not use it since none of the tools could be used there was no tool post. 

TTFN
Joe


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## cmakin

surfaceblow said:


> We had so many boiler leaks back then we finally got the boilers retubed using boiler tubes from the Sabine warehouse. I had to write requisitions to replace the tubes and have the new tubes deliveried to the Sabine warehouse. The Marine Super and the purchasing department were not to happy about explaining to the owners that we just bought new tubes for another company. But the boilers got retubed without the six month wait for the new tubes.
> 
> You were lucky using the Duval's machine shop, the Floridian did not have a working lathe for a very long time. The lathe was used to hold the packing material. When Marine Super bought us a second hand lathe we still could not use it since none of the tools could be used there was no tool post.
> 
> TTFN
> Joe


I do remember the Marine Super very well. His name was Joe, too.


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## surfaceblow

Joe was the Marine Super for the Marine Duval, Marine Floridian and the Marine Reliance. So Joe was my boss while I was on the Marine Floridian and the Marine Reliance. 
My standing orders from Joe was not to call only when I needed something or when there was a problem. So about once a week I would call him at home while he was tending to get his children ready for school. This way I would not be on the phone to long and get the monthly lecture about the communication cost were to high.

TTFN
Joe


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## cmakin

surfaceblow said:


> Joe was the Marine Super for the Marine Duval, Marine Floridian and the Marine Reliance. So Joe was my boss while I was on the Marine Floridian and the Marine Reliance.
> My standing orders from Joe was not to call only when I needed something or when there was a problem. So about once a week I would call him at home while he was tending to get his children ready for school. This way I would not be on the phone to long and get the monthly lecture about the communication cost were to high.
> 
> TTFN
> Joe


Yup, that was him.


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## barnsey

Hopefully attached is what they probably looked like from the front view..... they were unmistakeable as a class and once you knew the mods that had been done as a T2. The new hulls forward of the after pumproom were built in Germany and I remember passing one under tow in the English Channel to the shipyard where the engineroom was awaiting for it. There were a whole host of them done during the mid 60's if I remember.

Fascinating tales about the Stars of the thread .... We had a number of T2s in BP but whilst I heard many tales about them I did not get top sail on them ....

Barnsey


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## surfaceblow

There were two other sister ships to the Marine Duval and the Marine Floridian they were the Marine Texan and the Louisiana Brimstone. 

Both the Marine Texan and the Louisania Brimstone ended there operating life with accidents. The Marine Texan went aground in Texas sat on the bottom with the house sticking out of the water. The Louisania Brimstone broke her back at Coatzacoalcos Mexico 20.2.91 & broken up at Alang 21.1.93 

The Marine Floridian hit a bridge and had the bridge span land on the deck just in front of the house with a few of the cars still on the bridge. The official cause was steering gear knife switch vibrated out. After the accident all of the switches were turned around so the switch will close by gravity instead of opening. I heard twenty years later that the block of wood holding the main contacts closed fell out when the elctrical box popped open. 

Other pictures of the ships are at 
http://www.aukevisser.nl/inter/id476.htm
http://www.navsource.org/archives/09/19/19157.htm


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## Geoff Bray

Hi There,
Your reference to the Marine Super at MTL, Joe Thelge was his name


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## surfaceblow

Geoff Bray said:


> Hi There,
> Your reference to the Marine Super at MTL, Joe Thelge was his name


No, Joe Walsh Just like the singer. I use to have a tape of Isn't life grand just for Joe when he came to visit the ship.

Joe Thelge may have been assigned to some other ships that I was not involved with. Each Marine Super had three ships to look after. I spent my time on the Sealift Tankers, the Marine Floridian,the Marine Reliance and some of the Cape H's also the Cape Douglas. 

TTFN
Joe


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## Geoff Bray

Hi Surfaceblow,Did you coma accross Norman McAskle at MTL, also what can you tell us about the Marine Electric that went down with all hands carrying a cargo of coal out of Norfolk


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## cmakin

surfaceblow said:


> No, Joe Walsh Just like the singer. I use to have a tape of Isn't life grand just for Joe when he came to visit the ship.
> 
> Joe Thelge may have been assigned to some other ships that I was not involved with. Each Marine Super had three ships to look after. I spent my time on the Sealift Tankers, the Marine Floridian,the Marine Reliance and some of the Cape H's also the Cape Douglas.
> 
> TTFN
> Joe



The Sealift Tankers, too? I spent some time with those ships, too. Bill Schriever was superintendent at the time. We did segregated ballast conversion on those ships, in both Houston and Galveston.


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## surfaceblow

Geoff Bray said:


> Hi Surfaceblow,Did you coma accross Norman McAskle at MTL, also what can you tell us about the Marine Electric that went down with all hands carrying a cargo of coal out of Norfolk


I never came across Norman Mc Askle. 

The Marine Electric sank February 12, 1983 and I started with MTL in 1986 on the Sealift Arctic as the 1 A/E. Due to one of the settlement agreement's due to the sinking MTL had to have immersion survival suits and a welcome aboard pamplet on the use of the suit. This was before the USCG required them on other ships. Other than that I have no inside information about the Marine Electric. 

