# 'Crystal Diamond' / 'Vanda' of 1957



## eriskay (Mar 26, 2006)

Trying to find out details of a fatal accident on board Sugar Line Limited's vessel 'Crystal Diamond' (R & W Hawthorn, Leslie's Yard No. 728) in the 1950s, at Montreal, when a Hebridean seaman (Angus John Mac Intyre - aged 19 years) lost his life.

Also interested in learning any further details of this ship, and her later life as the 'Vanda', from 1973 until broken up at Blyth in 1978. Anyone know who her new Owners as 'Vanda' were, and name of breaker where ended her days? Also, what was her propulsion type?

Thanks in anticipation,

Angus Mac Kinnon


----------



## treeve (Nov 15, 2005)

Broken up Blyth 22nd August 1978.


----------



## eriskay (Mar 26, 2006)

Treeve - thank you


----------



## treeve (Nov 15, 2005)

I have very little information on her on my Athel website, I regret. I am looking for the self-same information that you are.


----------



## eriskay (Mar 26, 2006)

Here is what I have on her - probably all already known to you but just incase there might be something there you don't have ?

*Crystal Diamond* 


She belonged to Sugar Line Limited, one of the fleet of companies owned by Tate & Lyle Limited and United Molasses. Others in the fleet at that time were ‘Crystal Gem’, ‘Crystal Sapphire’, ‘Crystal Crown’ and Crystal Jewel.

Launched in December 1956 as their Yard Number 728 by R. & W. Hawthorn, Leslie & Company of Hebburn-on-Tyne, she was completed in 1957 and commissioned into service for the carriage of raw and refined sugar. I believe her predominant ports of call may have been London, Liverpool, Greenock, Montreal and Toronto.

This bulk carrier had a tonnage of 8,670 tons and her Official Number was 187558.

She was sold off in 1973 and at that time her name was changed to ‘VANDA’.

On 22nd August 1978 she went for scrapping at Blyth.

There is a great photograph of her on a website covering this Company but I cannot recall the link at this time to get you onto it. If you have not seen an image of the vessel let me know and I will try to find the website again.

Angus Mac Kinnon


----------



## treeve (Nov 15, 2005)

Thanks very much ... I have a three pictures of her on my site by the way.
http://freepages.family.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~treevecwll/crys4.htm
In fact doing a Google with "crystal diamond" and the ON produces my website. I'll go back to more research and writing soon. Many thanks for the info.


----------



## richardnm99 (Oct 31, 2011)

Hi. Interested to know about this VANDA as I have the ships bell. My father a Shipbroker managed a VANDA for Universal Shipping of Liverpool during the 1970's. He was present at the handover of her to the scrap yard in the North East of England in the late 70's. He was given the bell by the owner for completing the sale.
I understood she was a Liberty ship and was stuck in the Canal during the Suez crisis. Crew frustration being the reason why the bell is peppered with rifle shots. I would like to clarify the history because I am sure there can't be two Vanda's scrapped about the same time also it was perhaps unusual for a ship only 20 years old to be scrapped. Regards: Richardnm99


----------



## Wribbenhall (Mar 19, 2009)

*VANDA ex Crystal Diamond...*



richardnm99 said:


> Hi. Interested to know about this VANDA as I have the ships bell. My father a Shipbroker managed a VANDA for Universal Shipping of Liverpool during the 1970's. He was present at the handover of her to the scrap yard in the North East of England in the late 70's. He was given the bell by the owner for completing the sale.
> I understood she was a Liberty ship and was stuck in the Canal during the Suez crisis. Crew frustration being the reason why the bell is peppered with rifle shots. I would like to clarify the history because I am sure there can't be two Vanda's scrapped about the same time also it was perhaps unusual for a ship only 20 years old to be scrapped. Regards: Richardnm99


