SNAEFELL

SNAEFELL

Postby HSA31 » Tue May 29, 2012 11:00 am

Built at Birkenhead in 1948 for the Isle of Man Steam Packet Co. Ltd.,Douglas. 8.9.1978 Arrived at Blyth in tow from Birkenhead and broken up in the drydock. The tug had left Fleetwood earlier with the OCEAN OBSERVER (formerly the Scottish Fishery Protection vessel MINNA) in tow and also destined for the shipbreakers. After calling in the Mersey the tug with the two vessels in tow met bad weather in the Channel and diverted to Plymouth where the OCEAN OBSERVER was left behind. The SNAEFELL arrived at Blyth 8.9.1978. The OCEAN OBSERVER was eventually broken up at Middlesbrough.
SNAEFELL 1948.jpg
OCEAN OBSERVER (I).jpg
HSA31
 

Re: SNAEFELL

Postby magoonigal » Tue May 29, 2012 11:33 pm

You were daring Harold although it was probably a bit safer then......

I think she was the first ship broken up by H Kitson Vickers after they took over from C F Booth.

She is in Number 3 Dry Dock at the Old Blyth Shipyard. There were three Dry Docks in this section, the biggest being No 3. Heading seawards we also had No 4 and No 5. No 5 was known as the Submarine Dock and it was generally kept empty in case of Urgent need whilst Blyth was a submarine base.

Also a splendid view of my ex-employer's Newly Painted Spirally Guided Gas Holder! You got quite a good view down into the Dock from the top of the Holder Tank, but by the time I was allowed to clamber over such things the ships were long gone.

The implication is that the MINNA was also to be broken up at Blyth, would that be true?
Paul Hood. + WSS Tyneside Branch Hon Sec.
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Location: Blyth.

Re: SNAEFELL

Postby HSA31 » Wed May 30, 2012 12:30 pm

The original plan was for the OCEAN OBSERVER and the SNAEFELL to be broken up at Blyth but bad weather in the Channel meant that the OCEAN OBSERVER had to be left at Plymouth. It was a long time afterwards that she appeared on the Tees - it may well be that the original sale had by then fallen through. The OCEAN OBSERVER had been based at Fleetwood for quite some time working on survey work etc. and on one contract spent several months working in the Red Sea - not the ideal ship for long spells in that location. By coincidence, Kitson, Vickers had a breaking yard about 30 yards from our office on Fleetwood Docks - another unforgetable experience.
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