VIBEX

About

Completed 1955 as "VIBEX" for STUK. 1972 sold to Heerema Engineering Services and converted into two pontoons H102 and H104.

IMO number
5379535
Call sign
GTNL
Construction number
1484
Tonnage
33.675 ton
Beam
26m
Length overall
203m
Year of construction
1955
Year of renaming/broken up
1972
Service for Shell
1955 to 1972
Cargo
Class
Flag state
Home port
Manager
Shipyard
Status
Photo(s)

Comments

Sailors

Name Job Period Details
Tommy Hewitt fitter My father was a Smith's Docks fitter when Vibex docked there Aug 21 1962. Anyone still around who remembered that?
Mike Evans apprentice engineer 1955 to 1956
Geoffrey Sowter 2nd officer 1955 to 1956
David Burn 3rd engineer 1955 to 1956
Ian Palmer apprentice engineer 1955 to 1956
David Mcadam 5th engineer 1956 to 1957
Brendan Jordan radio officer 1957
Mick McKenna able seaman 1957
Alan Makinson 5th engineer 1957
Bernard Reynolds deck apprentice 1957
William Kane Ak... senior ordinary seaman 1958 to 1959
David Michael Oakley 5th engineer 1958
Peter Graham deck apprentice 1958
Malcolm Rathbone apprentice engineer 1958 to 1959
John Orr deck boy 1959
John Goode apprentice engineer 1959
Frank Kneebone acting 4th mate 1959
James Hitch 3rd engineer 1959 to 1960
Leonard G Wordley 2nd steward 1959
Terence Bayley able seaman 1960
Peter Graham 3rd officer 1960 to 1961
John Watts apprentice engineer 1960 to 1961
John Downey assistant steward 1960
David Golding Zig deck apprentice 1960
Alistair Montgomery 5th engineer 1960 to 1961
Alan Jones Alan... catering boy 1960 to 1961
Barrie Jim Parker able seaman 1962
Stan Riley 3rd engineer 1962
Richard Hindle 5th engineer, 4th engineer 1962 to 1963
Peter B. Pamment deck apprentice 1962 to 1963
Norman Thomas catering boy/galley boy 1964 to 1969 I think that's what dad said
Ian Walker catering boy 1964
J.j. Riches engineer steward 1965 to 1966
Richard Tomlinson 3rd officer 1965 to 1966
Bill Wingate deck boy 1965 to 1966
Mike Brown 2nd cook and baker 1965
Jim Pratt catering boy/galley boy 1965
Fred Ravenscroft steward 1965 to 1966
Stan Parker 2nd cook and baker 1967
Larry Burton fireman/greaser 1967
Fred Ravenscroft 2nd cook 1967
John Penning apprentice 1968
John Johnson 5th engineer 1968
Martin E Mowlem fireman/greaser 1968 to 1970
Stan Parker 2nd cook and baker 1968 to 1969
Anonymous po mechanic 1968
Ian G. Kendall 2nd cook 1968
Martin John Roots catering boy 1968
Nick Emerson 3rd mate 1969 to 1970
Ginger Thomson crew messman 1969
Christopher Hornby 5th engineer 1969
John A.D. Robertson 3rd engineer 1969 to 1970
Kerry Evans cabin boy 1970
Trevor Palin acting 3rd engineer 1970
Christopher Str... 2nd steward 1970 to 1971
Thomas P. Hughes 2nd officer 1970 first trip
Ian F. Boon captain (commanding officer) 1971
Brian Boyle 5th engineer 1971 to 1972
Roger Sparling 4th engineer 1971 to 1972
Derek Wallace D... chief officer 1971 to 1972
Geoffrey Welsman engineer cadet 1972

Anecdotes

Date Visitor Anecdote
11/13/2016 - 17:24 Frederick Williamson

MY FIRST SHIP ON LEAVING SCHOOL WAS THE VIBEX. MY JOB WAS CABIN BOY I WAS 16YEARS OLD AT THE TIME .1961-1962. WE RAN AGROUND IN QUEBEC NOVA SCOTIA IN ST LAWRENCE RIVER.WE ABANDONED SHIP AND WERE TAKEN TO CHATEU FONTANAC IN QUEBEC, CANADA. SHE WAS A GREAT SHIP TO SAIL IN AT THAT TIME.SPENT 11 MONTHS ON THIS TRIP TO PERSIAN GULF, AUSTRALIA, SUEZ CANAL AND PANAMA. AS A YOUNG LAD AT THE TIME THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE SUEZ WOULD NOT HAVE ENTERED MY HEAD AS IT WAS MY FIRST SHIP AND I WAS LEARNING THE ROPES LITERALLY.ANY PICTURES WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED. SIGNED ON AT SMITHS DOCK NORTH SHIELDS GREAT TIME WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER THE VIBEX GREAT LOOKING SHIP.

09/19/2013 - 23:42 Roy Rodwell

she (vibex)always had a nasty habit of blacking out after leaving the maracibo lakes on route to rotterdam

08/10/2013 - 19:14 Richard Tomlinson

On the 3rd April 1966, when passing through the Torres Straight, with the pilot on board, the Master, Captain Booth informed me of his intention to cross Gannet Passage. As the vessel was turning she grounded on a ridge. We lowered an anchor and waited for the tide to rise. After an hour and three quarters the ship began to move and the anchor was weighed and we continued east through Torres straight.

03/07/2012 - 23:13 Thomas P. Hughes

June 1970. Departed Durban for Arabian Gulf. En-route, one boiler failed due salt water contamination. Second boiler subsequently failed. Intermittent power. Emg Geni failed. Oil lamps displayed at night. Sleeping on monkey island. for a period, the fully loaded 'Mactra' stood by, and manouvered herself so as strategically place herself to protect us from approaching traffic. Difted past Socotra and eventually limped towards Ras al Hadd where Smit Lloyd 19 took us on tow into Bandar Abbas bay. Re-tubed both boilers lying at anchor deadship. Loaded at Mina al Ahmadi for Buenos Aires, limping past Capetpwn and across South Atlantic. Lightered in Rio de la Plata for BA. Entered Montevideo for further repairs. Curacao then to continue trading.

12/06/2009 - 11:02 Bernard Reynolds

The Vibex was my first ship which I joined at Eastham (Stanlow)January 1957, the Suez crisis was in full swing so we had to go to the Gulf via the Cape. On the return voyage we stopped off Falmouth and picked up the cricket commentator Brian Johnston and a sound recordest. BBC radio were doing a program about British tankers sailing round the Cape. My cabin mate who joined with me (can't remember his name)had his violin with him. Brian Johnston had him play a tune, unfortunately there were only two stings left on it. When we heared the program on the radio his last note was way off key. Brian Johston says "and on that note we now go down to the galley". We heard later that the chap's mother had complained to Shell about her son giving a recital on two strings. We had a good laugh about it.

10/10/2009 - 00:43 Frank Kneebone

Yes Capt Ham signed my dischage book North Shields 4/12/59

09/04/2009 - 00:11 Mervyn Ham

My late father, Capt Herbert Ham, was a master mariner with the shell fleet. He retired in 1962 but I remember him saying he served on the Vibex - also the vexilla I believe. Can anyone confirm? Thanks