Oldendorff Centenary Book - Flipbook - Page 219
AROUND THE WORLD
IN 80 DAYS
With a modernised fleet and appetite
for commerce, the company was a
pioneer for truly global bulk shipping.
As one of the pioneers of seaborne transportation of bulk cargoes in specialised
ships, Egon Oldendorff had firmly established his company’s name with shippers
and brokers and continued to expand his activities.
Lübecker Flender-Werke delivered the somewhat modified sisterships
HELENA OLDENDORFF and REGINA OLDENDORFF of 34,650 tdw each at sixmonthly intervals whilst Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft simultaneously
completed the DIETRICH OLDENDORFF (4), TETE OLDENDORFF (2) and RIXTA
OLDENDORFF (1), equal in size but with a slightly different silhouette. All bulk
carriers were given accommodation for 12 passengers. The FSG new-buildings
even had mobile cranes meant to handle cargo residuals, provisions and the
motorcars which the passengers might wish to take with them. However,
most passengers left their cars ashore and the newbuildings that followed
reverted to the customary light cranes for provisions and stores positioned
aft of the superstructure. Like all other large Oldendorff ships the bulk carriers
traded worldwide. As an example, the HELENA OLDENDORFF left Emden in
April 1967 bound for Japan, then proceeded to Peru, continued to the east
coast of the United States through the Panama Canal, returned to Japan,
proceeded to the US Gulf, again via the Panama Canal, and finally sailed to
Rotterdam with 36,000 tonnes of grain, logging 56,931 nautical miles or 2.6
times the circumference of the earth in seven months and four days.
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