The winner of the September competition was John Jordan of Co. Cork

Peter Sommerville writes:

The ship pictured in the September issue is the Houston City (10,335 grt) owned by Sir William Reardon Smith & Sons (Reardon Smith Line). She was built in 1963 by Wm. Doxford at Sunderland and was a sister to the 1962 built Cardiff City. In 1972 she was sold to TMM (W. Brandt) and renamed Maria Elisa and again in 1980 sold to Hong Kong interests and named Alpac Africa. In 1984 she was scrapped in Shanghai.

Bob Blowers writes:

I believe the unknown ship is Sir William Reardon Smith’s Houston City (3) of 10,335 Gross Tons built at Sunderland by William Doxford Ltd in 1963. She was 500 feet in length and 67 feet in beam and fitted with an initially troublesome 4 cylinder, new J Type Doxford engine designed to give her a service speed of 14.5 knots. She was registered under a subsidiary company called Leeds Shipping Co. Ltd. in Bideford, Devon. In 1972 she was sold to a company called TMM and renamed Maria Elisa. The story is told that the crew on board at the handover time had latterly fed like fighting cocks eating up all the best of the stores only to find that Reardon Smith’s would still be managing the ship and they were to remain on what was now bare BOT rations. Then in 1980 she was sold on and renamed Alpac Africa. Finally in 1984 she went to shipbreakers at Shanghai.

Geoff Holmes writes:

The September mystery ship is Reardon Smith’s Houston City. 10,535 grt. Built 1963 by Wm. Doxford & Sons for Sir William Rearden Smith & Sons Ltd., Cardiff. Registered at Bideford.

1969 Transferred to Rearden Smith Line Ltd.

1972 Transferred to Scarba Ltd., Br. Flag with Rearden Smith Line as managers.

1972 Sold to Wm. Brandt (Fourth Leasing) Ltd., and renamed “Maria Elisa” same managers.

1978 Sold to Venus Ltd. British Flag, same managers.

1980 Sold to Hi Star Shipping Co., ( John McRink & Co., Ltd.,) Hong Kong and renamed “Alpac Africa”(Br. Flag).

14/10/1983 Aground on Mayotte Island. on passage Far East to South Africa.

22/10/1983 Refloated. Sold to Chinese breakers.

Arrived Shanghai prior to 01/07/1984.

The last of four sisters: Devon City, Orient City and Cardiff City were her sister ships.

Harri Owen writes:

September’s unknown ship is MV Houston City, built 1963 by Wm. Doxford,Pallion Yard, Sunderland, gross tons 10,335, for Leeds Shipping. In 1969 she was transferred to Reardon Smith Line. 1972 to Gruppa TMM (Mexico), renamed Maria Elisa, managed by Sir William Reardon Smith.

1980 Sold to Hi Star Shipping Co., Hong Kong renamed Alpac Africa. On 14.10.83 she ran aground and on 22.10.83 she was refloated. In 1984 she was scrapped in Shanghai.

D. Frost writes:

September’s Unknown Ship is Leeds Shipping’s (managers Readon Smith) mv Houston City, built 1963 by Wm. Doxford & Sons. Renamed in 1972 Maria Elisa, in 1980 Alpac Africa. Broekn up at Shanghai on 1.7.84. Sister ship Cardiff City.

Eric McIntyre writes:

The unknown ship could be the MV Houston City, owned by Reardon Smith & Leeds Shipping Co. She was built in 1963 by William Doxford at their Pallion yard no.854 in Sunderland. She was 10,335 GT and measured 500′ x 67′ and had a service speed of 14.25 knots. Her 4 cylinder engine gave a few problems in her early life. She traded worldwide. She was sold to TMM and renamed Maria Elisa and managed by Reardon Smith. She was sold again to Hong Kong owners in 1980 and renamed Alpac Africa, and broken up in 1984 at Shanghai. Her sister was the Cardiff city built in 1963 by Doxford, Sunderland and broken up in 1986 at Kaohsiung.

Alan Blackwood writes:

I believe this month’s ship to be the single screw motor tramp Houston City, the second of a pair of essentially identical vessels constructed for the Sir William Reardon Smith & Sons organisation by Wm. Doxford & Sons (Shipbuilding) Ltd at their Pallion Yard, Sunderland. Originally of 10,335 grt (closed) but later remeasured at 10,089.5 grt and 7,854 grt (open), Houston City, as the last conventional (midships engined) vessel built for the Group, was delivered to subsidiary company Leeds Shipping Co. Ltd. during January 1963 with Port of Registry of Bideford and Sir William Reardon Smith & Sons Ltd. of Cardiff her managers. With overall dimensions of 499’08” x 67’04” x 40’08” and a maximum draft of 31’03.5″, her main propulsion consisted of a 4 cylinder 2 stroke single acting 6,000 bhp oil engine constructed by Wm. Doxford (Engineering) Ltd. at Sunderland to achieve a speed of 15.5 knots. With a suite of 14 x 5 ton (SWL) cargo derricks serving her five holds, she also featured a single 25 ton (SWL) ‘jumbo’ derrick mounted on her forward kingpost to serve Hold #2.

