Ore carrier LIVANITA goes aground and halts Clyde traffic

Submitted by Bill McKellar

From “Glasgow Herald”

Ore carrier LIVANITA goes aground and halts Clyde traffic

Newspaper Edition Wednesday 30^th September 1964

Holed in forward tanks 

   The movement of ocean-going ships in and out of the port of Glasgow was stopped yesterday after the Norwegian ore carrier LIVANITA went aground near the Elderslie repair yard of Barclay, Curle & Co., Scotstoun, partially blocking the channel.

   The LIVANITA was on her way to the General Terminus Quay, Glasgow, to discharge a cargo of 25,000 tons of ore when she swung out of the channel.   The ship, of 26,700 tons deadweight is lying with her bow about 50 feet (15 metres) from the north bank of the river and her stern projecting diagonally into the main channel.

Tugs stand by

   It was hoped to make an attempt with six tugs to pull her off on the afternoon tide.   This, however, had to be cancelled when it was discovered that the ship had been holed in her forward tanks.

   Two tugs stood by her last night and it is expected that a diver will go down to inspect the damage.   No further attempt is to be made to refloat her until this afternoon.   If the damage is extensive then there is the danger that if she were pulled off she might block the channel completely.

   There are already two ships waiting at the Tail of the Bank to make the passage up-river.   These are the 7568-ton CITY OF COVENTRY, which is to load a cargo, and MEMPHIS, of 3575-tons with 700 tons of dry fruit for discharging.   A Blue Funnel Line ship was also expected to arrive this morning.

   The other hold-up of ships at Glasgow, caused by the shortage of dockers, continued yesterday with 22 ships affected, the biggest total so far.   It is understood that this is the result of ships queuing at the week-end  -  when the dockers  continued their ban on overtime and there was the seasonal Autumn holiday on Monday for Glasgow dockers.

   The manpower shortage, however, was not so acute with a further 1352 men needed to fully man the ships.   Of the 22 ships held up 17 were not working to full capacity and the other five were idle.   Greenock sent 98 dockers to help at Glasgow yesterday and the position was improved by more local dockers returning from their annual holidays.

Newspaper Edition Thursday 1^st October 1964

   Clyde reopened to down-river traffic

   Up-river sailings today

After discussions among officials of the Clyde Navigation Trust, salvage experts, and the Clyde Pilotage Authority, the Clyde was opened yesterday to down-river traffic for ocean-going ships.   It was closed on Tuesday after the main channel was blocked by the deadweight ore carrier LIVANITA (26,700 tons), which went aground at Scotstoun.

   The Clyde Trust were unwilling to allow ocean-going vessels to pass until the south side of the navigable channel opposite the LIVANITA was marked by a buoy.

   This was done yesterday and by four o’clock the first ship, the Alfred Holt Blue Funnel liner ASTYANAX, sailed down the river.   The others which followed her were the AMARNA, DEVIS, INTERPRETER and CORVIGLIA.   The COLINA was prevented from sailing by engine trouble.

   Today six ships, which are held up at Tail of the Bank, will be able to come up river.   Thereafter the Clyde Trust hope to resume normal daylight traffic with one-way traffic past the LIVANITA.

   A senior official of the Clyde Trust said that no attempt will be made to free the LIVANITA, which is flooded in several forward tanks, for several days.   A diver is standing by to make a preliminary inspection of the ship’s interior.

   It is intended to put cranes on board the ship this morning and begin to unload some of the iron ore from the Number 1 hold on to coasters which will probably take the ore to Rothesay Dock.   Unloading is expected to take several days.

COLVILLES’  STOCKS

   Because the Colville’s steelworks are running at record-breaking levels, the consumption of ore is massive, and this delay is not for the moment causing concern.   They have stocks sufficient for several weeks.

   If, once the LIVANITA is cleared, there is any congestion at the docks, caused by the arrival of other ore-carriers, Colvilles may use the reserve facilities at the unloading plant at General Terminus Quay to cope with delays.

Newspaper Edition Friday 2^nd October 1964

Bid to free grounded ship in the Clyde

The task of freeing the Norwegian iron-ore carrier LIVANITA which grounded in the Clyde on Tuesday with a 23,400-ton cargo, is to be undertaken by the Liverpool and Glasgow Salvage Association, it was stated yesterday after a meeting of officials of the Association, the Clyde Trust and the Clyde Pilotage Authority.

   No official statement has been made as to the cause of the grounding.

