MELAMPUS
(3) was built in 1977 by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries at Nagasaki
with a tonnage of 16031grt, a length of 540ft, a beam of 85ft
3in and a service speed of 18 knots. Sister of the Menelaus
she was delivered to Ocean Fleets ltd under the ownership of
Airlease International Nominees (Moorgate) Ltd. By 1980 she
was operated by Barber Blue Sea with Elder Dempster Lines as
managers. In 1983 she was sold to Menelaus Shipping Corp. of
Liberia without a change of name and in 1985 she was transferred
to Elder Dempster Lines. In 1988 she was sold to N. V. CMB S.
A. of Antwerp in 1989 and renamed CMB Ebony with her port of
registry being transferred to Hong Kong. She is still trading
with her owners being restyled as Safmarine Container Lines
(SCL NV). (Photo: A Duncan)
MENESTHEUS
(3)/BARBER MENESTHEUS/MENETHEUS was built in 1977 by Mitsubishi
Heavy Industries at Nagasaki, Japan with a tonnage of 16031grt,
a length of 540ft, a beam of 85ft 4in and a service speed of
17 knots. Sister of the Menelaus she was delivered to Ocean
Fleets Ltd in December 1977. On 4th November 1980 she was renamed
Barber Menestheus when she was operated by Barber Blue Sea with
Elder Dempster Lines as managers. Three years later she was
sold to Barber Menestheus Shipping Corp of Panama, initially
without a change of name but reverting to Menestheus shortly
afterwards. On 18th April 1984 she was chartered to Woermann
Line for services to West Africa and spent some time as the
Lloyd Parana when she was chartered to Lloyd Brasiliero. She
reverted to being the Menestheus on 29th January 1985 when she
returned to Elder Dempster Lines operations. In February 1986
she was sold to Palm Line, a former rival of Elder Dempster
but recently acquired by Ocean Transport & Trading Co.,
renamed Apapa Palm and re-registered at Douglas Isle of Man.
She was sold to Cie. Maritime Belge of Antwerp in 1989 and renamed
CMB Esprit. Two years later she was transferred to CMB Transport
(Luxembourg) S.A. with Aemas Luxembourg S.A. as managers. In
1992 she was sold to Irvona Ltd of Hong Kong and was managed
by Coldwell Ship Management (Agency) Ltd as the Woermann Expert.
She is currently owned by Bocimar NV of Antwerp, Belgium with
the same name. (Photo: A Duncan)
PLUMLEAF
was built in 1960 by Blyth Dry Dock & Shipbuilding Co. Ltd
at Blyth with a tonnage of 12549grt, a length of 560ft, a beam
of 72ft 1in and a service speed of 15 knots. She was an oil
tanker laid down in August 1968 as the Corheath for William
Cory & Son but chartered to the Admiralty before being launched
as a Fleet replenishment vessel. Her name was changed to Plumleaf
in order to conform with the Admiralty's 'leaf' nomenclature.
When Cory Maritime, by now a Holt company, was wound up in 1977
she passed into the ownership of Blue Funnel Bulkships. However,
recorded ownership was academic as throughout her life she was
to all intents and purposes a Royal Fleet Auxilliary and never
appeared in Blue Funnel livery. She was replaced by the Oakleaf
in 1986 and on 17th December of that year arrived at Kaohsiung
where she was broken up by Cheng Yung Enterprises. (Photo: George
Mortimore)
AENEAS
(3) was built in 1972 by Astilleros Espanoles S.A. at Seville,
Spain with a tonnage of 15498grt, a length of 598ft 10in, a
beam of 73ft 6in and a service speed of 15.5 knots. She was
built as the Cunard Carrier for Cunard-Brocklebank Bulk Carriers
Ltd. and was sold in 1978 to Silverdale Co. Ltd with Ocean Fleets
as managers who renamed her Aeneas. At no time was she ever
owned by the Holt Group or carried the Blue Funnel livery. She
was sold to Caroline Maritime Pte Ltd of Singapore and later
to Transocean Maritime Agencies of Singapore in 1984 and since
that time has traded as the Leros Endeavour, the Eli Marie,
and the Norbel Bulk. At the present time she is owned by Norbel
Shipping Inc. of Ninove, Belgium with the name Sunny Bulk. (Photo:
Fotoflite)
MARON
(4) was built in 1980 by Scotts Shipbuilding & Engineering
Co. Ltd at Greenock with a tonnage of 16482grt, a length of
539ft 11in, a beam of 85ft 4in and a service speed of 18 knots.
