From the Book Sailing ship to Supertanker. This class of handy-sized tankers came out in the early 1950s. They were constructed to a specially adapted American design, all-welded and fitted with thirty cargo tanks. The crude oil carrying capacity was 26,700 tons. A feature at that time was the unusually high rate of discharge, about 3,000 tons per hour. The overall length was 630 feet, breadth was 83 feet and the gross tonnage around 17,500. Two steam turbines geared to a single shaft gave 17 knots. Built by Cammell Laird and Company Ltd., Birkenhead Esso Oxford Completed 12.1953 17,539 GRT 1972: Golden Robin (Warwick Shipping Ltd., Bermuda). 30.9.1974: Aground, Douglas Island, off Dalhousie, New Brunswick. Three portside tanks were ruptured and about 100,000 gallons were spilled. Refloated. 25.11.1974: Arrived Castellon for breaking up. Esso Cambridge Completed  9.1954 17,551 GRT 1968: Stephanie Conway (Cosmopolitan Shipping Co. S.A.,(Liberian)). 1971: Tripoli (Mainland Shipping Co. (Liberian)). 1974: Renamed Destiny. 6.3.1975: Laid up at Piraeus. 10.1976: Scrapped Piraeus. Built by Vickers-Armstrongs Ltd., Barrow Esso Westminster Completed  2.1954 17,554 GRT 1972: Kikis (Laomedon Shipping Co. Ltd., Cyprus). 1973: Renamed Windjammer. 1973: Windtides (Coscol Tankers Inc., Liberia). 13.11.1975: Arrived Santander for breaking up. Esso Canterbury Completed  7.1954 17,543 GRT Oil was discovered by an Esso affiliated company at Zeiten, Libya, in 1959 and on 6th August, 1961, an oil pipeline was completed and tested, from Zeiten northwards some 120 miles to Marsa el Brega in the Gulf of Sine. Two days later oil began flowing, reaching Marsa el Brega on the morning of 17th August where a temporary pipeline led to the Esso Canterbury, lying offshore at temporary moorings. She sailed with the first cargo of Libyan oil on 12th September and arrived at Fawley eight days later. King Idris officially opened the pipeline on 25th October, 1961. In 1968 Esso Canterbury was sold to Camelot Shipping Ltd. and was renamed Golden Jay. On 14th May, 1972, on a voyage from Los Angeles to Venezuela in ballast there was an explosion and she sank 200 miles south of Mazatlan, position 20.ION 106.34W. Built by Vickers-Armstrongs Ltd., Newcastle Esso York Completed  4.1955 17,570 GRT Became a lightening ship, modified on the Tyne in January, 1969. 11.7.1981: Arrived Bombay for breaking up. Esso Exeter Completed  7.1955 17,554 GRT The Esso Exeter started her career with a flourish, for when launched on 5th January, 1955, she moved stern-first across the river instead of turning and hit the premises of British Paints at Bill Quay, causing some damage to their boiler house. All went well for a decade until llth January, 1965, when on leaving Purfleet, in ballast, for Milford Haven, she collided with the Norwegian motor ship Medicine Hat, 4,259 gt/1960, on charter to Canadian Pacific. The Medicine Hat came off worse, being beached, and then two days later suffering a fire in a hold. This was extinguished and the ship refloated. Only bow damage was suffered by the Esso Exeter. Larly in 1968 the tanker was sold to Atlantic Agency Corp., Woodbridge, New Jersey, and placed under the Western Oil Transport Inc., Monrovia, as Good Hope. She was sold again in 1972 to Amerada Hess Shipping Corp., Monrovia, and worked around the U.S. Gulf ports until she arrived at Kaohsiung in July, 1982, for breaking up.