SS Gripfast
Introduction '''''Gripfast''''' was a  coaster which was built in 1941 as '''''Empire Brook''''' for the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT). She was sold into civil service in 1946 and renamed '''''Stancliffe'''''. She ran aground in 1948 and was declared a constructive total loss, having broken her back. Despite this, she was repaired and saw further service as ''Gripfast'', '''''Capetan Costas P''''', '''''Karine M''''' and '''''Pitsa''''' before sinking when under tow on 6 December 1967.
Description ''Empire Brook'' was built by William Gray & Co Ltd, West Hartlepool. Her yard number was 1115.Launched on 10 April 1941, she was completed in May 1941.The ship was  long, with a beam of  and a depth of . She was propelled by a triple expansion steam engine which had cylinders of ,  and  bore by  stroke. The engine was built by the Central Marine Engine Works, West Hartlepool. She had a GRT of 2,852 with an NRT of 1,580.
Career ===Wartime===''Empire Brook's'' port of registry was South Shields. She was initially operated under the management of I Williams & Co Ltd. Management was then transferred to W France, Fenwick & Co Ltd. In 1942, management was transferred to Stanhope Steamship Co Ltd.''Empire Brook'' was a member of a number of convoys during the Second World War. ;MKS 33Convoy MKS 33 departed Alexandria, Egypt on 2 December 1943 and arrived at Gibraltar on 13 December. ''Empire Brook'' was bound for Augusta. ;MKS 40Convoy MKS 40 departed Augusta on 14 April 1944 bound for the United Kingdom. ''Empire Brook'' joined the convoy at Bizerta, Tunisia and left it at Algiers, Algeria. ;MKS 47Convoy MKS 47 departed Port Said, Egypt on 19 April 1944 bound for the United Kingdom. ''Empire Brook'' joined the convoy at Alexandria and left it at Augusta.===Postwar===In 1946, ''Empire Brook'' was sold to Stanhope Steamship Co Ltd, and was renamed ''Stancliffe'', the third ship of that name for the company. She was operated under the management of J A Billmeir & Co Ltd, London. Her port of registry was changed to London.On 3 April 1947, ''Stancliffe'' ran aground at the entrance to Sharpness Docks, Gloucestershire. Her cargo of 3,000 tons of timber was salvaged, but ''Stancliffe'' had broken her back and was declared a constructive total loss. ''Stancliffe'' was cut into two pieces, and each was sailed down the River Severn to Cardiff where the ship was repaired. She was sold to Newbigin Steamship Co Ltd, Newcastle upon Tyne and renamed ''Gripfast''. She was operated under the management of E R Newbigin Ltd, Newcastle upon Tyne. Her port of registry was changed to Newcastle upon Tyne.On 22 October 1951, ''Gripfast'' answered a distress call from the . There was a collision in which ''Gripfast's'' propeller was damaged and ''Pandora'' was holed. ''Pandora'' foundered with the loss of all six crew. The Court of Inquiry found that ''Pandora'' would probably have remained afloat longer had she not been in collision with ''Gripfast''.In 1960, ''Gripfast'' was sold to Saints Anargyroi Compagnia Ltda, Panama and renamed ''Capetan Costas P''. She was reflagged to Panama. ''Capetan Costas P'' was operated under the management of Ezkos Maritime Technical Co, Greece. In 1966, ''Capetan Costas P'' was sold to Compagnia di Navigazione Patricio, Liberia and renamed ''Karine M''. She was operated under the management of Mooringwell Steamship Co, Cardiff. Later that year, she was sold to Siconen Shipping SA, Panama and renamed ''Pitsa''. She was operated under the management of Kalamotusis Shipbroking Ltd, London.On 10 October 1967, ''Pitsa'' put into Djibouti with boiler defects. She was also found to be leaking. On 1 December 1967, ''Pitsa'' left Aqaba, Jordan, bound for Colombo, Ceylon under tow from tug ''Nisos Kerkyra''. On 6 December 1967, she sank off Socotra Island, Yemen ().
Official Numbers and Code Letters Official Numbers were a forerunner to IMO Numbers. ''Empire Brook'', ''Stancliffe'' and ''Gripfast'' had the UK Official Number 168646. ''Capetan Costas P'', ''Karine M'' and ''Pitsa'' had the Lloyd's Register number 506219. ''Empire Brook'' and ''Stancliffe'' used the Code Letters BCKF.
References
External links * Photo of SS ''Gripfast''