# Maritime Fruit Carriers



## manolito_1 (Jun 19, 2006)

Anybody have an idea what happened to the 'flower class' ships m.v.Gladioli,Chrysanthenum,Iris Queen,Orchidia.I sailed one trip on the Iris Queen


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## chadburn (Jun 2, 2008)

The largest and most powerful of the Group's vessel's all went to Cunard (for peanuts) in 1976. Saxonia ex Gladioli was one of the first Merchant vessel's to be converted to a Store's Ship for the Falkland's. Your old ship went CTL after a fire in 1989 and broken up in that year at Chittagong as did Orchidea in 1989 which was broken up in 1990 at Gadani Beach. Chrysantema (the last vessel built for M.F.) lasted till 1999 and was broken up at Alang.


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## WilliamH (Jul 9, 2007)

Those four ships were certainly prone to engine room fires, I experienced one on Orchidea (suspected cause lub oil mist being drawn into turbo blower on No5 Generator) it was quickly extinguished using CO2 total flooding. I also was sent to the Gladioli after a disastrous fire in Equador, and worked as riding crew on the tow to Sweden. After the fire on the Orchidea I was asked by Maritme Fruit superintendents if I thought it could be sabotage, I laughed at the suggestion at the time, but in later live I sometimes wonder. As far as I know all four vessels had at least one engine room fire while operated by Maritime Fruit.


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## chadburn (Jun 2, 2008)

They were certainly an unlucky group not only with fire's but one, the ex Gladiola as the Carina suffered serious collision damage off Ostend in 1995 and was broken up in 1996 at Aliaga. I see like myself you were also Smith's Apprentice around the same period as I was, did you ever meet Sir Eustace?


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## WilliamH (Jul 9, 2007)

I did not meet Sir Eustace Smith, but as I was in the TA while I was an apprentice and he had something to do with the Army, so he had made an order that anyone in the TA be given an extra weeks paid holiday, to be taken while on duty with the TA. Now for a guess Monroe or McVey.


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## chadburn (Jun 2, 2008)

WilliamH said:


> I did not meet Sir Eustace Smith, but as I was in the TA while I was an apprentice and he had something to do with the Army, so he had made an order that anyone in the TA be given an extra weeks paid holiday, to be taken while on duty with the TA. Now for a guess Monroe or McVey.


William, see your pm


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## alan ward (Jul 20, 2009)

WilliamH said:


> Those four ships were certainly prone to engine room fires, I experienced one on Orchidea (suspected cause lub oil mist being drawn into turbo blower on No5 Generator) it was quickly extinguished using CO2 total flooding. I also was sent to the Gladioli after a disastrous fire in Equador, and worked as riding crew on the tow to Sweden. After the fire on the Orchidea I was asked by Maritme Fruit superintendents if I thought it could be sabotage, I laughed at the suggestion at the time, but in later live I sometimes wonder. As far as I know all four vessels had at least one engine room fire while operated by Maritime Fruit.


Was your Chief Engineer a welshman on this tow and was he taken ill?


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## John Rogers (May 11, 2004)

Maritime Fruit Carriers Company was a large merchant marine operation owned by the Israeli Governmant. As a result of Israel's geopolitical situation, almost 99 percent of its trade is transported by ship. Thus, in the first twenty years of statehood, the government made a special effort to build a commercial fleet. In 1985 about 9,205 tons of freight were unloaded at Israeli ports: 55 percent at Haifa, 39.3 percent at Ashdod, and 5.7 percent at Elat. During the same year, 7,088 tons were loaded: 22 percent in Haifa, 68.7 percent at Ashdod, and 9.3 percent at Elat. In the 1970s, two additional, specialized ports were opened: an oil terminal at Ashqelon and a coal terminal at Hadera. These open-sea, offshore ports were operated by special port administrations independent of the Israel Ports Authority.

The merchant fleet was 3,050,000 deadweight tons in 1984. The main shipping companies were (in order of importance) Zim, El Yam, Dizengoff, and Maritime Fruit Carriers. During the late 1960s, two structural and technological changes took place in the shipping industry. First, improved cargo-handling technologies and containerization led to the use of more specialized ships. Second, ships increased in size, especially bulk carriers and tankers. Despite these changes--and the importance placed on sea transportation--Zim (owned by the government, the Histadrut, and the Israel Corporation) and El Yam continued to sell unprofitable old ships in the hope of becoming profitable.

In 1988, the government merged Israel Railways into the Ports Authority, hence creating the Israel Ports and Railway Authority (PRA). PRA is responsible for planning, developing, managing, maintaining, and operating Israel’s seaports in Haifa, Ashdod and Eilat, as well as Israel Railways. Currently, the ports employ 2392 employees. The merchant marine fleet consists of 23 ships (1,000 GRT or over) which total 736, 419 GRT and include 1 cargo ship, 21 container, and 1 roll-on/roll-off cargo vessels.


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## John Rogers (May 11, 2004)

Here is a link to the article on Israel Military using Maritime Fruit Ships.

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=5yEMAAAAIBAJ&sjid=V10DAAAAIBAJ&pg=6340,137640


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## chadburn (Jun 2, 2008)

Thank's John, this is the Maritime Fruit I sailed with, "Shooting Competition's" over the Taff Rail were very interesting especially with the range of gun's/pistol's available.


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## China hand (Sep 11, 2008)

In Zim; self defence was a part of ship operation, at least on the Atlantic run. Some of the gear we had was pretty ghastly though (AK47's ex 6 day war), but we kept them clean and exercised them.


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## WilliamH (Jul 9, 2007)

alan ward said:


> Was your Chief Engineer a welshman on this tow and was he taken ill?


I think you are thinking of a CE called Roddricks, he was flown home sick from Guayaquil, I was sent out to take his place and so I was the only CE on the tow.


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## Simon TD Quail (Aug 15, 2013)

Thanks for this update , Chadburn 3/3/2011. I was on board when she was 'Samaria', taking bananas from the Caribbean to Bremen 1977, sailing as second mate.


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## chadburn (Jun 2, 2008)

Simon TD Quail said:


> Thanks for this update , Chadburn 3/3/2011. I was on board when she was 'Samaria', taking bananas from the Caribbean to Bremen 1977, sailing as second mate.


Simon, thank you for the thank you(Jester), if you have read John Rogers contribution you will see that when under the Israeli flag we had some interesting "extras" aboard. Great Crew the Israelis and interesting routing on the approach to Israel.


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