   A diver yesterday found the ship holed in two places in the forward tanks.   In an effort to lighten the bow, and because part of the damage is masked by the cargo, up to 4,000 tons of ore will be unloaded during the next few days.

   Unloading should have begun yesterday morning, but was delayed by fog.   By late afternoon, however, two excavators, with grab equipment, supplied by a local firm, were on board the LIVANITA.   The ore will be deposited in four coasters for transit to Rothesay Dock, Glasgow.   Operations are expected to begin this morning.

   After her load is lightened the LIVANITA will be towed to King George V Dock.   The Liverpool and Glasgow Salvage Association’s vessel DISPENSER (775 gross tons) was reported to have left Liverpool for Glasgow last night.

   Fog also delayed the up-river passage of six ships from the Tail of the Bank, but by late afternoon the MEMPHIS, CITY OF COVENTRY, AUTOMEDON and PRINS FREDERIK HENDRIK were able to dock at Port Glasgow.   If the weather clears this morning three ships held up at Greenock will go up-river.

   Last night the CAIRNFORTH (8105 tons) bound for the United States, the CLAN FRASER (9292 tons) for India, and the CLAN MACLENNAN (6366 tons) with a general cargo for Ceylon, were allowed to sail.

Newspaper Edition Saturday 3^rd October 1964

Grounded ore carrier

Unloading begins

   The unloading of about 4,000 tons of iron ore from the No. 1 hold of the grounded ore carrier LIVANITA began yesterday.   Early in the evening 800 tons had been removed and put into coasters, which carried the ore to Rothesay Dock.   Discharge operations continued throughout the night.

   At the present rate of discharge it is hoped that enough ore will have been removed by Tuesday for a further inspection of the damage in the forward tanks to be made on Wednesday.

Newspaper Edition Wednesday 7^th October 1964

Ore carrier refloated

Clyde grounding

   The Norwegian ore carrier LIVANITA, which went aground near the Elderslie repair yard of Barclay, Curle & Co., Scotstoun, eight days ago, was refloated yesterday with the help of four tugs.

   About 5,000 tons of her cargo of 23,000 tons of ore was unloaded into coasters before refloating was attempted and, as she had been holed at the bow when she grounded, compressed air was pumped into her forward tanks to remove the water.

   The LIVANITA was towed about half a mile up-river to King George V Dock and a partial examination of the damage to her bows was carried out by a diver at high tide early this morning.

   She is to be taken up to General Terminus Quay to discharge the remaining 18,000 tons  of ore at high tide this afternoon.

Ellerman Line's CITY OF COVENTRY delayed at anchorage by LIVANITA going aground

Submitted by Bill McKellar

From “Glasgow Herald”

Ore carrier LIVANITA goes aground and halts Clyde traffic

Newspaper Edition Wednesday 30^th September 1964

Holed in forward tanks 

   The movement of ocean-going ships in and out of the port of Glasgow was stopped yesterday after the Norwegian ore carrier LIVANITA went aground near the Elderslie repair yard of Barclay, Curle & Co., Scotstoun, partially blocking the channel.

   The LIVANITA was on her way to the General Terminus Quay, Glasgow, to discharge a cargo of 25,000 tons of ore when she swung out of the channel.   The ship, of 26,700 tons deadweight is lying with her bow about 50 feet (15 metres) from the north bank of the river and her stern projecting diagonally into the main channel.

Tugs stand by

   It was hoped to make an attempt with six tugs to pull her off on the afternoon tide.   This, however, had to be cancelled when it was discovered that the ship had been holed in her forward tanks.

   Two tugs stood by her last night and it is expected that a diver will go down to inspect the damage.   No further attempt is to be made to refloat her until this afternoon.   If the damage is extensive then there is the danger that if she were pulled off she might block the channel completely.

   There are already two ships waiting at the Tail of the Bank to make the passage up-river.   These are the 7568-ton CITY OF COVENTRY, which is to load a cargo, and MEMPHIS, of 3575-tons with 700 tons of dry fruit for discharging.   A Blue Funnel Line ship was also expected to arrive this morning.

   The other hold-up of ships at Glasgow, caused by the shortage of dockers, continued yesterday with 22 ships affected, the biggest total so far.   It is understood that this is the result of ships queuing at the week-end  -  when the dockers  continued their ban on overtime and there was the seasonal Autumn holiday on Monday for Glasgow dockers.

   The manpower shortage, however, was not so acute with a further 1352 men needed to fully man the ships.   Of the 22 ships held up 17 were not working to full capacity and the other five were idle.   Greenock sent 98 dockers to help at Glasgow yesterday and the position was improved by more local dockers returning from their annual holidays.

probably take the ore to Rothesay Dock.   Unloading is expected to take several days.

