HASTULA (1)

About

Completed 1956 as "SAN FABIAN" for Eagle Tanker. 1959 purchased by STUK. 1965 renamed "HASTULA". 26-10-1975 arrived Kaohsiung for scrap.

Also known as
San Fabian
IMO number
5309683
Call sign
GVCC
Construction number
1235
Tonnage
19.349 ton
Beam
21m
Length overall
169m
Year of construction
1956
Year of renaming/broken up
1975
Service for Shell
1959 to 1975
Cargo
Class
Flag state
Home port
Manager
Shipyard
Status
Photo(s)

Comments

Sailors

Name Job Period Details
John Robinson apprentice 1956
Dennis Allen efficient deckhand 1957 to 1958
Willmott f.w.t. 1961 to 1962 When I sail it was The S T S San Fabian
Mike Sadler 1 navigation cadet 1964 to 1965
John Jack Raine 4th engineer 1964 to 1965
Alex Thomson 5th engineer 1965 to 1966
James Henry Steen efficient deckhand 1965 to 1966
John Almond radio officer 1966
Stewart Alves radio officer 1966
Frank Lawlor deck boy 1966
Peter B. Pamment 3rd officer 1966
James Maurice S... 5th engineer 1967 to 1968
Ken Heiser 3rd mate 1967 to 1968
sligoexpat Midships Steward 1967 to 1968
Chris Wood senior ordinary seaman 1967 to 1968
Marnoch S. Thomson chief engineer 1968
Thomas Orr Graden 5th engineer 1969
Brian Graham 2nd engineer 1969 to 1970
Kenneth Grimes fireman 1969
Mike Parkin chief officer 1969
Jim Lakeman 3rd engineer 1969
Noel McConnell 5th engineer 1970 to 1971
Ken Clark engineer cadet 1970
Jim Gisborn catering boy 1970 to 1971
Roger Case able seaman 1970
John R Phillips navigation cadet 1970 to 1971
Peter Anthony Cocker 2nd officer 1971 to 1972
Willie Carle 2nd engineer 1971
Rogerpalmer 2nd engineer 1971
Bernard Sayer 3rd engineer 1972
Rogerpalmer 2nd engineer 1972
Steven Watson catering boy/galley boy 1972 to 1973
Anthony Tony Jo... radio officer 1972 to 1973
Murray Mcgregor navigation cadet 1972 to 1973
Tony Cable radio officer 1972 to 1973 Long trip 16 months
Roger Beecroft engineer cadet 1973 to 1974
Frank Appleford fireman 1973
Brian Lavender radio officer 1973 to 1974
Christopher Hornby 2nd engineer 1973 to 1974
John Hudson Fifth Engineer 1973
Mike Brown chief steward 1973
Stuart Kneen chief engineer 1973 to 1974
Brian Blythe deck cadet 1973
Jack Beaumont master 1974
Mike Ewart extra 2nd engineer 1974 to 1975 motor time
Eric Halcrow 5th engineer 1974 to 1975
Steve Almond engineer cadet 1974
Stuart Gallaway 3rd mate 1974
Alex Shevlinn junior ordinary seaman 1974 to 1975
Nick Roberts deck cadet 1974 to 1978 2nd trip
Eric Phillips F... captain (commanding officer) 1974
Bernard Sayer 3rd engineer 1974
Syd Edgar engineer cadet 1974 to 1975
Philip Longton ... 2nd engineer 1975

Anecdotes

Date Visitor Anecdote
10/07/2014 - 17:22 Nick Roberts

I joined her as 2nd trip cadet in 1974 trading out east, she was not one of the regular "Siagon Flyers" of the time (which had been going on for some years?) - but we seemed to get our share during this trip.... A trip when the yanks had already left, found the tank farm alight from enemy attack. It was standard practice to put 2 or 3 rubber dingy alongside the ship while alongside, and in these sat bedraggled looking south Vietnamese troops who throw percussion grenades into the water at irregular intervals to "discourage divers placing mines on the ship"... I recall that as we were about to sail on one occasion, the engineers reported a "banging" on the side of the ships hull when the steering gear was been tested.... For whatever reason this was not reported to the Captain until after we had cleared the port, at which time we turned round and went back to the anchorage for a diver inspection. The official story was that the divers found a "dent" where they believed a limpet mine had been secured, but had not detonated properly! (Or did we hit the fenders a bit hard when we had left Singapore??? Who knows - but good story!!)

It was about this time that Shell instructed all the ships to remove the "Shell" pectin from the funnel (though the names remained, along with the normal colour scheme!). This was apparantly to confuse the Vietcong who were apparently threatening to destroy Shell ships who, they said, were "supplying the enemy" (We were!). Sandbags were placed on the bridgewings, and flack jackets were supplied for the bridge team - along with UN "Blue" helmets (to prove we were "neutral"?). Of course these were not supplied to the cadets who were instructed to conduct the "cargo survey" while on the way up the river!! One of the other vessels I recall, did have a helmsman killed by a sniper on this run...?

11/22/2012 - 13:59 Rogerpalmer

Transfered from Harpula at Calcutta April 71 to join Hastula in Tokuyama Japan as a 1st trip 2nd Eng.Joined at the same time as C.Eng.G.Brown,nice chap and very helpful due to my inexperiance he must have chewed through half a dozen pipes which he inveriably had in his mouth in the 3 months I was on the ship.Rejoined the ship again in March 72 for a further 6 months,more experianced this time around.

12/30/2011 - 15:35 Dennis Allen

I served on this ship when she was the STS San Fabian, I signed on at Middlesbrough with my brother Ken Allen who was in the engine room. She was a nice clean ship with single berth accomodation. There were still lots of dirty ships with 4 to a cabin in those days. We were to load crude in Venezuela and be back home in six weeks so had plans to do a couple of trips in her. After six months of North and South America calling in at Curacao each way we recieved orders for Cape Verde then Banias in Syria then UK. As we passed the white cliffs of Dover we had a change of orders. We were to procedd to Harburg on the Elbe in Germany.

Leaving Germany we headed back to Curacao, Icould go on about this trip for a long time in fact I am writing a book which includes 23 ships.

We finally returned to Middlesbrough after one year and five days. I paid off with 256 pounds, I was rich.

This six week trip took from 20th February 1957 to 25th February 1958, the longest six weeks of my life. Looking back more than 50 years I would love to be able to do it all again.

09/27/2009 - 22:28 James Henry Steen

Hello. I'm interested in knowing friends who joined Hastula 1 in the year 1965-1966. Please email me...I've got more photos.