Dutch navy coastal tug Zr. Ms. Linge (A874) 1986-2019 and Nigerian tug Buddha-2 2019-

As Linge (A874), IMO 8613205, MMSI 244981000 and call sign PAIU. Laid down by scheepswerf Bijlsma B.V. Wartena, Netherlands with yard number 812 on 12 June 1986, launched on 15 November 1986, casco completed by Delta Shipyard, Sliedrecht, Netherlands and commissioned on 20 February 1987. Of the Linge-class consisting of the Linge, Regge, Hunze, Rotte and Gouwe. In May 2019 Comores-flagged and renamed Buddha-2, same year in October Cameroon-flagged and since September 2020 Nigeria-flagged, MMSI 657202900 and call sign 5ONR. Owner/manager Deep Frontline Shippers Ltd., Lagos, Nigeria. 

Panamanian reefer (ex-Nedfreezer 1983-1992, Medemsand 1992-2009) Gabu Reefer 2009-

Puerto de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Islas Canarias, Spain 14 December 2023

Cameroon-flagged, IMO 8300949, MMSI 613590000 and call sign TJMC996. Cameroonian registered, but owned by a Panamanian shell company, established to hide a beneficial ownership, which is possibly Russian. It is specialised in the transport of frozen small pelagic fish, mainly transhipped from fishing vessels in Guinea-Bissau. As Nedfreezer Netherlands-flagged, owner Rederij m.s. “Nedfreezer”, as Medemsand Panama-flagged, owner International Legend Sa, since 2009 as Gabu Reefer owner Fishing&Cargo Services SA, 2009-2018 Comores-flagged, homeport Moroni, MMSI 616852000 and call sign D6FJ2since then Cameroon. Keel laid down on 10 February 1983, launched on 1 July 1983 and completed on 15 November 1983 by Jonker & Stans, Hendrik-Ido-Ambacht, Netherlands. The forepart was built by H.H.Bodewes, Millingen, Netherlands.

General cargo ship (ex-Leda 1988, Sea Douro 1988-1996, Karina G. 1996-1998) Gerhein G. 1998-2014 (Jobber 2014, Danube 43 2014-2017, STK-5 2017-2020, Svitoch 2020-)

Nieuwe Waterweg, Hoek van Holland, Netherlands 22 August 2009

Antigua&Barbuda-flagged, homeport St. John’s, IMO 8806084. Anno 2023 Comores-flagged, MMSI 620879000 and call sign D6A2888. Built by Diedrich Schiffswerft, Oldersum, Germany in 1988. Owner and manager Dunaybunker Plus, Odessa, Ukraine. 

Guinean refrigerated cargo carrier (ex-Klipper 1981-1989, Reefer Bay 1989-2001, Ice Bay 2001-2007, Cliff 2007-2008, Aquamarine II 2008-2013) Dubreka 2013-

Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, Spain under repair 2 December 2022

With out thanks to Rick Vince for allowing us to publish

Dominica-flagged, IMO 8028424, MMSI 325110000 and call sign J7AW4. Guinean owners/managers Sonit Peche, Conakry Guinea although probably Russian principals. Used as frozen fish carrier. As Klipper Netherlands-flagged, call sign PFKH, Aquamarine II Saint Kitts and Nevis-flagged, in 2018 Comores-flagged,call sign D6HQ9. and in 2019 Sierra Leone-flagged. Ex-Klipper renamed January 1989, Reefer Bay renamed November 2011, Ice Bay renamed 7 June 2007, Cliff renamed March 2008 and Aquamarine II renamed December 2013. Laid down by the Ysselwerf, Capelle aan den IJssel, Netherlands on 3 June 1981, launched on 27 November 1981, completed on 8 January 1982 for account of Jaczon Diepvriestransporten/Jaczon Rederij en Haringhandel B.V., Scheveningen, Netherlands.