During 1969, her registered ownership was transferred to that of the Reardon Smith Line with name, PoR and managers unchanged. During 1972 she and sister (Cardiff City) were placed on an 8 year time charter to Transportacion Maritima Mexicana S.A. of Mexico City. Houston City was renamed Maria Elisa but retained her PoR of Bideford and Reardon Smith as managers. Registered ownership however was transferred that year to the London Merchant Bankers, Wm. Brandts (Fourth Leasing) Ltd. 1978 saw further change of registered ownership to Venus Ltd. with yet again name, PoR and managers remaining unchanged.

She was finally sold out of UK ownership during 1980 when acquired by Hi Star Shipping of Hong Kong and renamed Alpac Africa, with J. McRink & Co. appointed managers. Her only reported mishap under the flag of Hong Kong occurred when, on 14th October 1983 whilst on voyage from the Far East to South Africa, she ran aground on Mayotte Island (off NW Madagascar), but was refloated eight days later. She arrived at Shanghai on 1st July 1984 for demolition.

John Jordan writes:

This vessel is one of a pair built by William Doxford’s for Reardon Smith’s of Cardiff in 1962/63. They were the 500 footers MV Cardiff City, and MV Houston City. Although trampships they had a service speed of 15.5 knots and and pleasantly designed with raised poop accommodation. I am going to say it is MV Houston City which in 1972 was sold and renamed Maria Elisa but continued to be managed by Reardon’s. In 1980 she was sold in Hong Kong and renamed Alpac Africa. In 1984 she was broken up in Shanghai. Also like other good pre-Brexit Companies Reardon Smith went out of business in 1985.

Mike Goadby writes:

This month’s unknown ship is the 10,335 grt M/V Houston City, built by William Doxford at Sunderland in 1963, yard No 854, fitted with a P type Doxford engine giving her a speed of 15kts. She and her sister ship Cardiff City were sold in 1972 to a merchant bank and bareboat chartered out to W M Brants Leasing and renamed Maria Elisa and Sara Lupe, still under Reardon Smith management. This continued until 1980 when Hong Kong owners renamed Houston City, Alpac Africa as which she was broken up at Shanghai in 1984.

Fraser Wright writes:

My first reaction was a Bank Line Doxford. I think I am coorrect about Doxford, but the ship is either Cardiff City or Houston City, owned by Reardon Smith & Sons.

Gerald Dodd writes:

I believe that the mystery ship in September’s issue of Shipping Today and Yesterday is the Houston City, owned by Sir William Reardon Smith of Cardiff. Though most, if not all the ships, including the Houston City, were registered in Bideford, North Devon, which was the birth place of Reardon Smith. The Houston City was built by Doxfords, Palliom yard in Sunderland as yard number 854, in 1962/63. She had a 4 cylinder ‘P’ type Doxford engine. In 1972 the Houston City was sold to TMM, but continued to be managed by Reardon Smith, she was renamed Maria Elisa. In 1984 she was renamed Alpac Africa and broken up in 1984 at Shanghai.

David Thomson writes:

The unknown ship is Sir Wm Reardon Smith & Sons Ltd., Houston City (GKMA) which was built by Doxford & Sunderland Shipbuilding & Engineering Co. Ltd. at their Pallion Yard and delivered in 1963. She was the sister ship to the Cardiff City (GJWN) which was delivered the previous year. Both ships costing just over £1.1 million each, were 10,335 gross tons with a 4 cylinder P Type Doxford Engine.

In 1972, the Houston City was sold to Transportacion Maritima Mexicana (TMM) and renamed Maria Elisa but retaining the British flag with Sir Wm. Reardon Smith & Sons as Managers.

In 1980, she was sold to Hi Star Shipping Co. Ltd., Hong Kong and renamed Alpac Africa. She went aground on Mayotte Island (Mozambique Channel) in October 1983 but was re-floated and the following year was scrapped in Shanghai.

John Chitty writes:

I believe this months mystery ship to be Reardon Smith’s m.v. Houston City. Built by William Doxford & Sons of Sunderland in 1963 as yard no. 854. Dims. LOA 152.3m 20.5m beam, GT. 10,335., NT. 5,814, DWT. 14,630. Engine 4 cylinder P-type Doxford engine giving a service speed of 15.5 knots. Built for the Leeds Shipping Co. Ltd. of Bideford with Sir Reardon Smith & Sons Cardiff as managers. She was, I believe, the last of the traditional general cargo design ships for the company which then diversified into bulk carriers. Sold to Transportacion Maritima Mexicans (TMM) in 1972 and renamed Maria Elisa with Reardon Smith remaining as managers. Being sold, probably for financing arrangements, again in 1977 without name change. In 1980 the vessel was sold to Hi Star Shipping Co. Ltd. of Hong Kong and renamed Alpac Africa, registered in Hong Kong. She was sold to Chinese Shipbreakers arriving at Shanghai to be broken up in 1984.

John Livingstone writes:

The September unknown ship is Reardon Smith’s Houston City built by Wm. Doxford at their Pallion Yard, Sunderland in 1962/63. She had a P type Doxford engine which gave quite a few problems in her early days. She was sold in 1972 again in 1980 and eventually broken up in Shanghai in 1984.