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The Pallion Factory Ships

The new Pallion yard in 1975

Bank Line

The Bank Line pursued a policy of planned fleet replacement for several decades and contracted with British shipbuilding yards to build the new ships. The Line's last such order was placed in 1977 at the site of the old Doxford yard in Sunderland.

In 1975 a major investment in an undercover yard at Pallion took place and eight Bank Line vessels were constructed there between 1976 and 1978.  The final order,  for six vessels of an advanced design,  which became the "Fish" Class,  was completed in 1979.
 
The "Fish" Class rarely visited the United Kingdom during their short careers with the Bank Line and the one cargo liner service from the UK,  between Hull and the South Pacific,  continued to be tonnaged by the Meadowbank Class,  built by Swan Hunter in 1973.
 
Sunderland Shipbuilders Ltd.
 

Yard No.

Ship name

Year

 Dwt

Contracting Owner

 Managing Owner

Comments
1 Cedarbank 26.5.1976 16900 Bank Line Andrew Weir & Co.  Broken up Alang, Gujarat, India, in Feb. 1999.
2 Firbank 26.10.1976 16900 Bank Line Andrew Weir & Co. Arrived at Alang, Gujarat, India, on Apr. 20, 2000, to be broken up.
3 Streambank 15.2.1977 16900 Bank Line Andrew Weir & Co.  
4 Riverbank 16.5.1977 16900 Bank Line Andrew Weir & Co.  
5 Nessbank 12.9.1977 16900 Bank Line Andrew Weir & Co.  
6 Laganbank 17.12.1977 16900 Bank Line Andrew Weir & Co.  
7 Crestbank 6.4.1978 18350 Bank Line Andrew Weir & Co.  Scrapped 2006
8 Fenbank 16.8.1978 18350 Bank Line Andrew Weir & Co.  
9 Pikebank 4.1.1979 18700 Bank Line Andrew Weir & Co.  Broken up at Alang, Gujarat, India, in Jan. 2001. See notes below
11  Dacebank  23.5.1979 18700 Bank Line Andrew Weir & Co.  See notes below
12  Tenchbank 5.10.1979 18700 Bank Line Andrew Weir & Co.  

The following were built at Sunderland Shipbuilders Deptford Yard (formerly Laings):-

901 Fleetbank; 902 Cloverbank; 903 Birchbank; 904 Beaverbank; 905 Roachbank; 906 Ruddbank; 907 Troutbank

 

Notes for Dacebank;-

Construction cost - $13.925 million (US)

  (a) Dacebank - England (1987)

  (b) Anna L. - Greece (1991)
  (c) Washington Star - Greece (1994)
  (d) Anna L. - Greece (1997)
  (e) Anna L. - Cyprus (1998)
  (f) Aris K - Cyprus (1999)
  (g) Paradise - Cyprus (2001)
  (h) Bute - Hong Kong

  Beached at Alang, India on 12 October 2002 for dismantling
  Scrap price $157.00/ldt or $1.02 million (US)

 

One of the Bank Line series of ships built at North East Shipbuilders Ltd.

Ruddbank was built by Sunderland Shipbuilders (at their Deptford yard) in June 1979, for the Bank Line Ltd. Her name was later changed to Napier Star, Lady Rebecca then Global Mariner. Her length was 531ft. width 75ft. and gt. of 12778. The Engine was the last of the remaining British designed, opposed piston Doxford 76j4 engines, with an average speed of 15.5 knots, and she had an operational crew of 25.

Sold Mar. 1998 to the International Transport Worker's Federation (Acomarit Services Maritime S/A., managers), at a cost of approx. U.S. $3 million, modified for use as an exhibition ship 'for the Unions struggle against Flags of Convenience ships, and to highlight the well-being and basic rights of seafarers', & renamed Global Mariner. In a 20 month voyage, 'visited 86 ports in 51 countries and attracted three quarters of a million visitors.' She was a tweendecker, with watertight doors cut between the empty holds so that you could walk from one hold to another, and in each there were displays, and dramatic images of living and working conditions often found on some of these F.O.C. vessels. 

Later (2000), bareboat chartered to Global Mariner Ltd. ('Northern Marine Management') as a 'working' British cadet training ship.