Gross tonnage 1,541 tons, net tonnage 999 tons, deadweight 3346 tons and as dimensions 74.96 (between perpendiculars)-80.74 (over all) x 15.02 (moulded)-15.09 (over all) x 7.80 (moulded depth) x 5.950 (extreme draught) metres.

Australian training ship (ex-Australian Trader 1969-1977) HMAS Jervis Bay (GT 203) 1977-1995 (Agios Andreas 1995-2003, Ajman Leader 2003-2004, Ajman City 2004)

Sutherland Dock, Cockatoo Island Dockyard, Australia 9 August 1980

Photographer Rob Rouse with our thanks for allowing us to publish

Laid down by State Dockyard, Newcastle, Australia on 18 August 1967, launched on 17 February 1969, acquired by the Royal Australian Navy on 28 January 1977, commissioned on 25 August, decommissioned on 18 April 1994, sold tot he Liberian company Voyager Marine, homeport Kingstown, Saint Vincent on 23 December 1984 and became a ferry between Greece and Turkey, sold to Marwan Shipping and Trading of Comoros in November 2003, since February 2004 of Marwan Shipping and Trading, Sjarjah, United Arab States, Jordan-flagged and finally sold to be broken up at Alang India in September 2004. IMO 6910427.  Gross tonnage 7,005-11,109 (after 1995) tons, deadweight3,250 tons, displacement 8,915 tons and as dimensions 135,6 x 21,5 x 6,09 metres or 445 x 71 x 20.0 feet, Speed 19,5 knots. In naval service numbered her crew 14 officers, 163 sailors and maximum 76 trainers. Armament consisted of just small arms and she had a strengthened flight deck for a Westland Sea King helicopter. Roll-on/roll off carrier

The navy of the sultan of Muscat Oman in October 1833

I found an interesting article in the American Magazine of useful and entertaining knowledge, vol. 3, no. 8, p. 327 of May 1837 an article dealing with the navy of Muscat Oman, written by a certain S. Probably this was William Sullivan. The list he gave is undated. The same article was earlier published by Edmund Roberts in his Embassy to the eastern courts of Cochin-China, Siam and Muscat in the U.S. sloop-of-war Peacock during the years 1832-1834. New York, 1837, p, 363. See also the notes on this weblog.(1) Here the list was dated October 1833. Both books are digitized by Google.

“Liverpool, 74 guns, built at Bombay, stationed at Zanzibar (2)

Shah Alum, 56 guns, built at Bombay, stationed at Zanzibar (3)

Caroline, 40 guns, built at Rangoon, stationed at Muscat (1)