COLVILLES’  STOCKS

   Because the Colville’s steelworks are running at record-breaking levels, the consumption of ore is massive, and this delay is not for the moment causing concern.   They have stocks sufficient for several weeks.

   If, once the LIVANITA is cleared, there is any congestion at the docks, caused by the arrival of other ore-carriers, Colvilles may use the reserve facilities at the unloading plant at General Terminus Quay to cope with delays.

Moss Hutchison's MEMPHIS delayed at anchorage by LIVANITA going aground

Submitted by Bill McKellar

From “Glasgow Herald”

Ore carrier LIVANITA goes aground and halts Clyde traffic

Newspaper Edition Wednesday 30^th September 1964

Holed in forward tanks 

   The movement of ocean-going ships in and out of the port of Glasgow was stopped yesterday after the Norwegian ore carrier LIVANITA went aground near the Elderslie repair yard of Barclay, Curle & Co., Scotstoun, partially blocking the channel.

   The LIVANITA was on her way to the General Terminus Quay, Glasgow, to discharge a cargo of 25,000 tons of ore when she swung out of the channel.   The ship, of 26,700 tons deadweight is lying with her bow about 50 feet (15 metres) from the north bank of the river and her stern projecting diagonally into the main channel.

Tugs stand by

   It was hoped to make an attempt with six tugs to pull her off on the afternoon tide.   This, however, had to be cancelled when it was discovered that the ship had been holed in her forward tanks.

   Two tugs stood by her last night and it is expected that a diver will go down to inspect the damage.   No further attempt is to be made to refloat her until this afternoon.   If the damage is extensive then there is the danger that if she were pulled off she might block the channel completely.

   There are already two ships waiting at the Tail of the Bank to make the passage up-river.   These are the 7568-ton CITY OF COVENTRY, which is to load a cargo, and MEMPHIS, of 3575-tons with 700 tons of dry fruit for discharging.   A Blue Funnel Line ship was also expected to arrive this morning.

   The other hold-up of ships at Glasgow, caused by the shortage of dockers, continued yesterday with 22 ships affected, the biggest total so far.   It is understood that this is the result of ships queuing at the week-end  -  when the dockers  continued their ban on overtime and there was the seasonal Autumn holiday on Monday for Glasgow dockers.

   The manpower shortage, however, was not so acute with a further 1352 men needed to fully man the ships.   Of the 22 ships held up 17 were not working to full capacity and the other five were idle.   Greenock sent 98 dockers to help at Glasgow yesterday and the position was improved by more local dockers returning from their annual holidays.

probably take the ore to Rothesay Dock.   Unloading is expected to take several days.

COLVILLES’  STOCKS

   Because the Colville’s steelworks are running at record-breaking levels, the consumption of ore is massive, and this delay is not for the moment causing concern.   They have stocks sufficient for several weeks.

   If, once the LIVANITA is cleared, there is any congestion at the docks, caused by the arrival of other ore-carriers, Colvilles may use the reserve facilities at the unloading plant at General Terminus Quay to cope with delays.

Ben Line's BENGLOE is at Port Said on her outward passage for Aden

BENGLOE,  at Port Said Sept 29, for Aden

British India's CHINKOA at Avonmouth Sept 29, for Liverpool

CHINKOA,  at Avonmouth Sept 29, for Liverpool

Harrison's CROFTER had arrived at Tanga from Glasgow and was unloading cargo on 29th September

CROFTER,  at Tanga Sept 29, from Glasgow

Elder Dempster's DEIDO at Takoradi (Ghana) loading for UK

DEIDO,  at Takoradi Sept 29, for Glasgow

Canadian Pacific's EMPRESS OF ENGLAND at Montreal, having arrived from Liverpool

EMPRESS OF ENGLAND,  at Montreal Sept 29, from Liverpool

Union Castle's passenger liner PENDENNIS CASTLE at Durban from Southampton

PENDENNIS CASTLE,  from Southampton, at Durban Sept 29

P & O's SOUDAN at Yokohama (Japan) loading for London

SOUDAN,  at Yokohama Sept 29, for London

Union Castle Line's cargo ship TANTALLON CASTLE at Durban for Beira

TANTALLON CASTLE,  at Durban Sept 29, for Beira

Donaldson Line's SANTONA opens for receiving cargo at Glasgow for Canada on 29 Sept 1964

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m.s.  SANTONA  ……..  Receiving Sept 29 - Oct 5

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