Costing £36,000,000 she was delivered to Elder Dempster
Lines on 9th May 1980 for their West Africa service. Although
given a traditional Blue Funnel name she carried the Elder Dempster
livery although her boot topping was the customary flesh-red
of Blue Funnel. On 22nd November 1981 she was temporarily renamed
Studland Bay when she was chartered to Overseas Containers Ltd
for approximately twelve months. In 1987 she was sold to Al-Mubarak
(Shipping & Trading Co. and then to Omega Ltd, both of Bermuda,
and renamed Baltic Adventurer. Since that date she has operated
for various owners as the Rainbow Avenue, the Merchant Patriot,
the CMB Enterprise, the Woermann Ubangi and the Lanka Amitha.
Finally, having reverted to Merchant Patriot, on 30th December
1997 her engine room flooded and she was abandoned of the Bahamas.
She was towed into Freeport and then to Mexico where she was
broken up. (Photo: John Clarkson Collection)
MENTOR
(3) was built in 1980 by Scotts Shipbuilding & Engineering
Co. Ltd at Greenock with a tonnage of 16482grt, a length of
539ft 11in, a beam of 85ft 4in and a service speed of 18 knots.
Sister of the Maron she was launched on 8th August 1979 and
delivered to Elder Dempster Lines for their West African service
in July 1980. On 5th December 1981 she was chartered to Overseas
Containers, part of the Ellerman group, and renamed City of
London. On completion of the charter in the December 1982 she
was laid up in the River Fal where she remained until March
1984 when she briefly returned to Overseas Containers. In April
1985 she was sold to Hake Shipping Co. Ltd of Cyprus and renamed
Normannia. She subsequently had various owners and traded as
the Als Reliance, Hoegh Normania, Rickmers Hangzhou, St Nikolas
I, DSR Shanghai and Palmas. She returned to British ownership
in 1995 when she was purchased by Tamahine Shipping Ltd of London
and renamed Tamatiki with Douglas, Isle of Man as her port of
registry. Her current owner is V ships (UK) Ltd of London and
she still trades as the Tamatiki with Bahamas registry. (Photo:
A Duncan)
MYRMIDON
(5) was built in 1980 by Scotts Shipbuilding & Engineering
Co. Ltd at Greenock with a tonnage of 16482grt, a length of
539ft 11in, a beam of 85ft 4in and a service speed of 18 knots.
Sister of the Maron she was launched on 19th February 1980 and
delivered to Elder Dempster Lines on the following 4th November.
She was the last ship built for Holt's in a British shipyard
and the second to last built for the company. In 1981 she was
chartered to Compagnie General Maritime for a round voyage to
the Caribbean and from 22nd June 1982 until 28th October 1982
she was requisitioned by the Ministry of Defence for duties
during the Falklands War. In November 1984 she was chartered
to Maritime Associated Carriers and temporarily renamed Cape
Town Carrier. She was temporarily renamed Bello Folawiyo for
another charter in 1986. She continued to be managed by Ocean
until 1989 when she was sold to Cenargo Ltd. and successively
named CMB Exporter, Merchant Promise and Lanka Amila. In 1994
an associate company of Tamahine Shipping purchased her and
renamed her Tamamonta. She is still trading as the Tamamonta
for V Ships (UK) Ltd of London with Nassau, Bahamas as her port
of registry. (Photo: Fotoflite)
BARBER
PRIAM was built in 1980 by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries at Nagasaki,
Japan with a tonnage of 21747grt, a length of 749ft 7in, a beam
of 105ft 10in and a service speed of 20.5 knots. A Ro-Ro with
a stern ramp she was launched for Ocean Transport & Trading
Co. on 17th November 1978. In 1984 she was transferred to Odysseus
Shipping International Corp. of Panama a thinly disguised subsidiary
of OTT. Ownership reverted to OTT in 1986 prior to her being
sold to the United States Military Sea Lift Command for $25,000,000.
The reason behind the purchase was that the US government was
becoming frightened by the decline of US flagged shipping and
sought to protect its power overseas. She still trades for the
US government as the Cape Henry and is based at San Francisco.
