The Palm Line was a UK-owned shipping line that was engaged in the West African trade from 1949, primarily servicing the ports along 5,000 miles of coastline from Morocco in the north to Angola in the far south. It ceased trading in 1986.
Palm Line was a member of both UK/West Africa Lines Joint Service (UKWAL) and Continent/West Africa Conference (COWAC) together with Elder Dempster, Black Star Line, Nigerian National Shipping Line, Guinea Gulf Line and Norwegian Hoegh Line.
Background
In the post-war period of the late 1940s, UAC decided to divest its shipping fleet to become an independent company in its own right. On 16 February 1949, an extraordinary general meeting of shareholders was held to set up the new company. This was done by reviving the dormant articles of association of the old Southern Whaling and Sealing Company, which Lever Bros. had bought in 1919 then sold to Christian Salvesen Ltd in 1941, and changing the name to Palm Line.
The name of the new company had not been decided upon without considerable discussion. At one stage the name Sun Line had been put forward. It was Mr Frank Samuel, later to become the new company's first chairman who thought of the name 'Palm'.
The Creeks It is notable that all Palm Line ships, with the exception of Kano Palm and Katsina Palm, built before 1970 had to be less than long in order to navigate the creeks of Nigeria. Draught is another important feature. The coast of West Africa is extremely flat, and the slow-moving rivers and tidal currents have combined to build up long sand bars a mile or two off the coast. To enter most of the rivers, ships must pass over these bars; being the maximum draught to serve all ports. Even so, to enter many rivers, - for example the Escravos River which leads to Sapele - ships cannot carry more than 4,000 tons since the maximum draught to successfully make it over the Escravos Bar is limited to , so vessels would often cross over the bar at the entrance to the adjacent Forcados River, then take the connecting creek to the Escravos River.
Krooboys It was common practice for all vessels to call in at Freetown both south- and northbound to take on both fuel bunkers and 'Krooboys' - additional local West African crew members; their duties being mainly chipping, painting and hold cleaning. They had their own separate accommodation on deck between hatches 1 & 2, with the headman having his own cabin in the fo'c'sle.
The End The early 1980s spelled the beginning of the end for Palm Line. From 1982 until 1986 the dramatic drop in Europe / West Africa trade meant the increasing need to charter the vessels out to third parties. Palm Line was sold to Ocean Fleets in 1986. The last Chairman of Palm Lines was Gordon Williams of Pontypool.
Emblem The palm tree emblem had already been used on a Unilever Ltd house flag designed in 1939.
Merseyside Maritime Museum From Jun-Dec 2018 the museum had a temporary exhibition entitled 'Palm Line - A new company for a new era', with a scale-model of MV Matadi Palm (1970) as its centrepiece.
The Fleet ShipBuiltShipyard & Ship NumberIMO NumberSpeed (knots)TypeGRTNotesMV Africa Palm1953Short Brothers, Pallion - 512500407511General Cargo5,415Sister ship to MV Burutu Palm (1953) Sold in 1972 to Panama and renamed Savoydean She suffered a fire on 24 July 1975 in Calcutta, and was eventually scrapped in April 1976 at Bombay.1971Warnowwerft, Warnemünde - 376712532814General Cargo10,008ex-Joruna; purchased from Johansen & Knutsen, Oslo in 1974 In 1983 chartered and renamed Santa Barbara Pacific, then reverted to Africa Palm later in 1983 Sold in 1984 to Cyprus and renamed MessariaMV Akassa Palm1958Bremer Vulkan, Vegesack - 870500671214General Cargo9,000Sold in 1972 and renamed Elenma Sold in 1977 and renamed Ionian Sky Sold in 1981 and renamed Magdalini K Scrapped in Nov 1984MV Andoni Palm1958Bremer Vulkan, Vegesack - 869501639114General Cargo9,000Sold in 1976 to Panama and renamed Mastro Manolis Scrapped in Nov 1982MV Apapa Palm1973Stocznia Szczecińska, Gdańsk, Poland - 242730580116General Cargo9,417ex-MV Schauenburg.
Bought by Palm Line in 1977 from H. Schuldt (Hamburg) and renamed Apapa Palm.
She was fitted with a Sulzer two-stroke diesel engine.
She was one of a batch of six sister ships, two of which were the Shonga and Sherbro belonging to Elder Dempster Lines, part of Blue Funnel Line. The Ministry of Defence requisitioned both Shonga & Sherbro for duty in the Falklands War. At the time Apapa Palm was laid up in Antwerp.
