Oldendorff Centenary Book - Flipbook - Page 260
Sunderland at the mouth of River
Wear has a long shipbuilding
history and in 1819 saw the highest
concentration of shipyards in the
United Kingdom. The shipyards of
S.P. Austin & Sons Ltd., founded in
1826, and of William Pickersgill &
Sons Ltd. merged in 1954 to become
Austin & Pickersgill Ltd. and in 1968
amalgamated with Bartram & Sons
Ltd., a shipyard founded in 1838. An
extensive renovation programme
commenced in 1954 enabled the
yard to construct ships of up to
40,000 tdw. The yard was taken
over in 1957 by a consortium under
the leadership of Greek-British
tanker owners, London & Overseas
Freighters Ltd. (LOFs) which in
1970 became sole proprietors.
Thanks to the initiative of Greek
shipowners Basil Mavroleon and
George Papalios, ASP designed the
SD14 type of Liberty Replacement
freighter officially named ‘Shelter
Deck 14,000 tons deadweight’ and
made it a tremendous success.
The lead ship of the series cost
GBP 900,000, considerably less than
tramp ships of comparable size
offered by competing shipyards.
Spartan equipment was the secret.
The standard type had neither
mast houses nor cargo battens nor
shifting boards. One would search in
vain for teakwood doors or handrails
in companionways. The SD14 became
the only Liberty Replacement to
emulate its forerunner’s austerity
to the hilt and assumed its role
as a successful workhorse of the
seas. The orderbook filled rapidly.
Initially trampship owners had to
accept delivery times of up to three
years despite an output of one ship
per month. Austin & Pickersgill
exclusively produced SD14s for more
than a decade for a total number of
130 units, a record unbroken to this
day. More than an additional 70 ships
of the same type were built under
licence in Greece, the Argentine and
in Brazil.
Austin & Pickersgill, just like the
builders of other replacement type
ships, offered optional equipment at
extra cost, and many owners made
use of that facility, preferably by
256
ordering heavier cargo handling gear
exceeding the basic 5-ton derricks.
The majority opted for the 10-ton
version plus additional heavy-lift
derricks. Egon Oldendorff had the
lead ship fitted with one each 60-ton
and 30-ton derrick, and the next three
to follow received one 100-ton derrick
in lieu of the 60-tonner. Most owners
accepted the builders’ suggestion and
installed the ‘5RND68’ type slowrunning Sulzer diesel engine, licencemanufactured by many suppliers
including Hawthorn, Leslie & Co. Ltd.
and G.Clark N.E.M.Ltd. of Wallsend.
As time went on certain modifications
took place. For example, the bridge
of the later units was given a facelift,
but by and large the outward
appearance remained as originally
designed with superstructure and
engine room between holds Nos. 4
and 5, and a slanting bow without
a bulb. Only Brazil-built SD14s had
a tweendeck in No. 5 hold. Modified
freeboard regulations increased
deadweight capacity to about
15,000 tonnes without affecting
the basic design.
