Rose Shell

[Terrysummerson]

Picture showing the oil storage hulk Rose Shell built by Smiths Dock North Shields 1920

Extract from the Shipbuilder

The Oil Storage Hulk “ROSE SHELL”.
This novel craft has recently been completed by Smith’s Dock Co., Ltd., of North Shields, to the order of the Anglo-Saxon Petroleum Co., Ltd., to act as a floating oil-fuel supply station at Las Palmas, the circumstances at that port not permitting the erection of oil-fuel supply tanks on shore.
The leading particulars of the hulk are: Length B. P., 260 ft. 0 in.; Breadth moulded, 48 ft. 0 in.; Depth moulded, 26 ft. 0 in.; Draught, about, 24 ft. 0 in.; Deadweight, about, 6.000 tons.
A view of the completed vessel is given in Fig. 1, and a general arrangement plan in Fig. 2. From these illustrations it will be seen that the hulk is of box form, with pointed ends.
The most interesting feature of the construction is that the transverse and longitudinal bulkheads and the ship’s sides, except in way of the pointed ends, are formed by corrugated plating arranged on the Smith-Cameron system.
Through the adoption of this system, frames and stiffeners with their corresponding knees are dispensed with, thus resulting in a very considerable saving in the weight of steel required in comparison with the usual form of flat bulkhead or side. In the present instance the saving in weight of steel is stated to exceed 300 tons. The form of corrugation employed is shown by Fig. 3, which gives an elevation of a transverse bulkhead and a plan view showing the bulkhead and side corrugations in section. The corrugations have uniformly a radius of 2ft. l ½ in,, and lap together for 3 ½ in. beyond a semicircle, a steel strip 3 ½ in, wide being arranged between adjoining plates, as shown. The bottom and deck are flat, having respectively floors and beams placed transversely at 2ft. l ½ in. spacing.
The hulk has in all six transverse bulkheads and a central longitudinal bulkhead, which together form ten oil-fuel tanks, five on each side of the vessel. For supplying oil to ships there is provided aft a 12-in. by 12-in, by 14-in. steam-driven oil-fuel pump capable of delivering about 200 tons per hour. The pump is connected to a 10-in. main suction line having 7-in. branches to each tank, and also to a 10-in. sea suction. The pump discharge is connected to a 10-in. supply main on deck, having connection branches at intervals. The deck main also acts as a filling pipe, from which branches are led to each tank.
For supplying steam there is provided a single-ended cylindrical boiler 12ft. 4 ½ in. in diameter by 9 ft. 6 in. long, with a heating surface of 1,300 sq. ft., and arranged to burn either oil-fuel or coal, the oil-fuel burning installation being on Messrs. Smith’s patent system.
The hulk is provided with a rudder, and a hand-steering gear arranged in a wheelhouse on top of an after deckhouse. The latter is situated on the deck aft above the boiler and pump room, and is 31ft. long by 20 ft. wide.
Accommodation is provided in this house for the captain, engineer and nine crew. Two lifeboats are installed, one on each side of the vessel. Horizontal and vertical fenders are provided on the ship’s sides as shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

[Terrysummerson]

Drawings of Rose Shell

[Whickham]

Excellent Terry. Never heard of this one before. I hope you won't mind if I copy this to the Tyne Built Ships website.

[Terrysummerson]

its straight out of the Shipbuilder so help yourself.

[Whickham]

Thanks Terry. Anybody know what happened to her?

[magoonigal]

Interesting Bits.. One.

http://www.papershipwright.co.uk/rose-shell/

[teesships]

Obviously, quite a newsworthy vessel at the time!

See also: http://www.amazon.co.uk/INTERIOR-SYSTEM ... B005SOK832

Still need to find her fate!

Ron

[Terrysummerson]

web site of Vida Maritime shows full details of the vessel and also states that she is lying on the bottom of the port of Los Palmas

[Whickham]

Thank you Terry.

http://vidamaritima.com/2007/11/rose-shell/

I can't speak any Spanish so I have to rely on Google translate:

Only a few months has retained the ROSE SHELL Strambotism this record, which now lies at the bottom of the port of Las Palmas.
The vessel, which has no beams, frames and all kinds of reinforcements, is composed of five large tanks, independent of each other, separated by transverse bulkheads and a total capacity of 6,000 tons.
On July 9, on the occasion of having completely empty tanks fore and aft and filling of the three plants where it already had some 3,600 tonnes of oil being finished, suddenly it bulged cover by its center and port to starboard, rising fuel supplier that splitting the ship for its half, a minimum line resistance determined by two hatches for cleaning the center tank has a band and band.
Fortunately there were no personal misfortunes, but the 9,000 pounds sterling value of 400 tons of material saved by the late Mr. Cameron, with its original construction system, quite apart from the classic "ribbing", have now become a loss more than 30,000 pounds for the owners of the ROSE SHELL, whose coast was the port of Las Palmas for a few days, a veritable lake of oil.
By the same construction system, comprised of independent tanks, the vessel will be saved with ease, but we doubt that their owners entrusted to one ton of oil again before entering construction radical transformation whose necessity has become relief so as irrefutable "...

Which I think says that she was only there a few months before she split in two and sank.

[teesships]

Dave,

Yes, her short life seems to be confirmed by the preceeding two paragraphs (like you relying on Google translate):
As outlined below, mismanagement, evident in the form of vessel loading I caused your loss, thus creating the ecological problem.
In the General Review of Marina : September 1921, pp. 367 and 368, the lieutenant D. Emilio Suárez Fiol gives us light on the sad end of the barge-pontoon. Read: ... "The" ROSE SHELL "accordion sides vessel. -Under This same journal published title in the professional section notes, the number of September last year a brief overview of the features of this rare type of vessels saying it was surely the most bizarre I noticed in the seas.

Ron