Mersea Island Museum - Blackwater Ships


Ship:      ENGLISH PRINCE
Arrived:6 April 1959
Departed:15 May 1959
Career:Laid up in the River Blackwater April - May 1959. Ian Kemp joined the ship in May 1959 as a first trip junior engineer and writes.
"The vessel was built in Doxfords Sunderland in 1943. Powered by a 3 cylinder Doxford engine, with a Scotch boiler and Cochran boiler for the steam auxiliaries. It took just over 24 hours for the boiler to be brought on line and we were ready to sail up to South Shields for dry docking. We had to stop on route for a few hours due to fog, (no radar on board). After drydock the vessel loaded in the UK and Continent a full cargo for Sri Lanka (Ceylon). Due to a huge backlog in Colombo the vessel was held outside the port for about two months, finally vessel discharged and left Colombo after being there for 100 days.
"On the return journey back to the UK the engine suffered a mechanical problem, one of the piston cooling swinging arms broke, resulting in the vessel having to go into La Goulette Tunisia for repairs. Vessel finally discharged in Liverpool and London.
"During WW2 the vessel was an armed merchantman and the foundations for the guns were still remaining in 1959.
[Originally posted on ShipsNostalgia.com]

The ENGLISH PRINCE stranded off Cape St Vincent 22 August 1972 and was broken up Bilbao 31 August 1973.
Oyster Company ledger entry 15 May 1959, compensation 3 April 1959 to 15 May 1959
Arrived 6 Apr 1959 [George Swieszkowski - Lloyds List]

Tonnage:7,275 gross
Built:1943
Type:Cargo ship
Owner:Prince Line
Official No:168414
ID1168414

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