Court Line - the company and its ships

Halcyon Breeze

 

Halcyon Breeze was managed by Court Line for 8 years of her working life whilst she was under charter to the UK Ministry of Defence.

 

Launched in 1964 she had a service life of 18 years during which she changed hands and name on three occasions before being broken up in 1982.

Basic Data

Type: Tanker

Registered owners, managers and operators:

Caribbean Tankers Ltd., Nassau, Bahamas

Managers Court Line Ltd.

Builders: Hitachi Shipbuilding & Engineering                  Co. Ltd.

Yard: Innoshima

Country:  Japan

Yard number: 4009

Registry: N/K

Official number: 305968

Signal letters: N/K

Call sign: N/K

Classification society: N/K

Gross tonnage: 42,343

Net tonnage: 28,288

Deadweight: N/K

Length: 761.46 ft

Breadth: 117.66 ft

Depth: 55.78 ft

Draught: N/K

Engines: 6 Cylinder 2-S.A. Oil engine

Engine builders: Hitachi Zosen

Works: Osa

Country: Japan

Power: N/K

Propulsion: Single  screw

Speed: 15.5 knots

Capacity: N/K

Crew: N/K

Service History

 

The Royal Fleet Auxiliary chartered three large modern tankers, built to varying designs in the mid-1960s, to support naval operations east of the Suez Canal, in the waters of the Indian Ocean and the Far East. They were given traditional RFA names but were not fitted with equipment to allow them to replenish ships at sea, and were classified instead as 'Mobile Reserve Tankers'. Derwentdale was one - the others were renamed Dewdale and Ennerdale.

 

As Derwentdale she was in service with the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) from 1967 until 1974. It is known that Captain C.E.C. Phipps RFA was appointed Master on 23 May 1967 and that Mr. I.M.McFarlane was appointed Chief Engineer on 21 July 1968.

 

A year after her return to Court Line in 1974 she was sold and renamed Alnadji.

Images

 

1. Image #1 by kind permission of Mr George Mortimer, Ex. Chief Officer RFA. See External Ref #35.

2. Images #2 to #4 by kind permission of the RFA Association (Plymouth and District Site).
See External Ref #36. Please note that the origin of this photos is lost in the mist of time.

 

Image 1 shows Halcyon Breeze after renaming Derwentdale. Taken at Capetown in 1973.

Image 1

Images 2 to 4 also  show Halcyon Breeze after renaming Derwentdale. Locations and dates are not known.

Image 2

Image 3

Image 4