Oldendorff Centenary Book - Flipbook - Page 266
Some relief came in the form of
automation built into newbuildings.
Automatically monitored and
maintained propelling machinery
could do with one certificated
engineer less and considerably
fewer greasers and motormen.
Fully automated cargo handling gear
and mechanical or automatic hatch
covers helped to reduce deck crew,
but such savings were restricted
to newbuildings so equipped. Older
ships with conventional gear and
wooden hatch covers, simply could
not economically be retrofitted with
labour-saving equipment.
Reflagged ships would show a new
home port and fly a different flag. It
became fairly standard practice for
such ships to be bareboat-chartered
to subsidiaries in countries like
Panama for periods not exceeding
two years whilst the owners would
retain the right to fly the German flag.
German masters, senior officers and
engineers would as a rule be kept on
board, but ratings would be recruited
from abroad, with Oldendorff
attaching great importance to high
standards of training.
Egon Oldendorff began gradually to
flag out older ships with a preference
for Liberia, Singapore and Panama.
Irrespective of flag Oldendorff ships,
which had meanwhile changed their
hull painting into grey, maintained
their traditional standards of safety
and service. With this overriding
principle in mind, crews would be
reduced wherever possible. Welltrained officers, engineers and ratings
could be found in many seafaring
nations. Not only did the crewing
department meticulously stick to
quality, a great deal of attention was
also devoted to training. Therefore,
Egon Oldendorff from 1985 onwards
actively supported metal-working
courses at the Travemünde school of
navigation, attended by some 100 EO
ratings and petty officers. The measure
had proved to be a full success with
students and owners benefiting from
improved proficiency levels.
When Travemünde discontinued the
courses after 1989 an alternative
was found at Bremen where the
local nautical college maintained
the training sailship DEUTSCHLAND
since 1952. From November 1992 EO
seafarers were put through special
courses laid on three times per annum
for Oldendorff staff. The company
absorbed travelling expenses, board
and lodging and paid basic wages for
the duration of the course. Subjects
taught in week one included metal
working techniques such as sawing,
filing, boring, turning and welding,
weeks two and three would be
devoted to boat and fire drills.
Certain ships were transferred to a
number of Monrovia-based companies,
as follows: HELGA OLDENDORFF,
REGINA OLDENDORFF and Singaporeflag single-deckers ERNA OLDENDORFF
as well as BIRTE OLDENDORFF went
to Holsatia Shipping Corporation.
Westfalia Shipping Corporation now
owned the CATHARINA OLDENDORFF.
BIRTE OLDENDORFF, KLAUS
OLDENDORFF, DIETRICH OLDENDORFF
and HANS OLDENDORFF (Singapore
flag) came under Rhenania Shipping
Corporation. Finally, Wursata Shipping
Corporation became owners of
the HINRICH OLDENDORFF, EIBE
OLDENDORFF, HENNING OLDENDORFF,
CHRISTOFFER OLDENDORFF and
CHRISTIANE OLDENDORFF (the
latter, like all other Nobiskrug-built
singledeckers, flying the Singapore
flag). The Lübeck company now acted
as agents for the above companies.
Egon Oldendorff responded to
international competition with
international flags, ordering ships
where prices looked attractive and
did not participate in the newbuilding
boom on German shipyards fanned
by government shipbuilding subsidies.
No longer did he use the National
Shipowners’ Association as a forum.
All EO newbuildings that followed
were delivered from foreign
shipyards and flew other flags than
that of Germany.
For an interim period, ships of the
Wursata and Holsatia fleets had
funnel marks of their own modelled
on those of the parent company.
262
CHRISTIANE
1962-1979
mv CHRISTIANE OLDENDORFF
in Savona, Italy in June 1978.
Having sold all four 4,400
tdw ships in 1979/80 Egon
Oldendorff withdrew from
shortsea shipping.