1.There is no other Vanda of the same era that was scrapped at a U.K. Breakers.
2.She is not a liberty ship.That only applied to ships built during WW2.
3.21 years old is certainly not too young an age to be scrapped-it depends upon condition,state of her engines, suitability for future trading patterns,etc,etc.
4. Crystal Diamond/Vanda was *not* one of the ‘Yellow Fleet’ trapped in the Suez Canal from 1967-1975.
They were:-
MS Nordwind (West Germany) 
MS Münsterland (West Germany) 
MS Killara (Sweden) 
MS Nippon (Sweden) 
MS Essayons, ex Sindh (Norway) 
MS Agapenor (UK) 
MS Melampus (UK) 
MS Scottish Star (UK) 
MS Port Invercargill (UK) 
SS African Glen (USA) 
MS Djakarta (Poland) 
MS Boleslaw Bierut (Poland) 
MS Vassil Levsky (Bulgaria) 
MS Lednice (Czechoslovakia)
A fifteenth ship, the Observer (USA) was stranded in Lake Timsah.

Regards

W.B.H.


----------



## shipmate17 (Jun 1, 2005)

HI,
Owner Vanda Cia Ltda. Lbr Monrovia. breakers HUGHES BLICKOW Ltd.


----------



## George Bis (Mar 8, 2014)

richardnm99 said:


> Hi. Interested to know about this VANDA as I have the ships bell. My father a Shipbroker managed a VANDA for Universal Shipping of Liverpool during the 1970's. He was present at the handover of her to the scrap yard in the North East of England in the late 70's. He was given the bell by the owner for completing the sale.
> I understood she was a Liberty ship and was stuck in the Canal during the Suez crisis. Crew frustration being the reason why the bell is peppered with rifle shots. I would like to clarify the history because I am sure there can't be two Vanda's scrapped about the same time also it was perhaps unusual for a ship only 20 years old to be scrapped. Regards: Richardnm99


The bullet holes in the bell were from the airgun of the last O/M from Sugar Line, Captain Griffiths. I sailed with him in the Sugar Importer just after the sale of the "Diamond" and he was most upset at being told by Sugar Line not to take his gun to sea with him.! 
All evidence here is that she was scrapped in 1978 but I certainly saw a "Vanda" of Monrovia at Blyth in 1986!


----------



## Hugh MacLean (Nov 18, 2005)

eriskay said:


> Trying to find out details of a fatal accident on board Sugar Line Limited's vessel 'Crystal Diamond' (R & W Hawthorn, Leslie's Yard No. 728) in the 1950s, at Montreal, when a Hebridean seaman (Angus John Mac Intyre - aged 19 years) lost his life.
> Angus Mac Kinnon


Hello Angus,
I realise this is quite an old thread - I hope you are recovering well.

Angus John MacIntyre aged 19 from South Uist lost his life aboard CRYSTAL DIAMOND official number 187558 on 16th September 1959 at Montreal. The cause of his death was a fractured skull. This will be his seaman's pouch from the National Archives: *BT 372/2058/67*

Regards
Hugh


----------



## inandaship (May 5, 2007)

Hello Hugh,

Just came across this thread, as you will probably know Angus has a brain tumour and is rather poorly at the moment. I received an e-mail from his daughter saying he is unable to use the computer at present. Angus being Clyde built, we can only pray he recovers OK.

Rgs.

Inandaship


----------



## Hugh MacLean (Nov 18, 2005)

Hello inadaship,
Thanks for the update. I had missed him about the place and sorry to hear he is having a tough time right now. Please pass on my best wishes if you are in contact.
Many thanks.

Regards
Hugh


----------



## inandaship (May 5, 2007)

Hello Hugh,

I will do, sadly Angus lost his beloved wife a few weeks ago so it is a particularly sad time for the family at the moment.

Rgs.

Inandaship


----------



## cassas (Jul 22, 2011)

I took the Crystal Diamond brand new from Hawthorn Leslies as Chief Steward, she was my favourite of all the Crystal Boats I sailed on IE the Bell the Gem The Cube. The Diamond was the 3rd of the Crystal boats to be built . Ron Wilson


----------



## George Bis (Mar 8, 2014)

For a piece of information I have found that the "Diamond" was sold by Sugar Line to Vanda Company Ltd. of Costa Rica for $1000937 in 1973 and became the "Vanda" Remarkable what is on the internet!


----------