On Aug. 2, 2000 collided with Atlantic Crusader, a Cypriot cargo ship, off the Sidor Terminal, Matanzas, Oronoco River, Venezuela, & sank. No loss of life, either ship (Global Mariner had crew of 32 plus pilots aboard). It would seem that Global Mariner (three pilots on board at the time of the accident and two tugs in attendance, one of which had a line on her), with a cargo of steel coils & other products, hit the Atlantic Crusader

Flooded hatches 1 - 4 and she sank very quickly. A sad ending for a great ship.

In 2001, the wreck was removed from the shipping lane, beached, & sold to Capt. Waldo Soto for scrap.

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Former Crew comments from www.shipsnostalgia.com website;-

I was bosun on the Global Mariner from the time she was converted in Bremen to an exhibition ship to her handover to Clyde Marine as a cadet ship. Probably the best twenty months of my 40 year career. I have recently posted some pics of her during our tour. For the Star men there is a good shot of her as the Napier Star. During her career she was named the Lairg, Napier Star, then Lamport.  Holt I believe had her during the Falklands campaign after which she became Tampacheree, Lady Rebecca and finally Global Mariner.

I was the first mate on the Pikebank; I stood by in Doxfords when all of them were built; 3 at Pallion in the dock, 3 at Deptford on the slip. Ruddbank became the ITF's Global Mariner in their FOC campaign and was sunk in a collision in South America. They were the best ships Bank Line ever built...

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Shipping Corporation of India
 
14 Vishva Parijat 16.3.1980 16000 Shipping Corporation of India  See notes below
15 Vishva Parag 12.8.1980 16000 Shipping Corporation of India  
16 Vishva Prafulla 9.1.1981 16000 Shipping Corporation of India  

The following were built at Sunderland Shipbuilders Deptford Yard (formerly Laings);-

908  M. V. Vishva Pankaj Sunderland Shipbuilders U. K. 1980 12,648 16,169 (Deptford Yard)

909  M. V. Vishva Pallav Sunderland Shipbuilders U. K. 1980 12,648 16,169 (Deptford Yard)

941  M. V. Vishva Parimal Sunderland Shipbuilders U. K. 1980 12,648 16,169 (Deptford Yard)

Vishva Parijat

A flask containing 40 irradiated elements of Highly Enriched Uranium fuel which had been shipped from India was found to be contaminated by radioactivity when examined at Dounreay early in February. The fuel was shipped from a small research reactor in Bombay on an ordinary cargo ship, the Vishva Parijat, on 24th December 1990. The Indian nuclear authorities had inspected the flask according to International Atomic Energy Authority regulations and certified the flask as clean before it left their reactor. The Vishva Parijat passed through the Gulf area and Port Said, two days after the Gulf War began, reaching the English North Sea port of Felixstowe on 30th January 1991.

 

17 Nosira Lin 12.5.1981 31000 Nosira  
18 Nosira Sharon 22.9.1981 31000 Nosira  
19 Broompark 12.2.1982 31000 Denholm  
20 Nosira Madeleine 2.7.1982 31000 Nosira  
21 Darya Ma 11.2.1983 30618 Chellaram  
22 Alberta 16.1.1984 31000 Monarca  
23 Radnik 15.6.1984 31000 Jugoslavenska Oceanska Plovidba    
 

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Stena Seawell

This was one of the finest and most complex ships to be built at Pallion

Ship No. 24 - Stena Seawell

(Photo by permission of Brian L Probetts  - www.merchant-navy.net)

 

24 Stena Seawell 12.3.1986 Stena Offshore See photos this page
25 Stena Wellservicer 30.1.1987 Stena Offshore Renamed CSO Wellservicer in 1994. See photo on Introduction page

                                              

Builders model of Stena Seawell

 

Ship No. 24 - Stena Seawell

(photo by permission of edward@shipphotos.co.uk.)

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North-East Shipbuilders (N. E. S. L.)

In 1986 the three Sunderland Shipbuilders yards were merged with the Austin & Pickersgill Ltd. yards to become North East Shipbuilders Ltd. (N. E. S. L.). The Drawing Offices were eventually merged together at the Pallion Technical Offices.

The Superflex Ferries

Seven of these were built at the Pallion Yard.

Yard No.

Ship name

Year

Owner

Comments
3001 Superflex Alpha 14.7.1987 Molarco  Type III
3003 Superflex Charlie 8.10.1987  Molarco  Type III
3005 Superflex Echo 27.11.1987  Molarco Type III
3007 Superflex Golf 5.2.1988  Molarco  Type III
3009 Superflex India 20.4.1988  Mercandia Type III
3011 Superflex Kilo 8.12.1988  Mercandia Type III
3013 Superflex Mike 12.12.1988  Mercandia Type III

Yard Nos. 3002, 3004, 3006, 3008, 3010 and 3012 were built at one of the other N. E. S. L. yards at Sunderland.