(Photo: Fotoflite)
BARBER
PERSEUS was built in 1984 by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries at
Nagasaki, Japan with a tonnage of 21747grt, a length of 749ft
7in, a beam of 105ft 10in and a service speed of 20.5 knots.
Sister of the Barber Priam she was launched on 7th February
1979 and delivered in the following June to Speakshaw Ltd with
Ocean Fleets as managers. She was later transferred to Barber
Menelaus Shipping Corp. of Panama, Blue Funnel having become
a flag of convenience operation. In 1985 ownership was recorded
as being Perseus Shipping Ltd of Panama. In 1987 she briefly
returned to the British registry albeit at Douglas in the Isle
of Man. Blue Funnel pulled out of the Barber Blue Sea consortium
in 1988 and, as a result, sold the Barber Perseus to one of
the other partners, Wallenius Wilhelmsen Lines AB of Stockholm,
with whom she still trades as the Talabot. (Photo: Fotoflite)
BARBER
HECTOR was built in 1984 by Hyundai Heavy Industries at Ulsan,
South Korea with a tonnage of 27990grt, a length of 859ft 7in,
a beam of 105ft 10in and a service speed of 20.5 knots. Launched
on 16th November 1983 she was the last ship built for Blue Funnel
and to carry the famous blue funnel. The world's largest roll
on-roll off ferry she was delivered in April 1984 for the North
American - Far East - Persian Gulf 90 day round the world service.
Her two sisters, the Barber Tampa and the Barber Texas were
built for Wilhelmsen and Swedish East Asiatic partners. When
Blue Funnel pulled out of the Barber Blue Sea consortium in
1988 she was sold to Wallenius Wilhelmsen of Stockhold and is
still operated by them as the Taiko. At the end of 1988 the
Blue Funnel fleet was no more and the company finally ceased
operations after 130 years of service. (Photo: John Clarkson
Collection)
SPECIAL
CHARTERS
R.S.IXION
was built in 1977 by Kurushima Dock Co. at Imbari, Japan with
a tonnage of 4627grt, a length of 372ft 4in, a beam of 57ft
8in and a service speed of 20.5 knots. She was launched as the
R.S. One for Class Container Lines of Liberia and chartered
to Blue Funnel for a Roll-on Roll-off service between Ellesmere
Port and Jeddah. The R. S. stood for 'Roll on and store'. For
the duration of the charter she was renamed R.S.Ixion and given
the Blue Funnel livery. In February 1979 the Port of Jeddah
underwent a modernisation which enabled container traffic to
be transferred to Overseas Container Line, a company in which
Ocean Transport & Trading had a 34.1% interest. Consequently
she was returned to her owner and sold to a Latvian (USSR) company
who renamed her Kapitan Tomson. In 1992, following the break
up of the Soviet Union, her name was 'Latvianised' to Kapteinis
Tomsons. She subsequently traded as the Latros, the Baltic Sailor,
Seicredit and currently as the Vinus owned by Shandong Ecomitrade
International Transportation Corp. of Qingdao, Shangdong Province,
China. (Photo: World Ship Photo Library)
R.S.JASON
was built in 1977 by Kurushima Dock Co. at Imbari, Japan with
a tonnage of 4633grt, a length of 372ft 4in, a beam of 57ft
8in and a service speed of 20.5 knots. Sister of the R.S. Ixion
she was completed for World Patent Group as the R.S. Jason and
chartered to Ocean Fleets for the Roll-on Roll-off service between
Ellesmere Port and Jeddah. At the end of the charter she was
sold with the R.S.Ixion to a Latvian (USSR) company and renamed
Kapitan Yakovlev and registered at Riga. She was 'Latvianised'
to Kapteinis Jakovlevs when Latvia gained her independence following
the break up of the Soviet Union. Shortly afterwards she was
sold on and renamed Latmos. She is currently owned by Ningbo
Ocean Shipping Corp. of Ningbo, Zhenjiang Province, China and
trading as the Ming Zhou 12. (Photo: World Ship Photo Library)
MISCELLANEOUS
VESSELS
ARGO was built in 1875 by Scott
& Co. at Greenock with a tonnage of 580grt, a length of
208ft, a beam of 26ft 4in and a service speed of 11 knots. She
was built as Alfred Holt's private yacht but also used for training
cadets and was equipped with tutoring facilities. Sold to French
owners in 1881 and was used purely for social purposes.
