Hel

[shipstamps]

The fast general cargo ship Hel was built in 1970 by A/S Nakskov Skibsv. at Nakskov, for Polish Ocean Lines. She is registered at Gdynia. An open or closed shelter deck type, her tonnages are respectively: Open: gross 7,704; net 4,255; deadweight 9,600; draft 26 ft. 2 in. Closed: gross 10,970; net 6,408; deadweight 13,946; draft 31 ft. 73/4 in. Her length (o.a.) is 546 ft. 6 in., beam 76 ft. 8 in., and depth 42 ft. 4 in. Propelling machinery comprises a Burmeister and Wain oil engine having 8 cylinders and developing 20,000 b.h.p. to give a speed of 21.5 knots. The vessel has a controllable pitch propeller and there are six holds, with a bale capacity of 700,000 cub. ft. Insulated space amounts to 50,000 cub. ft. SG2036 Sea Breezes 6/71

[aukepalmhof]

On a voyage from Gdynia to Valparaiso with on board a cargo of barley, she was involved in a major collision incident in thick fog with the Liberian motortanker SKYRON in the southern North Sea 20 miles east of Ramsgate, U.K. in a position 51.25N 02 07 E at 03.15 a.m. on 30 May 1987.
The tanker with on board 136.879 tonnes of crude oil was immediately abandoned by her 25 men crew after she caught fire. Most of the 42 persons on board the HEL also abandoned ship, but later returned on board when it became clear that she was not in any immediate danger.
She managed to proceed to the River Schelde, where she anchored off Vlissingen (Flushing) on 2 June 1987, severely damaged. After inspection it was decided by the owners to sell her to the scrapyard.
After emergency repairs she sailed on 15 Aug. 1987 under the name HELO and under Honduran flag to the scrapyard at Aliaga, Turkey were she arrived in Sept.

The SKYRON with heavy bow damage. After the fire was extinguished entered the Nieuwe Waterweg for Rotterdam, where her cargo was discharged, and after an emergency repair at that port she sailed for Malta for repairs.

Register of Merchant Ships Completed in 1970. Modern Shipping Disasters by Norman Hooke. Blauwe Wimpel. Marine News. Soviet Bloc Merchant Ships. Comecon Merchant Ships.