One of the Superflex Ferries (Thanks to Michael Koefoed-Hansen)

The ferry site: http://www.ferry-site.dk
Shipspotting Danmark: http://www.shipspotting.dk

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Bahia Del Espiritu Santo - formerly Superflex Lima leaving Cozamel in Mexico Feb 2006 (Photo by Alan McGourley)

 

Interior view of the Lounge

Transbordadores del caribe S. A. de C. V. operate the Sunderland built ferries Bahia Del Espiritu Santo - originally Superflex Lima, and Superflex Trader out of the Port of Cozumel in Mexico. Their website has more photos and information on them;- www.transcaribemex.com/ferry_somos.html

They seem to be very pleased with the ships.

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One of the Superflex ferries was modified as detailed below. The photo shows that they made a really good job of it.

From website;-     http://www.adriaticandaegeanferries.com:80/feax/pakeng.html

Once upon a time there was a double-ended ferry built in England as the “Superflex Foxtrot” to link Helsingør, Denmark and Helsingborg, Sweden, being member of a 15 sister ships family. A day, in 1994, was bought by Greek interests and towed from Copenhagen to Piraeus, then from Piraeus to Kynossoura yards at Salamina Island. That time the ten Cummins engines, with a total output of 2.750 kW were replaced by the actual couple of MAN engines and the bow and the stern were heavily rebuilt, transforming the little ferry from a double-ended one to a traditional one. This is the tale of the “Pantokrator”, ex – “Superflex Foxtrot”. The ferry started then linking Igoumenitsa and Corfu, where she’s still employed. In 2007 the Feax Express Lines marks were painted out from the hull.

“Pantokrator”, ex – “Superflex Foxtrot” taken 04/08/05

Photo by permission of Michele Lulurgas

(This was a Mk IV built at the A & P Yard)

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Superflex Alpha was up for for sale on 10/09/2006 under the name PROKOPIOS

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Publicity Articles;-

The third in the series of ferries to be built by North East Shipbuilders is being delivered to the owners, VR Shipping of Copenhagen. The Superflex 2000 design has two marks designated Mark III and Mark IV, the major design variations being passenger capacity and a different mix of passenger cars and commercial vehicles. The Superflex concept is distinguished by having no engineroom; instead, ten diesel generator sets with weathertight enclosures are situated on the weather deck, five each side. The bow and stern of the ship are essentially the same; loading and discharge, therefore, takes place at either end and the vessel does not have to turn round when berthing or putting to sea. The loading ramps, supplied by MacGregor Navire, from watertight bulkheads behind the bow and stern doors. Propulsion is by four azimuth thrusters arranged two at each end, driven by 550kW electric motors taking AC power at variable frequency from the frequency controllers. Maintenance of the operator sets is also simplified by allowing the vessels to operate virtually non-stop throughout the year. Principal particulars are: length oa/bp 95/90m; breadth, moulded 15m, external 15.27m; depth, moulded weather deck 9.85m, moulded main deck 4.9m; draught moulded 3.5m; deadweight 1,330 tonne; service speed 13 knots; Classification Danish Ship Inspection Service Class D Lloyds 100A1 Ferry + LMC; Main engines 10 x 275kW packaged gensets on deck Cummins/Petbow, 440V/60Hz.

This article describes how 25 small ferries of a design called the Superflex 2000 are being built by North East Shipbuilders in the UK for a Danish-based owner, PZ Shipbuilding and Trading. To keep the price as low as possible, full advantage has been taken of all bulk purchase opportunities. The ferries are 95m-long shallow-draft vessels with azimuthing thrusters in each corner of the double-ended hull. They are unique in their primary power arrangement, being diesel-electric powered and using ten engines apiece. Each of these engines, with its generator, is mounted in a soundproofed container bolted to the main vehicle deck.

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Stories and photos from employees and their families are needed for this website

  Contact me at;- jbne17514@blueyonder.co.uk

DISCLAIMER; Although attempts are made to ensure complete accuracy, I cannot accept any losses incurred due to errors or mistakes within. Data has been sourced from many places and therefore can be subject to errors. It is the individuals responsibility to double check all information.

Copyright © 2008 John Bage

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