RANEE was built in 1881 by Ramage
& Ferguson at Leith with a tonnage of 617grt, a length of
185ft, a beam of 27ft 1in and a service speed of 9 knots. She
was built for the Sarawak & Singapore Steamship Co. who,
in 1888, chartered her to Alfred Holt. In 1892 she was acquired
by the East India Ocean Steam Ship Co. Seven years later, in
1899, she was transferred with the entire East India Ocean fleet
to Norddeutscher Lloyd who initially renamed her Labuan but
later reverted to Ranee. In 1900 she went to Siam but was later
resold to Mrs Quah Seh Quan who renamed her Pin Seng. In 1907
she was transferred to the Eastern Shipping Co. of Penang when
the company was formed, sold to un-named Chinese buyers without
a change of name in 1921 and was broken up in 1923.
KONGSEE was built in 1878 by
Mitchell & Co. at Newcastle with a tonnage of 1072grt, a
length of 248ft, a beam of 31ft 2in and a service speed of 10
knots. She was completed in October 1878 for the Netherlands
Indies Steam Navigation Co. of Batavia and was acquired by T.
C. Bogaardt of Singapore who operated her within the Blue Funnel
network. In 1893 she was operated by N.S.M. 'Oceaan' to enable
them to trade between the Dutch East Indies and Singapore. She
was sold to Tan Kim Tinn in 1898 and a year later to Philippine
owners at Manila and flew the US flag. In 1901 she operated
under US Army control as the Liscum. After twenty one years
service she was sold to Tuason & Sampedra of Manila in 1922
and renamed Nuestra Senora de Alba. She was renamed Yung Shun
when the Yung Shun Steam Ship Co. of Newchwang, China purchased
her in 1934. Shortly afterwards she was broken up at Shanghai.
The records of the Straits Steam Ship Co. show that she may
have been owned by Holt's between 1891 - 1895.
BANJERMASSIN was built in 1886
by Wigham Richardson & Co. at Newcastle with a tonnage of
428grt, a length of 174ft, a beam of 23ft 8in and a service
speed of 9 knots. She was completed in June 1886 for Kho Soen
Tjio Ang Eng of Banjermassin and operated by T. C. Bogaardt
between Banjermassin and Singapore for Holt's. In 1889 Holts
became the owner and in 1892 she was transferred to N.S.M. 'Oceaan'.
Four years later she was transferred to the East India Ocean
Steam Ship Co and in 1899 was acquired by Norddeutscher Lloyd
with the rest of the E.I.O fleet and renamed her Sulu. In the
following year she was sold to Philippine, renamed Tan Auco
and on 3rd March 1901 was lost on Patras Sandbank, Philippines.
DEVONHURST was built in 1874
by C Mitchell & Co. at Newcastle with a tonnage of 1559grt,
a length of 280ft, a beam of 33ft 4in and a service speed of
10 knots. She was built for H. Katz of Singapore for deployment
on their Singapore - Calcutta - Nizagapatnam service. In 1878
she was sold to the Netherlands India Steam Navigation Co. who
retained her name and in 1882 she was owned by Atjeh Steam Ship
Co. of London but based in Singapore. She was acquired by T.
C. Bogaardt in 1888 who operated her for Blue Funnel. On 8th
March 1891 she collided with and sank Burrell & Son's Strathendrick.
Holt's took title to the ship in 1892 and transferred her to
the East India Ocean Steam Ship Co. in 1893. Three years later,
in 1896, she was sold to Japanese owners, renamed Kubo Maru
and was wrecked on Kyushu in 1897.
NORMANBY was built in 1874 by
Henderson Coulborn at Renfrew with a tonnage of 976grt, a length
of 220ft 4in, a beam of 27ft 10in and a service speed of 10
knots. She was completed in July 1874 for the Eastern &
Australian Steam Ship Co. who sold her to J. S. Neave of Singapore
in 1880. In 1884 she was purchased by Ong Kew Ho of Singapore.
