ONITSHA loads 9 heavy lifts totalling 200 tons from Floating crane NEWSHOT

Fourah Bay, of Liverpool, contributes

   Elder Dempster Line’s 416 feet long general cargo liner ONITSHA arrived at Glasgow from Liverpool at 1520 on Sunday 8^th July 1962.

   She tied up at berth 22 Prince’s Dock with her head East (that is …. facing towards Glasgow)  …  and bow to the end of the shed.   Her draught forward was 10’ 05” and aft 16’ 11” and she was light-ship …. that is, she was empty of cargo, and had come to Glasgow to load cargo for Freetown (Sierra Leone) and other West African ports.

   Her Agent in Glasgow was Roxburgh Colin Scott.

    Stevedores (also known as “Dockers” … and known in America as “Longshoremen”) of the J. Spencer Company boarded the vessel at 0800 on Monday and commenced loading 2240 tons of General Cargo (in other words this can mean cases, cartons, boxes, individual items, bales, rolls …. etc.) and loading was completed at 1320 on 13^th July.

    Heavy-lift items were also loaded onto the ship.   The 60-ton capacity self-propelled floating crane NEWSHOT came alongside on 9^th July and loaded 9 lifts totalling 200 tons onto ONITSHA, and on 12^th July NEWSHOT loaded a further 3 lifts of 21 tons and 4 lifts each of 22 tons 17 cwts (hundredweights) onto the ship.

    The vessel was then prepared for departure and, at 1625 on 13^th July (3 hours after finishing loading) and drawing 16’ 10” forward and 17’ 09” aft, she was towed from her berth and canted (turned) in the Canting Basin of Prince’s Dock then made her way down the River Clyde on passage to Swansea (South Wales) to load more cargo for West Africa.

   ONITSHA was owned by the Elder Dempster Line of Liverpool and was one of their “O” class of General Cargo liners (the others being OWERRI, OBUASI, ONDO and OTI) and she was built by Harland & Wolff at Belfast in 1952.  

   She served on her owners’ U.K. and Continent to West Africa service until 1972 when she was sold to Empros Lines of Greece and was renamed AMVOURGON.   On 8^th January 1975 the ship was on passage from Quebec City (Canada) to Baltimore (U.S.A.) when she caught fire off Rivière-au-Renard on the Gulf of Saint Lawrence.   The entire crew of 30 abandoned ship and were rescued by a Canadian Military Helicopter and the American Light Aircraft Carrier U.S.S. WRIGHT (Pennant number CVL-49)

Oiler INVERTEST arrives at RIPON at Terminus Quay, Glasgow to bunker her with 200 tons of fuel oil

RIPON at Terminus Quay, Glasgow bunkers 200 tons of fuel oil from oiler INVERTEST

GLEN SANNOX arrives at Ardrossan Harbour from Brodick (Isle of Arran) on her regular service

IRISH COAST leaves Ardrossan Harbour for Belfast (Northern Ireland) on her summer passenger service

Oiler INVERTEST passes Govan Watch House, Govan, Glasgow inbound to General Terminus Quay

Walter Kerr's Puffer SAXON passes Bowling on her way upriver to Glasgow

GLEN SANNOX leaves Ardrossan Harbour for Brodick (Isle of Arran) on her regular service

NEWSHOT loads 9 heavy lifts onto ONITSHA

ONITSHA arrived in Prince's Dock from Liverpool at 1520 on 8th July

.On 9th July at 1100 the floating crane NEWSHOT came alongside and loaded 9 heavy lifts totalling 200 tons onto ONITSHA

On 12th July at 1100 the floating crane NEWSHOT again came alongside ONITSHA and, this time, loaded 3 heavy lifts of 21 tons and 4 heavy lifts of 22 tons 17 cwts,

ONITSHA departed Glasgow on 13th July at 1625 for Swansea and West Africa

ONITSHA loads 9 heavy lifts for West Africa

ONITSHA arrived in Prince's Dock from Liverpool at 1520 on 8th July

.On 9th July at 1100 the floating crane NEWSHOT came alongside and loaded 9 heavy lifts totalling 200 tons onto ONITSHA

On 12th July at 1100 the floating crane NEWSHOT again came alongside ONITSHA and, this time, loaded 3 heavy lifts of 21 tons and 4 heavy lifts of 22 tons 17 cwts,

ONITSHA departed Glasgow on 13th July at 1625 for Swansea and West Africa

LOTHIAN LEADER arrives at Ardrossan Harbour with 870 boxes of fish

Dutch coaster SAPPEMEER leaves Glasgow for Mostyn, North Wales

SAPPEMEER arrived at Prince's Dock at 0220 on 7th July from Wismar.

Wismar is a port and Hanseatic League town in northern Germany on the Baltic Sea, in the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, about 45 km (28 miles) due east of Lübeck, and 30 km (19 miles) due north of Schwerin. Its natural harbour, located in the Bay of Wismar is well-protected by a promontory.

SAPPEMEER sailed from Prince's Dock at 1135 on 9th July for Mostyn, North Wales

RIPON at Terminus Quay, Glasgow finishes bunkering 200 tons of fuel oil from oiler INVERTEST