Evening Gazette cutting of the first arrival of the Liberian RUHR ORE from Puerto Ordaz on February 7th 1961. She was one of 8 (not 7) sisters for Ore Carriers of Liberia Inc. (Transatlantic Bulk Carriers Inc.) built by Schlieker Werft, Hamburg, the others being EMS, WESER, RHINE, TEES, TYNE, CLYDE & MERSEY OREs.

The photo shows her passing through Birkenhead Docks en route to unload at Bidston Dock (photographer unknown).
RUHR ORE was completed in June 1960 and was originally measured at 8200 grt, 4663 nrt. I always thought that the tonnages of these vessels were an anomaly considering the dimensions and deadweight - no doubt some fiddle to bring down charges based on grt/nrt that was possible under the Liberian flag. She was later re-measured at 9156 grt, but that still doesn’t seem enough.

In 1976 she was sold to the Hall Corp. of Canada as CARTIERCLIFFE HALL, and in 1977 converted to a Great Lakes bulker by lengthening to 715 feet, 18531 grt, 29050 dwt. (EMS ORE & RHINE ORE similarly modified.)
1988 sold & renamed WINNIPEG, 1994 sold & renamed ALGONTARIO
5/8/2011 Arrived Aliaga for demolition.

http://www.shipspotting.com/gallery/pho ... id=1359890
shows her as ALGONTARIO being towed away for scrap.

See sister TEES ORE on
viewtopic.php?f=11&t=10612

Her operators were the Navios Corporation on behalf of United States Steel International, they also had the Cerro class plus the Rio Class of vessels. These were allocated by BSC Shipping Dept....via their Ship Scheduling Controller, i.e. me.....from about 1966 to 1976 when I moved to Humberside. The USSI London co-ordination was done by Ken Moore who used to work at Waltons in Middlesbrough until about 1961 (?)............

geoff

I remember CERRO BOLIVAR, RIO BARIMA and RIO MACAREO, although I think the RIOs were probably too large for the Tees, so I may have seen them on the Tyne. Liberian flagged RIO MACAREO, although 12839 grt was 35614 tons dwt, and 657' x 87' - a bit of a squeeze on the Tees in the early 1960s.

Geoff will no doubt confirm but I think the largest for Eston Jetties were the GOTHLAND and sisters built in early 60's at around 24-25000dwt.
For bigger ore boats we had indeed to go up to the Tyne where the 'ORE' class .... REGENT, PRINCE, VENUS, PRINCE etc could access the bulk quay at a massive 45000dwt!

Yes Rio Class were too large for Eston Jetty.....Think Welsh Herald at about 27000 held record in my day.
Usually Rio class went to Glasgow & Newport.............Cerro Bolivar & Cerro Altimira went anywhere but we didnt see much of them once the River class ships were allocated.

geoff