# SD 14.......end of an era.?



## timo (May 25, 2004)

Just seen on the shipspotting web site that the last SD14 to be built in the UK (Sunderland Venture) from A&P Sunderland, is on its final voyage to be scrapped in Alang as the Marpessa E. Cant be many SD14's sailing nowadays,let alone UK built ones.


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## Nick Balls (Apr 5, 2008)

A Brilliant little ship built in a brilliant yard! Must be a good story to be had about Mr Mavroleon .................. Basil's salty pups, Where I first leant to speak Sunderlandese


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## A.D.FROST (Sep 1, 2008)

The very last SD14/15 built in the UK Smiths Dock 1987 NORTH ISLANDS


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## Alistair Macnab (May 13, 2008)

*Truly... the End of an Era....*

When I think about how the British Shipowners were quick to abandon all general-purpose cargo ships in the 1980s, it was not only the SD14/15s that highlighted the end of an era, but the selling off of good ships from Ellerman, Bank, Ben, Harrison, Vestey, etc. and the subsequent loss of jobs and maritime influence that truly signified the end of the British Merchant Navy.

The demise of some companies was pre-ordained with the setting up of OCL but the private shipowner lemmings that rushed into ACT truly put the kybosh on the industry.

Looking at the whole sorry mess from this distance, however, I now understand that the entrepreneurs of the late 19th. Century had come to the end of the road with no family left to take on the enormous task of running an ocean shipping line and the hired hand executives not willing to take on the responsibilities.

And look what happened to OCL and ACT? Was there no one left to take up the business of operating a world-class shipping operation? Were the Danes, Chinese, and Italians so very much more clever than the British?
200 years of tradition and an exquisite and exemplary maritime legacy down the drain!

My blood still boils when I think about it!


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## David Wilcockson (Jul 10, 2005)

Alister, I can only echo your sentiments, & add they abandoned ship with indecent haste.

Cheers,
David


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## Klaatu83 (Jan 22, 2009)

I couldn't agree more about the precipitous demise of general cargo shipping in the 1980s. During that decade I saw many companies die out after prematurely abandoning their general cargo ships and rushing into LASH or containerization. I spent quite a bit of time sailing for Lykes during that period, which was one of the few companies that retained their fleet of general cargo ships as long as possible. Senior personnel often said that Lykes' container ships and Seabee-class barge carriers never made a dime, and that it was only the 30-year old Pacer-class break-bulk cargo ships that kept the company's ledgers in the black. 




Alistair Macnab said:


> When I think about how the British Shipowners were quick to abandon all general-purpose cargo ships in the 1980s, it was not only the SD14/15s that highlighted the end of an era, but the selling off of good ships from Ellerman, Bank, Ben, Harrison, Vestey, etc. and the subsequent loss of jobs and maritime influence that truly signified the end of the British Merchant Navy.
> 
> The demise of some companies was pre-ordained with the setting up of OCL but the private shipowner lemmings that rushed into ACT truly put the kybosh on the industry.
> 
> ...


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## Nick Balls (Apr 5, 2008)

Austin & Pickesgill's was a modern yard with fair potential until it was taken over by Nationalisation in 1974. The concept of building a cheap ship (1968 price for an SD14 was £925000) was sound and profitable But relied on moving forward into more modern developments. This had started to happen with the B26 Bulk carrier. All that stopped after nationalisation and worse was to follow by 1979 when Maggie started to throw the baby out with the bathwater. So politically it was first wrecked by Labour, followed by a killer blow from the Conservatives.


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## willincity (Jul 11, 2007)

It could be argued that a lot of people look back on the yards (and the pits) in the North East of England with rose tinted glasses. Truly awful way to earn a living, welding in a double bottom in the middle of winter. Health & Safety was pretty non existent. 
That said they get harsh winters in S Korea and DB's still get a weld.

And to this day we still enter DB's while at sea if only to dig out mud.


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## Robert Bush (May 18, 2006)

*Demise of UK ships and shipyards*

Were the Unions and the "That's not my jobs" blameless?

I don't think so.


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