The Loss of the Slemmestad

The name of this Norwegian ship, the Slemmestad, is buried in my memories. I simply knew that, while I was still very young, she caused my father great unhappiness. Only now, with the wonders of the internet, have I discovered why, though there are still some mysteries.

The Slemmestad caught fire on 27th March 1951 shortly after leaving Dar-es-Salaam, Tanganyika, whilst on a voyage from Göteborg, Sweden, to Majunga in Madagascar. The cause of the fire was a fractured fuel pipe which sprayed burning oil around the engine room. This had to be evacuated quickly, so it was not possible to start the pumps for the fire hoses. The fire spread rapidly and unchecked into the adjoining cargo compartment. Fortunately, the Dar pilot boat was able to give almost immediate assistance so all the crew were safely evacuated - or so it was thought, until a count showed that six were missing. They had escaped on a life raft and were later picked up by a dhow.

The ship might have been saved but she was carrying a general cargo which included kerosene, asphalt and safety matches. She burnt fiercely but a tug managed to ground her on the Daphne Reef off Dar-es-Salaam where she continued to burn until 7th April. At night the fire could be seen from miles away. The wreck was later towed out into deep water and sunk.

I can only assume that my father's distress was caused by her being one of 'his' ships. Certainly, the Scandinavian East Africa Line came in to his agency but I can find no evidence that the Slemmestad belonged to that line. Had she done so, then my father would have known the captain either when the ship called at Mombasa or from when he was in Dar-es-Salaam before we moved to Mombasa in 1950.

These dim memories of mine therefore date back to when I was six.