Palm Line| Company type | Private |
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| Industry | Shipping |
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| Founded | 16 February 1949 |
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| Founder | United Africa Company (reorganized Southern Whaling and Sealing Company) |
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| Defunct | 1986 |
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| Fate | Acquired by Ocean Fleets |
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| Headquarters | United Kingdom |
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Area served | West African coast (Morocco to Angola) |
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Key people | Frank Samuel (first chairman), Gordon Williams (final chairman) |
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| Products | Shipping services along West African coast |
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| Parent | United Africa Company (initially) |
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The Palm Line was a British shipping firm engaged in trade along the West African coast from 1949 until it ceased operations in 1986. Its services covered ports spanning approximately 5,000 miles of shoreline, extending from Morocco down to Angola.
Palm Line was part of collaborative ventures such as the UK/West Africa Lines Joint Service (UKWAL) and the Continent/West Africa Conference (COWAC), working alongside companies including Elder Dempster, Black Star Line, Nigerian National Shipping Line, Guinea Gulf Line, and the Norwegian Hoegh Line.
Background
In the late 1940s, the United Africa Company (UAC) reorganized its maritime activities by reactivating the Southern Whaling and Sealing Company, which had been dormant since its acquisition by Lever Bros. in 1919 and subsequent sale to Christian Salvesen Ltd in 1941. On 16 February 1949, this entity was rebranded as Palm Line, with Frank Samuel appointed as its inaugural chairman. The name 'Palm' was selected after considering alternatives such as 'Sun Line'.
The Creeks
Nearly all Palm Line ships constructed before 1970—excluding Kano Palm and Katsina Palm—were designed not to exceed a certain length to enable navigation through Nigeria’s creek systems. Draft limitations were crucial due to the flat coastal geography and offshore sandbars; vessels required a maximum draft of to access all regional ports. For instance, ships servicing the Escravos River near Sapele could not exceed a cargo capacity of 4,000 tons because the Escravos Bar restricted draft depth. Typically, ships would cross the adjacent Forcados River bar and then use connecting creeks to reach the Escravos River.
Krooboys
Regular port calls at Freetown included refueling and embarking 'Krooboys'—local West African crew members whose primary responsibilities involved chipping, painting, and cleaning cargo holds. These crew members were provided separate deck accommodations located between hatches 1 and 2, while their foreman resided in the fo'c'sle area.
The End
The early 1980s signaled the decline of Palm Line. Between 1982 and 1986, a significant downturn in trade between Europe and West Africa led to increased reliance on chartering vessels from external operators. In 1986, Palm Line was acquired by Ocean Fleets. The company’s final chairman was Gordon Williams from Pontypool.
Emblem
The palm tree logo used by Palm Line originally appeared on a Unilever Ltd house flag designed in 1939.
Merseyside Maritime Museum
From June through December 2018, the Merseyside Maritime Museum presented a temporary exhibition titled 'Palm Line - A new company for a new era,' which prominently featured a detailed scale model of MV Matadi Palm (1970).
The Fleet
| Ship
|
Year Built
|
Shipyard & Hull Number
|
IMO Number
|
Speed (knots)
|
Vessel Type
|
Gross Registered Tonnage (GRT)
|
Remarks
|
| MV Africa Palm
|
1953
|
Short Brothers, Pallion – Hull 512
|
5004075
|
11
|
General Cargo
|
5,415
|
Sister vessel to MV Burutu Palm (1953). Sold in 1972 to Panama registry as Savoydean. Suffered fire damage in Calcutta in July 1975; dismantled April 1976 in Bombay.
|
| MV Africa Palm
|
1971
|
Warnowwerft, Warnemünde – Hull 376
|
7125328
|
14
|
General Cargo
|
10,008
|
Formerly Joruna; acquired in 1974. Chartered and renamed Santa Barbara Pacific in 1983; later reverted to Africa Palm. Sold to Cyprus registry as Messaria in 1984.
|
| MV Akassa Palm
|
1958
|
Bremer Vulkan, Vegesack – Hull 870
|
5006712
|
14
|
General Cargo
|
9,000
|
Underwent multiple sales and renamings; scrapped November 1984.
|
| MV Andoni Palm
|
1958
|
Bremer Vulkan, Vegesack – Hull 869
|
5016391
|
14
|
General Cargo
|
9,000
|
Sold to Panama registry as Mastro Manolis in 1976; scrapped November 1982.
