Car Express IMO No. 6600852

[URBIEHOME]

My very first ship was the Dutch CAR EXPRESS owned by Vroon. I was 17 and started as a mate's apprentice on her. I liked it so much there my dad had to fetch me to continue and finish navigation school first....
She was built in 1966 as RIJNSTROOM for Hollandse Stoomboot Maatschappij. In 1977 she was converted to RoRo/Livestock. I sailed on her when in RoRo modus, but the smell of cattle never left her. We were in charter of Ford and called at Cork, Liverpool, Barry, Dagenham, Flushing.... Although I went to the Belgian maritime academy, there was so little work on Belgian ships (deep sea) that I tried with Vroon for a summer's job and could sign on the very next day!
Happy months it were.

[Dierk Bauer]

Hi Urbiehome, thank you very much for sharing

Her details and history according to MiramarShipIndex :

IMO: 6600852
Year: 1966
Name: RIJNSTROOM
Type: Cargo ship
Flag: NLD
Launch Date: 30.10.65
Date of completion: 1.66
Tons: 500
DWT: 804
Length overall: 74.5
Beam: 10.9
Country of build: NLD
Builder: Arnhemsche
Location of yard: Arnhem
Yard No: 438
Number of
screws/Mchy/ 1/D
Speed(kn): 14

Subsequent History:
[name listed by LR as RIJNSTROOM, but painted up as RYNSTROOM] - [1977 Lg 80.8m, cv to RoRo livestock carrier, 552gt/931dw - later 1512gt] - 76 CAR EXPRESS - 81 BRAHMAN EXPRESS - 96 EAGA RAPID TRADER 1

List of reg. owners, flags and homeports as per attachment

Further information and photos can be found on this brilliant site : https://www.marhisdata.nl/schip&id=5641

She can be viewed here as RYNSTROOM : https://www.coasters-remembered.com/...om-imo-6600852