LNG vessel to be laid up in Norway as spot market turns ugly

[Mats]

She arrived for lay-up on Monday this week. Here's a story and a picture from the local newspaper:

http://www.tb.no//apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2005110240223

Best regards
Mats
Oslo

[JNB]

Mats,

Thanks for sharing this. Is it really correct what the article said that as many as 70-80 tankers were laid up in Holmestrand in the 1970s and 1980s?

Best regards,
Jo
Singapore

[Mats]

Jo,

No, there were never 70 or 80 vessels laid up there. A number of VLCCs spent up to 10 years in Holmestrand from the mid 70s until the mid 80s, but at most there were 6 or 7 vessels there at any one time. However, other vessels were laid up at Moss and other places in the Oslofjord, in addition to numerous vessels being laid up in Stavanger, Bergen, Aalesund and in sheltered fjords along the Norwegian west coast.

You can find a few pictures of these laid up supertankers here:

http://supertankers.topcities.com/id41.htm
http://supertankers.topcities.com/id130.htm
http://supertankers.topcities.com/id99.htm

These two vessel are actually pictured lying where "Hoegh Galleon" is lying today:

http://supertankers.topcities.com/part-1/id325.htm
http://supertankers.topcities.com/part-1/id320.htm

Best regards
Mats
Oslo

[JNB]

Mats,

Thanks for this, you really know your tankers well!

Best regards
Jo
Singapore

[John Grace]

Christian and other interested parties.I was interested in finding your forum yesterday as I had spent the last few months searching the web for photographs of the ships I had sailed on in my younger days. It took me some time to find pictures of what in my day was LNG Challenger as the ship had gone through a few name changes.
I was one of two junior engineers who stood by the vessel's building in Moss Rosenburg's Stavanger yard and sailed with her from Savanger on 21/10/1974 when we proceeded to Canvey island to load some LNG for cargo trials after which we sailed to Bahrain arriving on 22/12/1974. I left the LNG Challenger supposedly to join another new build LNG carrier being built in France, but between me leaving Bahrain and arriving home the french ship deal fell through.
I had a realy enjoyable time both in Stavanger and on the LNG Challenger, which I thought was a very well built ship. This seems to be borne out by the Singapore refit of what would have then been a 26 year old ship to enable her to take on a charter for the next 18 - 20 years.
I have a couple of photographs of LNG Challenger in my day which I can post if there is interest, but be warned they are old and amateur and were intended for my memories.

[Mats]

Hi John,

Welcome to the forum. We look forward to seeing your pictures.

Best regards
Mats
Oslo

[Christian Br]

Latest information!

H

[Christian Br]

Seems like the deal to get Galleon back in trade failed.
But it seems like Suez is eager to get her back in trade, rather than buying her out of the charter.
From H

[Milind Balaji]

Christian,

Greetings! Since you are in the best position to answer this, what is the structural condition of galleon particularly her tanks? Did you guys have any issues on board that needed attention which were not normal?
I seem to recall a few years ago Norman Lady had some cracks in her tanks and had to undergo some repairs to get her back to a sound operation condition. I know this gave Norman Lady an extension on her lifespan but these Hoegh vessels must be coming close to the end of their lifespans.
Also, great pictures from your last voyage!

Best Reagards,

Milind

[Milind Balaji]

Oops, I forgot you sailed on Hoegh Gandria, not Galleon but maybe you can still answer my question.

Milind :-)

[Christian Br]

As far as I know, Galleon is in a pretty good condition.
Some years ago there was a fire inside void-space during repairs in drydock on Galleon or Norman Lady. I don

[Ceefex]

Dear Mats,

Did you managed to take photos of "Hoegh Galleon"?

Ceefex

[Glenn Towler]

They could always send it out to OZ to carry LPG for the Australian Domestic Market like Bergenssens did with the Havfru for a few years.

That would be a nice site at 87,0000t Gas tanker coming to Hobart instead for these pissy little 4,000t things!!

[Christian Br]

The Galleon has ended her lay-up. She was in Portugal this summer for drydock. But I dont know about any new charterparty. Rumours say that H

[Alan Smillie]

Hi All!
The 'Hoegh Galleon' is due to leave Setubals Lisnave shipyard, Portugal on the 30th Sept at 10.00am, if the departure time is correct i might manage to get some shots of her leaving, lets see. Cheers, Alan.
 PS(Departure time changed twice, now set at 11th Oct at 10.00am)