|
| MV Apapa Palm
|
1973
|
Stocznia Szczecińska, Gdańsk – Hull 242
|
7305801
|
16
|
General Cargo
|
9,417
|
'Formerly MV Schauenburg'; purchased from H. Schuldt (Hamburg) in 1977. Equipped with Sulzer two-stroke diesel engine. Sister ships included Elder Dempster Lines’ Shonga and Sherbro. Sold to Venezuela as General Salom in 1985.
|
-
|
MV Ashanti Palm
|
1947
|
Shipbuilders Corporation, Newcastle upon Tyne
|
null
|
10½
|
General Cargo
|
5,123
|
'Ex-Empire Stroma'. Sank at Naples harbor in November 1962 after dragging anchor during a gale; no loss of life.
|
MV
Badagry Palm (1956) ||1956||
Swan Hunter, Neptune Yard ||5033521||14|| General Cargo ||5,042|| Transported Dr. Kwame Nkrumah to London for Commonwealth Prime Ministers’ Conference. Sold in 1972; dismantled in Bombay (1981).
MV
Badagry Palm (1979) ||1979||
William Doxford & Sons, North Sands ||7726873||16|| General Cargo ||12,279|| Last vessel equipped with Doxford J-type engine. Taken over by UAC in 1985; underwent several sales and renamings. Sank off South African coast November 1996 with total loss of crew.
MV
Bamenda Palm (1956) ||1956||
Swan Hunter, Neptune Yard ||5035440||14|| General Cargo ||5,154|| Sold multiple times; scrapped May 1983.
MV
Bamenda Palm (1979) ||1979||
Hyundai Heavy Industries, Ulsan ||7725843||16|| General Cargo ||11,223|| Involved in collision while entering Falmouth harbor (1980). Chartered by Lloyd Brasileiro (1984) as
Lloyd Texas. Acquired by UAC (1985); subsequently sold under Cyprus ownership with several renamings until scrapped at Alang (2009). Served as setting for TV film
Deadly Voyage.
SS
Benin Palm ||1936|| Deschimag Seebeck, Bremerhaven ||n/a||n/a|| General Cargo ||5,424|| Formerly named
Ethiopian. Sold under Panama/Lebanon registry (1959).
SS
Burutu Palm ||1936|| -- ||n/a||n/a|| General Cargo ||5,424|| Sister ship of MV
Africa Palm.
MV
Burutu Palm ||1953||
Short Brothers of Sunderland ||n/a||12|| General Cargo ||5,410|| Sister vessel of MV
Africa Palm. Sold twice before sinking near Mombasa in April 1973.
SS
Dahomey Palm ||1937|| Furness Shipbuilding Company ||n/a||n/a|| General Cargo ||4,876|| Previously named
Conakrian. Sold under Hong Kong registry (1959); scrapped in 1968.
MV
Elmina Palm ||1957||
Swan Hunter, Neptune Yard ||5102372||14|| General Cargo ||5,356|| Among first British cargo ships extensively using aluminium superstructure for enhanced cargo space. Powered by Doxford marine diesel engine. Sold under Panama registry (1977).
MV
Enugu Palm ||1958||
Swan Hunter, Neptune Yard ||5104722||14|| General Cargo ||7,963|| Sold under Kuwait registry (1978).
MV
Gambia Palm ||1937|| Deutsche Schiff- und Maschinenbau AG, Wesermünde ||n/a||n/a|| General Cargo ||5,452|| Originally named MV
Empire Tweed. Seized by Vichy France in 1941; returned to Britain in 1943. Sold to Greece (1959); scrapped Hong Kong (1963).
MV
Ibadan Palm ||1959||
Swan Hunter, Neptune Yard ||5157767||14|| General Cargo ||5,658|| Sister ship of
Ilorin Palm. Powered by Doxford engine. Sold several times; scrapped in 1983.
MV
Ikeja Palm ||1961||
Swan Hunter, Neptune Yard ||5158553||14|| General Cargo ||5,816|| Sister ship of
Ilesha Palm. Powered by Doxford engine. Sold under Greek registry around 1981–82.
MV
Ilesha Palm ||1961||
Swan Hunter, Neptune Yard ||5158785||14|| General Cargo ||5,816|| Sister ship of
Ikeja Palm. Registered under Greece/Liberia before being scrapped at Karachi (1984).
MV
Ilorin Palm ||1960||
Swan Hunter, Neptune Yard ||5159105||14|| General Cargo ||5,658|| Sister vessel to
Ibadan Palm. Renamed multiple times prior to dismantling at Chittagong (1982).
SS/Kano Palms:
SS
Kano Palm (1936)|| Howaldtswerke Hamburg | n/a | | General Cargo |5,129 | Formerly named
Guinean. Sold under Panama/Greece registries.