In 1985 sold to Venezuelan owners and renamed General SalomMV Ashanti Palm1947Shipbuilders Corporation, Newcastle upon Tynen/a10½General Cargo5,123ex-Ashantian Powered by a 3-cyl engine from North-Eastern Marine Engineering Co (1938) Ltd (Wallsend).18 Nov 1962 sank in Naples harbour where she had arrived from Leghorn to load 400 tons of general cargo. She dragged her anchor in a fierce gale and drifted onto rocks surrounding the breakwater. There were no casualties.MV Badagry Palm1956Swan, Hunter & Wigham Richardson, Neptune Yard, Low Walker - 1928503352114General Cargo5,042Carried Dr. Kwame Nkrumah to London for the Commonwealth Prime Minister's Conference. Powered by a 4500bhp 4-cyl 2-stroke Doxford marine diesel Sold in 1972 to Barada Shipping & Trading Co, Famagusta; renamed Irene's Grace Resold in 1977 to Palineon Shipping Co, Piraeus Broken up in Jun 1981 in BombayMV Badagry Palm1979Sunderland Shipbuilders, North Sands - 741772687316General Cargo12,279She carried the very last Doxford ship engine ever built; the J-type. In 1985 she was taken over by UAC, who renamed her Badagry. In 1986 she was sold to new owners who registered her in Panama renaming her Cordigliera. Tragically the Cordigliera sank with all (23) hands in very rough weather off Port St Johns, South Africa on 14 Nov 1996, after issuing out a distress to Durban radio at 10:30pm .1956Swan, Hunter & Wigham Richardson, Neptune Yard, Low Walker - 1926503544014General Cargo5,154Sold in 1972 to Spetsai Shipping Co Ltd, Famagusta; renamed Lenio. Resold in 1977 to Marlinea Armadora SA, Piraeus, and then again in 1978 to Moineau Cia Naviera SA, Piraeus; renamed ELSA SK. In 1981 renamed Eternal Sea, before being finally scrapped in May 1983.MV Bamenda Palm1979Hyundai Heavy Industries, Ulsan - 1294772584316General Cargo11,223Built by Hyundai of South Korea in 1979. On 18 December 1980 she appeared in a front-page article of the UK Sunday Express newspaper under the headline 'Drama At Sea As Gales Sweep Coast'. Bamenda Palm had accidentally rammed a Romanian fish factory ship whilst entering Carrick Roads, Falmouth harbour during the early hours in a southerly force 9 gale. The fish-factory ship was holed just below the water-line midships on the port side by the bulbous bow of the Bamenda Palm. Her Master was George Holeyman. There were no casualties.
In May 1984 she was chartered to Lloyd Brasileiro, Rio de Janeiro and renamed Lloyd Texas, whilst in Middle Docks dry dock, South Shields. As Lloyd Texas she sailed from South Shields to Teesport, Middlesbrough to load cement for the new RAF runway in Ascension Island.
In 1985 she reverted to Bamenda Palm - from Lloyd Texas - and taken over by UAC. In 1986 she was sold to Cyprus & renamed Arko Glory. She has had several name changes since then, namely,MC Ruby (Jun 1989),Medipas Tide (Jul 1989),MC Ruby (1990),Ville de Damas (Nov 1993),MC Ruby (May 1994),Runner (Sep 1994),CMBT Eagle (Oct 1994),Runner (Jan 1999),Renata (Jun 2000) and finallyAfrican Star (Apr-Dec 2005) under the Bahamian flag ().She was scrapped at Alang in 2009.
The 1996 TV film Deadly Voyage was set on board MC RubySS Benin Palm1936Deschimag Seebeck, Bremerhaven - 896n/aGeneral Cargo5,424ex-Ethiopian Sold in 1959 to Panama () and renamed Faneromeni, but registered in LebanonSS Burutu Palm1936General Cargo5,424MV Burutu Palm1953Short Brothers, Pallion12General Cargo5,410Sister ship to MV Africa Palm (1953) Sold in 1967 to Astrocid Naviera of Piraeus and renamed Tyhi In 1973 she was re-sold to Globe Navigation of Singapore and renamed MV Globe Star. Later that year, 27 Apr 1973, she struck Leven Reef sank off Mombasa and sank. She had been en route from Iskenderun to Karachi.SS Dahomey Palm1937Furness Shipbuilding Company, Haverton Hilln/aGeneral Cargo4,876ex-Conakrian Sold in 1959 to Wallem & Co., Hong Kong and renamed Southern Mariner. She was finally broken up in 1968.MV Elmina Palm1957Swan, Hunter & Wigham Richardson, Neptune Yard, Low Walker - 1932510237214General Cargo5,356Powered by a 4500bhp 4-cyl Doxford 2-stroke marine diesel. The first British cargo ship to make extensive use of aluminium in her superstructure - which made an extra 55 tons available for cargo deadweight - and later Palm Line ships followed this design.
