Surviving Liverpool Shipping Lines

[Waterways]

Does anyone know:

1. How many shipping lines are still registered in Liverpool?

2. How many shipping lines that may still be trading under their original names, but have moved city? Cunard is an example.

[captain kong]

I cant find any Liverpool registered shipowners, I have tried on Google, A lot of them disapeared into other companies. Such as the Atlantic Container Lines, a mix of Cunard, Swedish and others , and so on . Very difficult today.
I could name many Companies from the fifties tho.`

[irishseashipping.com]

Bibby Line still registered and based here.

Still family owned.

Bibby Sapphire is currently refitting over in Cammell Laird.

John

[Waterways]

Bibby Line still registered and based here.

Still family owned.

Bibby Sapphire is currently refitting over in Cammell Laird.

John

So only one, the ferries, and the tugs. Wow!

[Norm NZ]

"Sad is'nt it!" Way back in the late 50's, as a taxi driver, I did a lot of work for the Shipping Federation Office's then situated near the Pier Head, I guess this organisation has 'gone' too!!! They would have been the ones to answer the question regarding surviving companies. Bye the way! does anyone remember the seamans strike in the late 50's? I'd love to hear comments from those involved! Cheers All

[Waterways]

Bibby Sapphire is registered in Panama.

[captain kong]

Hi Norm,the Shipping Federation Building has been demolished and last time I saw it last year they were excavating the new foundations for another building.
I was in the 1955, and 1960 Seamens Strikes. I missed the 1966 one as I had just got married and did a spell ashore. My brother was in the 1947 Seamens Strike. led by Billy Hart.

The Liverpool Registered Companies in those good old days of the fifties and sixties, were, from what I can remember,

Cunard, Canadian Pacific, Ellerman City Line, Ellerman Bucknall Line. Ellerman Papayanni Line, PSNC, Lamport and Holts. Alfred Holts, Blue Funnel, China Mutual , Glen Line. Maggie Booths, Elder Dempsters, Palm Line. Bibby Line. Moss Hutchinson. Line, Moss`s Tankers, Zillah Steam ship Co. W. Savages, J. Monks,
B & I, Liverpool and North Wales Steamship Co. [ St Tudno and St Seriol,] maybe more. Others with regular ships in Liverpool , eg Blue Star were registered in London or Glasgow.etc.

[Waterways]

Cunard, Canadian Pacific, Ellerman City Line, Ellerman Bucknall Line. Ellerman Papayanni Line, PSNC, Lamport and Holts. Alfred Holts, Blue Funnel, China Mutual , Glen Line. Maggie Booths, Elder Dempsters, Palm Line. Bibby Line. Moss Hutchinson. Line, Moss`s Tankers, Zillah Steam ship Co. W. Savages, J. Monks, B & I, Liverpool and North Wales Steamship Co. [ St Tudno and St Seriol,] maybe more. Others with regular ships in Liverpool , eg Blue Star were registered in London or Glasgow.etc.

How can you forgot Harrison Line (they disappeared not long ago). De Laringara. Blue Star was owned by a Liverpool company, the Vestys, alway very nice looking rakish ships with accommodation mainly towards aft. Moss Hutchison, they used Harrington Dock, very nice looking back and white funnel ships. Did Bibby Line use the south end docks? Palm Line, Elder Dempster and Harrison extensively used the south end with some sizable ships too, although Harrisons did have an operation at Huskisson Dock. Blue Funnel occasionally used the south end too. The Isle of Man cargo ships used the Kings and Queens docks.

The city needs to get all commercial ownership back, as that is what made it rich at one time. We don't want to descend into a transit port. Flags of convenience were the death of the port and British Merchant marine.

[captain kong]

I remembered Harrisons Charente Steamship Co,when I was thinking about it, but I forgot when I was typing it. Blue Star ships were always registered in London, The other Companies of Vesty were Lamport and Holt and Maggie Booths registered in Liverpool. Also another one I forgot was Elders and Fyffes Skin Boats out of Garston.
The Isle of Man Steam Packet Company were registered in Douglas.
I forgot about the Larinaga boats. They faded away. a Spanish Company who adopted Liverpool and registered their office and ships in Liverpool. also Yeowards on the Canary Island run. Also Booker Line to Guyana for sugar and rum.
I was only doing the ones with the Head Office and ships registered in Liverpool. I sailed with most of them.

Containerisation Killed all the traditional ships. One Container ship could do the work of at least ten traditional cargo ships. in turn around time and tonnage.
Then cheap labour from the east and FOC

[Waterways]

I rembered Harrisons when I was thinking about it, but I forgot when I was typing it. Blue Star ships were always registered in London, The other Companies of Vesty were Lamport and Holt and Maggie Booths registered in Liverpool.
The Isle of Man Steam Packet Company were registered in Douglas.
I forgot about the Larinaga boats. They faded away. a Spanish Company but registered in Liverpool.

No. A Liverpool company founded by a Spaniard.

Containerisation Killed all the traditional ships. One Container ship could do the work of at least ten traditional cargo ships. in turn around time and tonnage.
Then cheap labour from the east and FOC

But not all cargo is containers. Liverpool has the most diversified cargo handing of any port: edible oils, mineral oils, crude oils, bulk grains, bulk scrap, bulk ores, containers, bulk gas, cargo in holds, etc. Traditional cargo in hold is still done and Liverpool still has about 300 dockers working these.

Containers have to be stuffed and stripped, but this is mainly done at inland container depots. In New York, the dockers moved over to do this work.

How can all these experts in world shipping just die away? OK Bibby Line has adapted as it went along. Other could have done the same. Many Liverpool companies could have merged to form large container ship companies. Other companies with no really history in shipping now dominate, many being Scandinavian.

[irishseashipping.com]

So only one, the ferries, and the tugs. Wow!

Yes you could count the ferries - but not the tugs - other than CarMet who mainly provide MSC operations though they are Wirral based.

SVITZER are part of A.P. MOLLER-MAERSK who also own the Norfolkline operation which sails to Dublin and Belfast from Twelve Quays, Birkenhead.

Coastal Container Line is part of Mersey Docks which is owned by Peel Ports so Coastal are still Liverpool owned - just - but charter in usually German tonnage.

Isle of Man Steam Packet is Australian owned and P&O by Dubai Ports World.

There are a couple of local small operators who run up the Ship Canal from Liverpool.

[jimmy]

Liverpool chosen for shipping HQ

The company said being based in Liverpool was a "positive experience"
An international shipping line has agreed to move its headquarters from London to Merseyside.

The Maersk Line employs more than 117,000 people in around 130 countries across the globe.

The company already has a base in Liverpool and said its positive experience of operating in the city contributed to its decision to move.

The firm also said operating its headquarters from Liverpool had cost benefits.

Doug Bannister, Maersk Line UK & Ireland managing director, said: "The welcome we have received from Liverpool has been inspiring.

"It is an exciting opportunity for our business as well as the local community and we are looking forward to establishing our head office in Liverpool particularly given the city's long maritime history."

Councillor Warren Bradley, leader of Liverpool City Council, added: "This is a tremendous vote of confidence in the city. Liverpool has an unrivalled maritime heritage so it is fantastic news that a major shipping firm has chosen to locate their headquarters here."