MV
Kano Palm (1958)||
Swan Hunter |5181342 |14¼ |General Cargo |8,734 | Sister ship of Katsina Palm. Powered by Doxford diesel engine. Scrapped in Bombay (1982).
MV
Katsina Palm(1957)||
Swan Hunter |5183883 |14¼ |General Cargo |8,734 | Sister ship of Kano Palm. Scrapped (1984).
SS/MV Lagos Palms:
SS
Lagos Palm(1947)|| Shipbuilders Corporation Southwick |5261271 | |General Cargo |5,047 | Renamed multiple times; scrapped at Split (1973).
MV
Lagos Palm(1961)||
Swan Hunter |5202275 |16 |General Cargo |6,256 | Sister ship of Lobito Palm; powered by Doxford engine. Wrecked September 1983; subsequently scrapped.
MV
Lagos Palm(1982)|| Stocznia Szczecińska |7822768 |16 |General Cargo |15,575 | Chartered to Lloyd Brasileiro as "Lloyd Rio"; sold to USSR as "Boris Andreyev". Later sailed under Spanish and Bahamian flags before dismantling.
MV
Lobito Palm(1960)||
Swan Hunter |5210143 |16 |General Cargo |6,256 | Sister ship of Lagos Palm. Experienced several renamings before scrapping at Chittagong (1983).
SS/MV Lokoja Palms:
SS "Lokoja Palm" (1947) Shipbuilding Corporation Ltd Low Walker n/a 10½ General Cargo 5,122 Formerly "Zarian". Originally ordered as Empire Birdsay for Ministry of War Transport; later sold under Panama/Cyprus registries; scrapped December 1971.
MV "Lokoja Palm" (1982) Stocznia Szczecińska 7822770 16 General Cargo15,576 Mostly chartered to Woermann Line as "Wameru"; Lloyd Brasileiro chartered it as "Lloyd Australia"; sold to USSR registry as "Mekhanik Bardetskiy".
BVOC vessels:
MV "Makeni Palm" (1951) Joseph L. Thompson & Sons North Sands No IMO Bulk Vegetable Oil Carrier Unknown Formerly "British Rover" from BP since 1961; later sold under Panama registry; scrapped at Brindisi June 1978.
MV "Makurdi Palm" (1953) AG Weser Seebeckwerft Bremerhaven No IMO Bulk Vegetable Oil Carrier Unknown See MV "Tema Palm".
MV "Matadi Palm" (1948) Sir James Laing & Sons Deptford No IMO Bulk Vegetable Oil Carrier6,246 Formerly "Matadian"; dismantled February 1963.
MV "Matadi Palm" (1970) Swan Hunter Haverton Hill702524316 Bulk Vegetable Oil Carrier13,700 Purpose-built parcel tanker transporting refined vegetable oils northbound and crude palm/coconut oil southbound. Featured steam coils but lacked double-bottom tanks necessitating manual puddling during discharge operations. Powered by Doxford Type J engine. After a strike in 1966 crew shifted from British nationals to Galician deckhands. Taken over by UAC and renamed "Matadi" in 1986; later sold and renamed "Modesty".
SS/MV other notable vessels:
SS "Mendi Palm"1936 Deschimag Seebeck Bremerhaven n/a General Cargo5419 Formerly "Leonian". Sold under Panama registry.
SS "Niger Palm"1948 Furness Shipbuilding Haverton Hill n/a General Cargo5202 Formerly "Nigerian". Registered under Panama/Liberia; scrapped October 1968.
MV "Oguta Palm"1943 Furness Shipbuilders Haverton Hill n/a General Cargo7221 Previously named "Lafian". Sold under Greek registry; sank December 1962 near Funchal.
MV "Opobo Palm"1942 Swan Hunter Haverton Hill n/a Bulk Vegetable Oil Carrier6083 Ex-"Congonian". Registered under Hong Kong flag; broken up June1963.
MV "SapelePalm"1954 AG Weser Bremerhaven5313775 GeneralCargo Unknown Initially operated under German flag before transfer to British registry prior to sale under Panama registry with renaming.
MV "TakoradiPalm"1937 Deschimag Seebeck Wesermünde n/a GeneralCargo5452 Formerly "Takoradian". Registered under Panama/Lebanon flags; scrapped June1963.
SS "VoltaPalm"1936 Howaldtswerke Hamburg739 GeneralCargo5129 Formerly "Liberian". Transferred to Finland registry; renamed twice prior to dismantling December1960 at Yokosuka.
| Ship |
Year Built |
Shipyard |
IMO Number |
Speed (knots) |
Vessel Type |
GRT |
Notes
|
Bibliography
External links