She was acquired by T. C. Bogaardt in 1891 and operated by him
on behalf of Alfred Holt who took title to the ship in before
transferring it to N.S.M.'Oceaan' in 1892. On 5th December 1893
she was wrecked near Pulu Bintang during a voyage from Manila
to Singapore.
MELAMPUS
(3) was built in 1977 by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries at Nagasaki
with a tonnage of 16031grt, a length of 540ft, a beam of 85ft
3in and a service speed of 18 knots. Sister of the Menelaus
she was delivered to Ocean Fleets ltd under the ownership of
Airlease International Nominees (Moorgate) Ltd. By 1980 she
was operated by Barber Blue Sea with Elder Dempster Lines as
managers. In 1983 she was sold to Menelaus Shipping Corp. of
Liberia without a change of name and in 1985 she was transferred
to Elder Dempster Lines. In 1988 she was sold to N. V. CMB S.
A. of Antwerp in 1989 and renamed CMB Ebony with her port of
registry being transferred to Hong Kong. She is still trading
with her owners being restyled as Safmarine Container Lines
(SCL NV). (Photo: A Duncan) 
MENESTHEUS
(3)/BARBER MENESTHEUS/MENETHEUS was built in 1977 by Mitsubishi
Heavy Industries at Nagasaki, Japan with a tonnage of 16031grt,
a length of 540ft, a beam of 85ft 4in and a service speed of
17 knots. Sister of the Menelaus she was delivered to Ocean
Fleets Ltd in December 1977. On 4th November 1980 she was renamed
Barber Menestheus when she was operated by Barber Blue Sea with
Elder Dempster Lines as managers. Three years later she was
sold to Barber Menestheus Shipping Corp of Panama, initially
without a change of name but reverting to Menestheus shortly
afterwards. On 18th April 1984 she was chartered to Woermann
Line for services to West Africa and spent some time as the
Lloyd Parana when she was chartered to Lloyd Brasiliero. She
reverted to being the Menestheus on 29th January 1985 when she
returned to Elder Dempster Lines operations. In February 1986
she was sold to Palm Line, a former rival of Elder Dempster
but recently acquired by Ocean Transport & Trading Co.,
renamed Apapa Palm and re-registered at Douglas Isle of Man.
She was sold to Cie. Maritime Belge of Antwerp in 1989 and renamed
CMB Esprit. Two years later she was transferred to CMB Transport
(Luxembourg) S.A. with Aemas Luxembourg S.A. as managers. In
1992 she was sold to Irvona Ltd of Hong Kong and was managed
by Coldwell Ship Management (Agency) Ltd as the Woermann Expert.
She is currently owned by Bocimar NV of Antwerp, Belgium with
the same name. (Photo: A Duncan) 
PLUMLEAF
was built in 1960 by Blyth Dry Dock & Shipbuilding Co. Ltd
at Blyth with a tonnage of 12549grt, a length of 560ft, a beam
of 72ft 1in and a service speed of 15 knots. She was an oil
tanker laid down in August 1968 as the Corheath for William
Cory & Son but chartered to the Admiralty before being launched
as a Fleet replenishment vessel. Her name was changed to Plumleaf
in order to conform with the Admiralty's 'leaf' nomenclature.
When Cory Maritime, by now a Holt company, was wound up in 1977
she passed into the ownership of Blue Funnel Bulkships. However,
recorded ownership was academic as throughout her life she was
to all intents and purposes a Royal Fleet Auxilliary and never
appeared in Blue Funnel livery. She was replaced by the Oakleaf
in 1986 and on 17th December of that year arrived at Kaohsiung
where she was broken up by Cheng Yung Enterprises. (Photo: George
Mortimore) 
AENEAS
(3) was built in 1972 by Astilleros Espanoles S.A. at Seville,
Spain with a tonnage of 15498grt, a length of 598ft 10in, a
beam of 73ft 6in and a service speed of 15.5 knots. She was
built as the Cunard Carrier for Cunard-Brocklebank Bulk Carriers
Ltd. and was sold in 1978 to Silverdale Co. Ltd with Ocean Fleets
as managers who renamed her Aeneas. At no time was she ever
owned by the Holt Group or carried the Blue Funnel livery. She
was sold to Caroline Maritime Pte Ltd of Singapore and later
to Transocean Maritime Agencies of Singapore in 1984 and since
that time has traded as the Leros Endeavour, the Eli Marie,
and the Norbel Bulk. At the present time she is owned by Norbel
Shipping Inc. of Ninove, Belgium with the name Sunny Bulk. (Photo:
Fotoflite) 
MARON
(4) was built in 1980 by Scotts Shipbuilding & Engineering
Co. Ltd at Greenock with a tonnage of 16482grt, a length of
539ft 11in, a beam of 85ft 4in and a service speed of 18 knots.
