FLK CONGO

1897 Built as cargo ship ORWELL by Charles Connell & Co., Glasgow, for Steamship Orwell Co., Ltd (Leech, Harrison & Forwood), Liverpool. Launched on 18/05-1897, delivered in July. Tonnage upon delivery: 3.789 grt, call sign: PTGC. 1905 Sold to Indian Steam Ship Co. Ltd., (Same manager) 1911 Purchased for NOK 578.000 by A/S Tønsbergs Hvalfangeri (O. Hytten, as manager), Tønsberg, and used as supply and transport vessel for the company’s Husvik Harbour shore-station, South Georgia for 10 years. 1920 Mr. Hans Borge took over the management of the A/S Tønsberg Hvalfangeri. 1922 Converted to whale processing vessel and sent to the Antarctic. Based at Bruce Harbour, Signy Island in the South Orkneys group. ORWELL left South-Georgia on 03/11 heading for South Orkney Islands and Signy Islands. On 07/11 she had reached the ice edge at 58o southern latitude. Continued along the ice edge as the ice was very massive. Commenced whaling along the ice edge and on 22/11 she reached the 60o7 'southern latitude and 44o44' western longitude. Searching along the ice edge to find an opening but the ice was still massive. On 28/11, the South Orkney Islands was in sight. 1923 It was not until 05/01 that they finally arrived at Signy Island but the ice quantity was great and it persisted. At 09/02, they were blocked so the catchers could not get out. This lasted until 24/02. ORWELL discharged her whale oil in Sandefjord and arrives at Tønsberg 27/06 after completed. The factory ship is undergoing extensive repair at Kaldnæs Mek. Verksted. Left Tønsberg with course for South Georgia with equipment and crews 21/09 before she continued to the South Orkney where a license for whaling with 3 catchers was achieved for the season 1923/24. The ice conditions around the South Orkney were this season to compare with the previous one 1924 In April it is stated from the company that one is thinking of sending the factory ship ORWELL to whaling in Davies Strait on the coast of Greenland in the summer months July to September, together with the three catchers RUGGEN, BUSEN and HUSVIK. The catchers departed South Georgia with a course for Tønsberg at the beginning of April. The company could post accounting catches, but the effort was not repeated later. 1925 Production for the 1924/25 season at the South Orkney Islands was 23,315 barrels with 3 whalers. Renamed WHALE by the owners as the company purchased a larger vessel that adopted the name ORWELL. After that, in service as transport vessel. 1926 Chartered by the company Cia. Ballenera del Equador Ltda. (Tønsbergs Whaling Group) from 01/04-1926 to 31/03-1927 for NOK 75.000. Operated off Galapagos this season with four whale catchers. The outcome was 19.500 barrels of whale oil. 1927 In the summer of 1927, production was 21,380 barrels of whale oil with 4 catchers. Chartered by the whaling company Bryde & Dahl A/S, Sandefjord for NOK 150.000 for use off South Georgia as help factory for this company’s Fl/F THOR I expedition 1927/28 1928 In August sold for NOK 480.000 to Anglo Norse Co. Ltd., (Same managers), Tønsberg. Name unchanged. 1929 Sold to A/S Congo (Søren L. Christensen og Johannes Dahl), Sandefjord and renamed Fl/F CONGO, registered in Sandefjord. Catching off Cap Lopez, French Congo, (now Gabon). The A/S Congo had a fleet of elderly catchers, BJØRN 1, JERV 1, MAAR 1, ULV 1, VARG 1, BAMSE 1 and SPLINT. 1931 The A/S Congo company went bankrupt and CONGO was laid up and never again to sail the Southern Ocean. 1932 The entire fleet, including factory and catchers is sold under forced sale to ship owner E. B. Aaby, who sold the old factory ship back to the A/S Tønsbergs Hvalfangeri, Tønsberg for NOK 122.000. 1934 In August sold for breaking to A/S Jarlsø Værft, Tønsberg. 1935 Broken up at Jarlsø, Tønsberg first quarter.