Full Size Printed Plan Scale (1/16 in.-1 ft. Blue Funnel Line “S.S. HECTOR” Suitable for radio control

Full Size Printed Plan

No material plans only

“S.S. HECTOR”

"Blue Funnel Line"

Full Size Printed on a Sheet 58” x 24” 

Two Page Article and photo (No Building Notes Some boat building experience required)

Scale (1/16 in.-1 ft.)

Length 33”

Beam 4”

Suitable for radio control  

by James Pottinger

THE name "Blue Funnel Line" has always been synonymous with efficiency and forward thinking in the shipping world. and their large well-known fleet will be familiar to all that have served in the Merchant or Royal Navies. The ships have always had a certain imposing air of strength and purposefulness, of simple and strong shapes which have nonetheless not lacked in "looks". Ships which seem to embody these characteristics to a great degree are the "P" and "H" classes, and in my opinion the subsequent ships in the company never approached them in character or looks, and in presenting the drawings of a unit of the larger "H" class it may be of interest to touch on the circumstances and philosophy behind their conception, and also show the many conmeting conditions that the ship-owner has to consider when deciding to invest in new designs of ships. involving large capital cost which it is hoped will be recovered, with a profit. over a period of years, but where mistakes can be very costly indeed.

The ships of the Ocean Steam Ship Co., formerly Alfred Holt's Blue Funnel Line, are well known to all ship lovers, and need title introduction; it is a unit of this fleet that is featured in these plans. Possessing a large fleet of big comparatively fast ships at the outbreak of the war, it was only natural that they would be called on to perform especially arduous duties, (the hard fought Maltaconvoys come readily to mind) and this is reflected in the list of war losscss; out of a pre- war fleet of 88 ships totalling 709,408 gross tons no less than 44 ships of 349,320 gross tons were lost due to enemy action. almost exactly halving the available tonnage. At the end of hostilities this depleted fleet was augmented by the acquisition of six American built ex.-Victory ships, propelled by steam turbines and eight "Sam" ships, also American built, but having steam reciprocating engines with water tube boilers. However, these ships underwent considerable modifications to suit the company's varied activites, doing valuable service until specially designed ships came into use.

Early in 1945 the company entered into an extensive building programme. among which were two types designated the "P" and "H" classes, both of which were high class cargo-passenger ships.

The subject of the drawings the Hector, was one of the larger "H" class. the other ships being the Helenus and /XiOIl, all of which were built by Harland and Wolff at Belfast, and the Jason built by Swan Hunter, all named in the usual manner after heroes of Greek mythology, but with names more easily pronounced than some of the later ships.

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