STAVANGER 1973 ferry

[aukepalmhof]

September 15th - Norwegian Seamen's Association Centenary
Around 1900 the Norwegian shipping industry was undergoing a period of upheaval. The transition from sailing to steam ships had been slow and many shipping companies had been outdistanced by international competition.
Times were difficult and the level of conflict between owners and seafarers was high. The seafarers also disagreed among themselves, for example about how best to organize themselves. In 1910 they managed to establish the Norwegian Sailors’ and Stokers’ Union.

The ship-owners had founded the Norwegian Ship-owners’ Association the year before and emerged as a superior opponent. However, the leaders of the Sailors and Stokers Union also took a political approach and put several claims before the authorities. These led to laws and regulations regarding cabin sizes, working hours and scale of manning. In 1933 the Norwegian Stewards and Cooks Association joined the Union, which changed its name later that year to the Norwegian Seafarer’s Association.

In time whalers, fishermen, telegraph operators and ship’s electricians became members. The Seafarer’s Association became a very powerful union. During WW2, the Norwegian merchant fleet made a strong contribution to the allied war effort. In summer 1940 the Seafarer’s Association persuaded Norwegian seafarer to take part in the dangerous business of supplying oil and other war materiel to the allied forces. Around one thousand ships and 30,000 seafarer were involved, but the rice was high. More than half of the ships were sunk and nearly 4000 seafarer lost their lives.

Norwegian shipping expanded quickly after the war and in 1960 the Seafarer’s Association had almost 50,000 members. However, the shipping crisis in the 1970s and 80s created a completely new situation. Norwegian ship-owners transferred their ships to other flags and replaced their Norwegian crews with crews hired under international terms. To counteract this trend, the authorities set up the Norwegian International Ships Register (NIS). Favorable economic conditions made it possible to rebuild the Norwegian fleet, but the share of Norwegian seafarer was greatly reduced. The Seafarer’s Association currently has about 11,500 members (2010).

The stamp depicts Boatswain Mikael Våge on board the M/S STAVANGER (1973)

From Mr. Dan Rodlie editor of Watercraft Philately I received that the ship depict on this stamp is not the STAVANGER of 1973 but one built in 1943. Will place the new details of the ship when I got it.

The mystery ship has been resolved. I guess it was the date that Norway Post had given as it had nothing to do with when the ship was built, just when the picture was taken. Then there was the problem that they did have a ship built in 1973.
The ship actually depicted is the STAVANGER from 1943 built as HMS KILCHATTAN. She became what we called, and what I remembered, a 'nattrute skip'.
I think we can put this one to bed now.

Built as a patrol craft escort by the Pullman Standard Car Manufacturing Co., Chicago, Ill for the USA Navy.
07 December 1942 Keel laid down.
27 May 1943 launched as PCE-829.
Displacement 640 ton, dim.55.04 x 10.05 x 2.99m. (draught).
Powered by two General Motors 12-567A diesel engines, 1,800 bhp, twin shafts, speed 15 knots.
Bunker capacity 140 tons, range by a speed of 12 knots, 8.500 mile.
Armament 1 – 3 inch, 3 – 40mm, 5 – 20mm guns, anti-submarine 2 rails 10 throwers.
Crew 100.
16 August 1943 completed.

The same day handed over in a Land Lease Deal to Great Britain and commissioned as HMS KILCHATTAN (Z 03) one of the kill class. Latter reclassified to BEC-3
December 1943 at Bermuda for fitting out.
January 1944 sailed from Bermuda, and arrived 17 January 1944 at Trinidad, where she joined the 50th Anti-Submarine Escort Group.
June 1944 resigned to Freetown, Sierra Leone.
June 1945 sailed for Great Britain.
12 July 1945 in Sheerness in reserve.
December 1946 returned to U.S. Navy but she stayed in Sheerness.
1947 Struck from the Navy List.
The same year sold to the Det Stavangerske Dampskibsselskab, Stavanger, she was sailed from Sheerness to Stavanger.
Converted and lengthened by the Rosenberg Mek. Verksted, Stavanger, fitted out later by the DSD’s own workshop on Klasaskjæret in Stavanger.
The hull was complete stripped, a new superstructure placed with two lounges and restaurants over the complete width of the ship.
Accommodation for 850 passengers when sailing inshore and 670 in open waters off the coast, berths for 171 passengers..
Tonnage 1,315 grt, 698 net, dim 65.53 x 10.05 x 4.32m., length bpp. 57.4m.
28 March 1950 trial run in the coastal service, under the name STAVANGER.
July 1950 put in the night service from Sandnes/Stavanger to Haugesund-Bergen.
During the day she was sometimes used for various trips around Stavanger.
01 October 1972 taken out of the night service.
1973 Renamed in KONG SVERRE.
September 1973 Sold to Cie de Nav. Capricorne/ Allaraksingh, Port Louis, Mauritius for 300,000 NKr, renamed in CAPRICORNE, the bill was paid by the new owner but he never took the vessel and she lay idle on the Sølyst at Stavanger.
March 1980 Sold to Haminan Laivaromu OY, Helsinki, Finland for 200,000 Kr.
03 April 1980 left Stavanger under tow for HAMINA, Finland for scrapping.
April 1980 broken up at Hamina,



Source: http://www.miramarshipindex.org.nz http://no.wikipedia.org/wiki/MS_%C2%ABS ... %BB_(1943)


Norway 2010 16Kr. sg?, scott?

Norway Post web-site.