Costing £36,000,000 she was delivered to Elder Dempster
Lines on 9th May 1980 for their West Africa service. Although
given a traditional Blue Funnel name she carried the Elder Dempster
livery although her boot topping was the customary flesh-red
of Blue Funnel. On 22nd November 1981 she was temporarily renamed
Studland Bay when she was chartered to Overseas Containers Ltd
for approximately twelve months. In 1987 she was sold to Al-Mubarak
(Shipping & Trading Co. and then to Omega Ltd, both of Bermuda,
and renamed Baltic Adventurer. Since that date she has operated
for various owners as the Rainbow Avenue, the Merchant Patriot,
the CMB Enterprise, the Woermann Ubangi and the Lanka Amitha.
Finally, having reverted to Merchant Patriot, on 30th December
1997 her engine room flooded and she was abandoned of the Bahamas.
She was towed into Freeport and then to Mexico where she was
broken up. (Photo: John Clarkson Collection) 
MENTOR
(3) was built in 1980 by Scotts Shipbuilding & Engineering
Co. Ltd at Greenock with a tonnage of 16482grt, a length of
539ft 11in, a beam of 85ft 4in and a service speed of 18 knots.
Sister of the Maron she was launched on 8th August 1979 and
delivered to Elder Dempster Lines for their West African service
in July 1980. On 5th December 1981 she was chartered to Overseas
Containers, part of the Ellerman group, and renamed City of
London. On completion of the charter in the December 1982 she
was laid up in the River Fal where she remained until March
1984 when she briefly returned to Overseas Containers. In April
1985 she was sold to Hake Shipping Co. Ltd of Cyprus and renamed
Normannia. She subsequently had various owners and traded as
the Als Reliance, Hoegh Normania, Rickmers Hangzhou, St Nikolas
I, DSR Shanghai and Palmas. She returned to British ownership
in 1995 when she was purchased by Tamahine Shipping Ltd of London
and renamed Tamatiki with Douglas, Isle of Man as her port of
registry. Her current owner is V ships (UK) Ltd of London and
she still trades as the Tamatiki with Bahamas registry. (Photo:
A Duncan) 
MYRMIDON
(5) was built in 1980 by Scotts Shipbuilding & Engineering
Co. Ltd at Greenock with a tonnage of 16482grt, a length of
539ft 11in, a beam of 85ft 4in and a service speed of 18 knots.
Sister of the Maron she was launched on 19th February 1980 and
delivered to Elder Dempster Lines on the following 4th November.
She was the last ship built for Holt's in a British shipyard
and the second to last built for the company. In 1981 she was
chartered to Compagnie General Maritime for a round voyage to
the Caribbean and from 22nd June 1982 until 28th October 1982
she was requisitioned by the Ministry of Defence for duties
during the Falklands War. In November 1984 she was chartered
to Maritime Associated Carriers and temporarily renamed Cape
Town Carrier. She was temporarily renamed Bello Folawiyo for
another charter in 1986. She continued to be managed by Ocean
until 1989 when she was sold to Cenargo Ltd. and successively
named CMB Exporter, Merchant Promise and Lanka Amila. In 1994
an associate company of Tamahine Shipping purchased her and
renamed her Tamamonta. She is still trading as the Tamamonta
for V Ships (UK) Ltd of London with Nassau, Bahamas as her port
of registry. (Photo: Fotoflite) .jpg)
BARBER
PRIAM was built in 1980 by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries at Nagasaki,
Japan with a tonnage of 21747grt, a length of 749ft 7in, a beam
of 105ft 10in and a service speed of 20.5 knots. A Ro-Ro with
a stern ramp she was launched for Ocean Transport & Trading
Co. on 17th November 1978. In 1984 she was transferred to Odysseus
Shipping International Corp. of Panama a thinly disguised subsidiary
of OTT. Ownership reverted to OTT in 1986 prior to her being
sold to the United States Military Sea Lift Command for $25,000,000.
