M/T Østhav
Updated Sept. 14-2010

To Østhav on the "Ships starting with Ø" page.


Received from Karl Henrik Henriksen, Norway, whose father was on board in 1946-47.
He thinks the picture was taken in Denmark in 1947.
(His grandfather was Vinni's captain, Karl Helmer Henriksen, see M/S Vinni's Story).
Another picture is available on this external page (click in it to enlarge).

Some Convoy Voyages:

For information on voyages made in between those mentioned here, please see the documents received from the National Archives of Norway and A. Hague's Voyage Record above. Follow the convoy links provided for further details; the Commodore's notes are also available for some of them and several Norwegian ships took part.

As will be seen when going to Page 1 of the archive documents, Østhav was on her way from Port Pirie to Fremantle when was broke out in Norway on Apr. 9-1940. The document also shows some of her 1941 voyages, while the rest are listed on Page 2, which also has her 1942 and a few 1943 voyages. It'll be noticed that she appears to have spent quite a long time in Sydney in 1942. She had arrived there from Melbourne on March 27 and departure is given as July 7, when she proceeded to Abadan. The reason for this long stay is not known. Unless some voyages are missing from the record, it also looks like she spent over 2 months at Diego Suarez, where she had arrived on Nov. 22-1942; departure is given as Jan. 30-1943.

Further 1943 voyages are shown on Page 2 and Page 3, convoy information for some of them can be found in the Voyage Record. Again, there's a long gap in her voyages. She had arrived New York on June 8-1943 (put back) and did not leave again until Oct. 24, when she started making some North Atlantic convoy voyages. According to Arnold Hague, she now joined Convoy HX 263*, which departed New York on Oct. 24 and arrived Liverpool Nov. 8 - Østhav (cargo of FFO, station 51) stopped at Loch Ewe the day before, continuing to Scapa Flow that same day. Herbrand, Norholm, Villanger, Washington Express and the Panamanian Norlys (Norwegian managers) are also listed. Together with Bañaderos (put back), Elisabeth Bakke (Commodore Vessel), Herbrand, Norholm, Trondheim and Vanja, she subsequently joined the westbound Convoy ON 211*, originating in Liverpool on Nov. 13, arriving New York on the 29th (Østhav joined from Loch Ewe).

From the U.S., she now headed to Gibraltar, having joined Convoy UGS 27, departing Hampton Roads on Dec. 15. Østhav arrived Gibraltar on Jan. 2-1944, then returned to the U.S. a few days later with Convoy GUS 26, which had originated in Port Said on Dec. 26, but Østhav started out from Gibraltar on Jan. 7 and arrived New York on the 24th - ref. external links provided within the table above for more on these convoys, which also included other Norwegian ships.

From New York, she made a voyage to Curacao and back in Febr./March-1944, and was scheduled for the New York-U.K. Convoy HX 282 on March 6, but instead joined the next convoy on March 13, HX 283, arriving Liverpool on March 29, continuing to her destination Stanlow that same day. She returned across the Atlantic the following month with Convoy ON 231*, along with 14 other Norwegian ships, namely Bernhard, Ferncourt, Haakon Hauan, Spinanger, Vav, Solstad, Idefjord, President de Vogue, Heranger, Kong Haakon VII, Thorsholm, Skaraas, Høyanger and Nordanger. This convoy departed Liverpool on Apr. 7 and arrived New York on the 24th. Having made another voyage to Curacao and back to New York, Østhav headed back to the U.K. on May 19 with Convoy HX 292. She was again bound for Stanlow and arrived there on June 4. About a week later we find her, together with Dageid, Fagerfjell, Heranger, Høyanger (Vice Commodore), Para, Petter, Strinda, Thorhild, Vanja and Villanger, in Convoy ON 240*, departing Liverpool June 10, arriving New York June 28.

Her subsequent voyages are listed on Page 3 and Page 4 (convoy information for some of them in Voyage Record).

Skipping now to Nov. 24-1944, when I have her in Convoy HX 322 from New York to Liverpool. According to Page 4 of the archive documents she put back to New York on the 25th, but it looks like she must have caught up with the convoy again later(?) because she arrived Liverpool on Dec. 9. The Advance Sailing Telegram for HX 322 also states she returned, then lists her again in the Halifax portion. Her destination is given as Dingle and Stanlow - she arrived Stanlow on Dec. 10.

It later looks like she spent quite a long time in Liverpool - she had arrived there from Eastham on Dec. 14-1944 and departure is given as Febr. 20-1945 (Page 4), but she returned the next day, subsequently joining the westbound North Atlantic Convoy ON 287*, which left Southend on Febr. 25 and arrived New York March 14. Østhav, however, was bound for Curacao, where she arrived on March 16, having been detached from the convoy on March 4, according to A. Hague. Buenos Aires, Norsktank, Roald Amundsen, Solfonn, Sophocles, Strix, Thorshov and Tiradentes are also named in ON 287. Østhav subsequently made some voyages between Curacao and Puerto la Cruz, then spent several weeks in Curacao, having arrived there on March 27 - departure is given as May 6, when she proceeded to New York (in other words, she was at sea on VE Day). A. Hague indicates she had been undergoing machinery repairs. He has now included her, together with Abraham Lincoln (Commodore vessel), Brimanger, Fagerfjell, Jotunfjell, Kaldfonn, Montevideo, Thorshavn and Tungsha (returned), in Convoy HX 357*, departing New York on May 19, arriving Liverpool June 3. See also Page 5.

As can be seen in the above Voyage Record, A. Hague says she was involved in a collision on arrival New York from Casablanca on Dec. 27-1945 - I have no further details on this, but judging from the information found on Page 5, she later spent quite a long time in Baltimore; perhaps repairs had been necessary?

* The ON convoys will be added to individual pages in my Convoys section in due course, along with further details on each. In the meantime, the ships sailing in them (and escorts) are named in the section listing ships in all ON convoys. Note also that the entire HX series will eventually be updated and completed, including the already existing convoys (some have already been updated); but for now, see ships in all HX convoys.

More info on the other Norwegian ships named on this page is available via the alphabet index below, or go to the Master Ship Index.

POST WAR:

Broke in two during a storm on Dec. 29-1951, 43 55N 04 28W (Bay of Biscay, near Santander). Both parts drifted ashore. (According to this external page, which gives a different position, she had a cargo of diesel oil; the after part was taken in tow by 3 fishing vessels, later sold to Spanish breakers. Foreship drifted ashore in the north of Spain).

Back to Østhav on the "Ships starting with Ø" page.

Other ships by this name: Another Østhav was delivered in Jan.-1960, managed by Per Lodding, Oslo, built in Bergen, 12 496 gt. Sold to Haugesund, Norway in 1968 and renamed Stolt Hawk. Sailed as Stolt Argobay from 1973 (owners in Monrovia), renamed Stolt Folia in 1978. Sold in 1980 and renamed Folia for new owners in Monrovia, renamed Stolt Folia again that same year. Sold to Italy in 1981, renamed Serenitas. New owners in Italy from 1983, renamed Indiano - broken up in 1984. The company's 3rd Østhav was delivered in Oct.-1971, built in Sweden, 114 698 gt. Managed by Leif Høegh & Co. A/S, Oslo from Jan.-1979 under the name Høegh Laurel (Per Lodding having been purchased by Leif Høegh & Co. that same month). Sold to Greece in 1982, renamed Nikos M. Condemned and broken up following an engine room fire on Jan. 19-1983.

The text on this page was compiled with the help of: "Nortraships flåte", J. R. Hegland, some info received from Roger W. Jordan, and misc. other.