Prince of Wales, 36 guns, built at Demaun, stationed at Muscat

Henningshaw, 36 guns, built at Cochin, at Calcutta

Piedmontese, 32 guns, built at Muscat, stationed at Muscat

Mossapa, 24 guns, built at Cochin, stationed at Muscat

Rahmani, 22 guns, built at Bombay, stationed at Muscat

Falke, 18 guns, Demaun, stationed at Bombay

Soliman Shah, 18 guns, built at Muscat, stationed at Muscat,

Curlew, brig, 12 guns, built at Bombay, stationed at Muscat

Psyche, brig, built at Cochin, stationed at Muscat

Sage, yacht, 6 guns, built at the Malabar Coast, stationed at Zanzibar

Vestal, 6 guns, built at Muscat, stationed at Muscat

Elphinstone, 6 guns, built at Bombay, stationed at Bombay

Also 50 baghelas, carrying from 8 to 18 guns; and 10 balits, carrying from 4 to 6 guns. The baghela is a one masted vessel, of from 200 to 300 tons. The balit is also a one masted vessel, from 100 to 200 tons. Part of these vessels are used to convoy vessels to the Persian Gulf, and some are in Africa, &c. Thus it is seen that the sultan of Muscat is a powerful prince. He possesses a more efficient naval force than all the native princes combined, from the Cape of Good Hope to Japan. His possessions, in Africa, stretch from Cape Delagado to Cape Guardafur ; and from Cape Adra, in Arabia, to Ras el Haud ; and, from Ras el Haud, they extend along the northern coast of Arabia, or the coast of Aman, to the entrance to the Persian Gulf, and he claims, also, the sea coast and islands within the Persian Gulf, including the Barhein islands, and the Pearl Fishery, contiguous to them, with the northern coast of the Gulf, as low down as Scindy. The vessels of the sultan trade not only with his own ports in Africa, and the valuable islands of Monpoea, Zanzibar, Pemba, and Socotra, but also to Guzzerat, Surat, Demaun, Bombay, Bay of Bengal, Ceylon, Sumatra, Java, the Mauritis, the Comora islands, Madagascar, and the Portuguese possessions, bringing Indian, African, and European articles. About two thousand vessels are thus engaged in this trade, of which a very large proportion are small craft, to be sure. The naval force of the sultan gives him entire control over all the ports in East Africa, the Red Sea, the coast of Abyssinia, and the Persian Gulf. This force consists, it seems, of between seventy and eighty sail of vessels, carrying from seventy-four guns to four. The officers of this force practise lunar observations, and have excellent chronometers. Since our treaty with the sultan, in 1835, our vessels are beginning to push an advantageous trade there, though they encounter formidable competitors in the British, who enjoy great advantage from their Indian possessions. The exports are gum copal, aloes, gum arabic, ivory, tortoise shell, hides, beeswax, cocoa, rice, ghee, dates, raisins, and a great variety of drugs. These statements are corroborated by information which we have received from a gentleman who has seen the Liverpool and Shah Allum, and two or three sloops and brigs of war, at Zanzibar, a place which he has repeatedly visited. Zanzibar is an important port in the sultan of Muscat's dominions, and probably the town contains ten or twelve thousand inhabitants. The people are of course chiefly Arabs; but they have a great number of slaves, brought from Africa. The merchants who speak English very well, are the Banyans, a sect from Hindostan. The island itself is fertile and pleasant, and a considerable trade is carried on there by the Americans, in gum copal, ivory, &c. which are brought -from Africa. The sultan has a palace of stone, built at Zanzibar within three or four years, and quite handsome. He is a fine looking and pleasant man, and very generous and hospitable to the Americans. When our informant was lying there at anchor, a person who had been staying on board was obliged to go on shore to wait for his vessel. The sultan ordered him to be provided with a house and every thing needful.”“If any of our readers were told that the sultan of Muscat had a navy about as large as ours, they might be very incredulous, till they looked at facts. But, nevertheless, the sultan has a powerful navy. We gather, from ‘a Digest of existing Regulations for foreign countries, with which the United States have intercourse,’- a most valuable work, by the way, printed by order of Congress-the following statement of the naval force of the sultan of Muscat.

Sources

Edmund Roberts. His Embassy to the eastern courts of Cochin-China, Siam and Muscat in the U.S. sloop-of-war Peacock during the years 1832-1834. New York, 1837

Ruttonjee Ardeshir Wadia. The Bombay dockyard and the Wadia master builders. 2004.

American Magazine of useful and entertaining knowledge, vol. 3, no. 8, p. 327 of May 1837.

Notes

1. “James Edward Alexander’s notes dealing with the navy of the Imaum of Muscat in 1825-1826”, “Skinners’ description of the navy of Muscat in 1833”, “The frigate built in Burma for the Imaum of Muscat in 1825-1826”,and “The Liverpool of the Imaum of Muscat broken up in 1825?”

2. Wadia: 74-guns ship of the line, built 1826, measured 1715 tons, presented to the British king.

3. Wadia: 56-guns frigate, built 1819, dimensions 181’3” x 41’5”, measured 1111 tons.

4. Wadia: 36-guns frigate built 1814, costs Rs. 125 or £ 21:3:9 per ton, measured 575 24/95 tons.