Unlike the other ships built during this period, she was not fitted with 'deep tanks' for the carriage of vegetable oil. Sold in 1977 to Panama and renamed Cyprus SkyMV Enugu Palm1958Swan, Hunter & Wigham Richardson, Neptune Yard, Low Walker - 1948510472214General Cargo7,963Sold in 1978 to Kuwait and renamed AthariMV Gambia Palm1937Deutsche Schiff- und Maschinenbau AG, Wesermünde - 571n/aGeneral Cargo5,452Laid down originally as MV Empire Tweed but completed as MV Gambian. Seized in 1941 by Vichy French forces at Dakar, Senegal. Renamed St Gabriel under the Vichy flag. Returned to Britain in 1943, and name returned to MV Gambian, then to MoWT and renamed Empire Tweed. Returned to United Africa Company Ltd in 1946 and again renamed Gambian. Sold in 1949 to Palm Line Ltd and renamed Gambian Palm. Sold in 1959 to E N Vernicos Shipping Co, Greece and renamed Irini’s Blessing, under the flag of Lebanon. Scrapped in July 1963 in Hong Kong.MV Ibadan Palm1959Swan, Hunter & Wigham Richardson, Neptune Yard, Low Walker - 1970515776714General Cargo5,658Sister ship of the Ilorin Palm. She had a 4500bhp 4-cylinder 2-stroke Doxford engine. In 1978 she was sold to Ali Khalifa Mirchandani Shipping Co, Kuwait; renamed Hind In 1979 she was resold to Al Navigation Ltd, Hong Kong; renamed Arunkamal In 1980 she was resold to Hind Shipping Co Ltd, Hong Kong Broken up in 1983MV Ikeja Palm1961Swan, Hunter & Wigham Richardson, Neptune Yard, Low Walker - 1982515855314General Cargo5,816Sister ship of Ilesha Palm. She had a 4-cylinder 2-stroke Doxford engine generating 4500bhp. In 1981 she was sold to Cia Naviera Pancarib SA, Piraeus; renamed GME Palma (registered her in Panama) In 1982 she was resold to Daniko Maritime Co SA, Piraeus; renamed PalmaMV Ilesha Palm1961Swan, Hunter & Wigham Richardson, Neptune Yard, Low Walker - 1984515878514General Cargo5,816Sister ship of the Ikeja Palm. She had a 4-cylinder 2-stroke Doxford engine generating 4500bhp.
In 1979 she was handed over in Bombay & sold to Chaldeos Freighters Ltd of Greece. The new owners registered her in Liberia and renamed her Daphnemar. Laid up at Mini Saqr in February 1982 and sold again to Barnwood Shipping Corp. of Panama., just over two years later she was towed to Karachi for breaking by Abbasi Shipping, arriving in the March 1984.MV Ilorin Palm1960Swan, Hunter & Wigham Richardson, Neptune Yard, Low Walker - 1972515910514General Cargo5,658Sister ship of the Ibadan Palm. She had a 4-cylinder 2-stroke Doxford engine.
In 1979 she was sold to new owners who registered her in Liberia and renamed her Diamant Captain. Sold in 1982 and renamed twice; first Cape Blanco then Sea Venturer Scrapped in Dec 1982 in ChittagongSS Kano Palm1936Howaldtswerke, Hamburgn/aGeneral Cargo5,129ex-Guinean Sold in 1954 to Panama and renamed St.George, but registered in GreeceMV Kano Palm1958Swan, Hunter & Wigham Richardson, Neptune Yard, Low Walker - 1946518134214¼General Cargo8,734Sister ship of the Katsina Palm (1957). Powered by a 5600bhp Doxford 5cyl 2-stroke marine diesel Sold in 1979 to Shanti Shipping (Singapore) Pte Ltd; renamed Purna Shanti