What I do know that all of my repair request had be taken care of in a timely manner. With the exception of replacing the Captain's TV antenna. The Marine Super would not have the antenna tower replaced on overtime. Since there were only watch standers other than the pumpman and wiper in the Engine Department and according to the Union rules at the time I could not work with tools unless I had every one else on overtime. I also needed the Marine Super's permission to weld outside of the engineroom along with the company's safety committee. (The antenna tower was finally replaced when we got off the weekend in port schedule three weeks later). I always though the real reason for the delay was to punish the Captain for running the vessel close to shore to watch TV. If we took the normal route we would not have been in the storm that took down the antenna. 

Another MTL T2 that was lost was the SS MARINE SULPHUR QUEEN, a T2-SE-A1 type tank vessel of U.S. Registry, converted to carry molten sulphur, departed Beaumont, Texas, with a full cargo of 15,260 tons on the afternoon of 2 February 1963 enroute Norfolk, Va. The ship and crew of 39 men disappeared. The vessel was last heard from at 0125 EST on 4 February 1963. 

TTFN 
Joe


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## surfaceblow

cmakin said:


> The Sealift Tankers, too? I spent some time with those ships, too. Bill Schriever was superintendent at the time. We did segregated ballast conversion on those ships, in both Houston and Galveston.


I remember Bill. He had a funny ideal about torquing the bolts on the heads using the impact wrench. Every time I came back from vacation I had a lot of heads to retorque and most of the time the gaskets. required replacement. 

TTFN 
Joe


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## cmakin

surfaceblow said:


> I remember Bill. He had a funny ideal about torquing the bolts on the heads using the impact wrench. Every time I came back from vacation I had a lot of heads to retorque and most of the time the gaskets. required replacement.
> 
> TTFN
> Joe


I last saw him at his wedding; quite some time ago.


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## surfaceblow

The last time I saw Bill was in 1989. The Sealift Atlantic tie up across from the Rusty something or other resturant in Houston. 

TTFN
Joe


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## cmakin

surfaceblow said:


> The last time I saw Bill was in 1989. The Sealift Atlantic tie up across from the Rusty something or other resturant in Houston.
> 
> TTFN
> Joe


Shanghai Red's and Brady's Landing. They have since torn down Shanghai Red's. That was at the Houston Ship Repair docks. We may have met, I was the ABS guy attending the Atlantic for Surveys. If not there, then on the Floridian.


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## jim heslop

*Marine Electric*

Hi Surfaceblow

I have just finished reading a book called Until the sea shall free them by Robert Frump it a true story about the Marine Electric and T2 tankers and for any person interested in the sea should read it

jim heslop


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## MarineSoftwareGuy

Interesting. I wrote the software that replicated the ship's book for the Marine Duval and the Marine Floridian around 1992, I think. They were trying to eke a few more years out of the two by trying to minimize the stress on the hulls.

I know they did some tipping test at the Bethlehem Yards in 1970 (which was the date on the copy of the ship's book that I worked from).


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## surfaceblow

Welcome Marine Software Guy to the site. You should enjoy your self. 

The tables for the Duval and Floridian started to be pretty much the same but over the years differences appeared. The Duval had a waist belt riveted around the Engine and Boiler Rooms were the plates were wasted among other things. There was also a shallow stop at the loading port if you did not slack off the lines before finishing up the loading the middle would be sitting on the bottom while the ends would be floating free. More than once we had to reconnect the hoses to discharge some cargo before leaving the dock because the Plimsoll Marks would be underwater. 

The Floridian always carried more cargo than the Duval during the years I was onboard the Floridian. The office and mates on the Duval did not notice the simple fact that the Duval always loaded their bunkers at the loading port and the Floridian always took bunkers at the discharge port. 

Joe


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## Randy Skopinski

Bob S said:


> *MARINE DUVAL * was built in 1944 by the Kaiser Companies Swan Island yard in Portland Oregon as the T2 tanker *CHALMETTE*. She was renamed *STANVAC BRISBANE * in 1948, *ESSO LYNCHBURG * in 1951, *LYNCHBURG* in 1956 and *MARINE DUVAL * in 1969.
> When seen in Galveston, Texas on the 31st March 2002 she was operating as a chemical tanker for Marine Transport Corporation with a gross tonnage of 15008 and looking much modified.


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## Randy Skopinski

Bob S said:


> *MARINE DUVAL * was built in 1944 by the Kaiser Companies Swan Island yard in Portland Oregon as the T2 tanker *CHALMETTE*. She was renamed *STANVAC BRISBANE * in 1948, *ESSO LYNCHBURG * in 1951, *LYNCHBURG* in 1956 and *MARINE DUVAL * in 1969.
> When seen in Galveston, Texas on the 31st March 2002 she was operating as a chemical tanker for Marine Transport Corporation with a gross tonnage of 15008 and looking much modified.


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## Randy Skopinski

cmakin said:


> The Sealift Tankers, too? I spent some time with those ships, too. Bill Schriever was superintendent at the time. We did segregated ballast conversion on those ships, in both Houston and Galveston.


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