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Tanker Gundene ashore Berry Hd Hoy
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Tanker Gundene ashore Berry Hd Hoy

Only thing I have been told about the Gundene, was that to get her off they pumped the oil over the side and the Brims fishermen had to sink ther lobster kists because ther was so much oil in the bay it would have killed the lobsters.
No polution control then!!.
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Picture added on 30 January 2008
Comments:
John, she apparently went aground in the early hours of 24th Aug 1947. Both Longhope and Stromness lifeboats attended. As you say they just pumped the oil out to lighten her, reports say both boats were in a terrible mess with the heavy black oil. She was apparently refloated at about 17.00 hrs the same day and escorted to Lyness. Built as the Cypress Hills Park, in Victoria BC 1944. Victory type tanker. Tonnage 7,130 gt. 1946 owner of Gundine was Jorgen P Jensen Hisoy. 1955, converted back to dry cargo. Scrapped at bombay in 1971. It would seem that Gundine had approx 4 different owners in her time.------allan
Added by Allan Besant on 31 January 2008
Buey Alan, thou are a fund o' noleege!!,
Added by John Budge on 01 February 2008
John - According to Jeff Morris's "History of Stromness Lifeboat" the crew pumped 2,000 tons of crude oil overboard, and when the Stromness Lifeboat returned to station the Fire Brigade had to use a high pressure pump to get the worst of the oil cleaned off. There's a photo in that book of the JJKSW (S/Ness L/Boat) standing-by the casualty. "Photo by Wm Hourston",
Added by Stewart Taylor on 03 February 2008
Yes Stewart, I mind Engineer Bob saying they had a job cleaning the boat after being at that Tanker.
Now SNH are worried about a rat getting ashore from a wreck on StKilda!!.
Anonymous comment added on 04 February 2008
I was 12 or 13 at the time. A crowd of us kids set off from Brims, girls and boys, to see the wreck. That was what excited us in those days.The ship could not be seen from the top of the cliff, unless you crawled to the edge, stretched out and looked over. As confidence grew, some of the boys sat with their legs over the edge and started to throw stones to see if they could hit the ship. Talk about vandals, but luckily she was too far out to reach with a stone. When Gordon Robertson arrived with the local LSA team, he went ballastic when he saw the dangerous antics we were getting up to. We had no fear of heights then and were always climbing around the Brid Geo etc.
It took a long time to clean the lifeboat shed, as the oil became ingrained in the wooden decking.
As for the birds, it had no lasting effect on them.
Added by Fred Johnston on 21 February 2008
Picture the scene, poor shipwrecked mariners cast upon this rocky island.

"O the people will help us. Look here are some of the chidren coming now."
"Oh Hell they are throwing stones at us!"
"Lets get out of here, pump out the oil before they wreck the ship."

Only joking Fred great story lets have more of the same. John Budge
Added by John Budge on 22 February 2008
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