The reason behind the purchase was that the US government was
becoming frightened by the decline of US flagged shipping and
sought to protect its power overseas. She still trades for the
US government as the Cape Henry and is based at San Francisco.
(Photo: Fotoflite) 
BARBER
PERSEUS was built in 1984 by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries at
Nagasaki, Japan with a tonnage of 21747grt, a length of 749ft
7in, a beam of 105ft 10in and a service speed of 20.5 knots.
Sister of the Barber Priam she was launched on 7th February
1979 and delivered in the following June to Speakshaw Ltd with
Ocean Fleets as managers. She was later transferred to Barber
Menelaus Shipping Corp. of Panama, Blue Funnel having become
a flag of convenience operation. In 1985 ownership was recorded
as being Perseus Shipping Ltd of Panama. In 1987 she briefly
returned to the British registry albeit at Douglas in the Isle
of Man. Blue Funnel pulled out of the Barber Blue Sea consortium
in 1988 and, as a result, sold the Barber Perseus to one of
the other partners, Wallenius Wilhelmsen Lines AB of Stockholm,
with whom she still trades as the Talabot. (Photo: Fotoflite)
BARBER
HECTOR was built in 1984 by Hyundai Heavy Industries at Ulsan,
South Korea with a tonnage of 27990grt, a length of 859ft 7in,
a beam of 105ft 10in and a service speed of 20.5 knots. Launched
on 16th November 1983 she was the last ship built for Blue Funnel
and to carry the famous blue funnel. The world's largest roll
on-roll off ferry she was delivered in April 1984 for the North
American - Far East - Persian Gulf 90 day round the world service.
Her two sisters, the Barber Tampa and the Barber Texas were
built for Wilhelmsen and Swedish East Asiatic partners. When
Blue Funnel pulled out of the Barber Blue Sea consortium in
1988 she was sold to Wallenius Wilhelmsen of Stockhold and is
still operated by them as the Taiko. At the end of 1988 the
Blue Funnel fleet was no more and the company finally ceased
operations after 130 years of service. (Photo: John Clarkson
Collection) 
R.S.IXION
was built in 1977 by Kurushima Dock Co. at Imbari, Japan with
a tonnage of 4627grt, a length of 372ft 4in, a beam of 57ft
8in and a service speed of 20.5 knots. She was launched as the
R.S. One for Class Container Lines of Liberia and chartered
to Blue Funnel for a Roll-on Roll-off service between Ellesmere
Port and Jeddah. The R. S. stood for 'Roll on and store'. For
the duration of the charter she was renamed R.S.Ixion and given
the Blue Funnel livery. In February 1979 the Port of Jeddah
underwent a modernisation which enabled container traffic to
be transferred to Overseas Container Line, a company in which
Ocean Transport & Trading had a 34.1% interest. Consequently
she was returned to her owner and sold to a Latvian (USSR) company
who renamed her Kapitan Tomson. In 1992, following the break
up of the Soviet Union, her name was 'Latvianised' to Kapteinis
Tomsons. She subsequently traded as the Latros, the Baltic Sailor,
Seicredit and currently as the Vinus owned by Shandong Ecomitrade
International Transportation Corp. of Qingdao, Shangdong Province,
China. (Photo: World Ship Photo Library) 
R.S.JASON
was built in 1977 by Kurushima Dock Co. at Imbari, Japan with
a tonnage of 4633grt, a length of 372ft 4in, a beam of 57ft
8in and a service speed of 20.5 knots. Sister of the R.S. Ixion
she was completed for World Patent Group as the R.S. Jason and
chartered to Ocean Fleets for the Roll-on Roll-off service between
Ellesmere Port and Jeddah. At the end of the charter she was
sold with the R.S.Ixion to a Latvian (USSR) company and renamed
Kapitan Yakovlev and registered at Riga. She was 'Latvianised'
to Kapteinis Jakovlevs when Latvia gained her independence following
the break up of the Soviet Union. Shortly afterwards she was
sold on and renamed Latmos. She is currently owned by Ningbo
Ocean Shipping Corp. of Ningbo, Zhenjiang Province, China and
trading as the Ming Zhou 12. (Photo: World Ship Photo Library)
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