SS Silverlip (1902)

The vessel was laid down at W.G. Armstrong, Whitworth & Co. shipyard in Walker and launched on 29 November 1902 (yard number 723).[3][2] The ceremony was attended by a large number of dignitaries, including Lord Mayor of London, Sir Marcus Samuel, Sir Andrew Noble, chairman of W.G. Armstrong, Whitworth & Co., sheriffs of London and Newcastle as well as mayors of local communities, among others. The christening ceremony was performed by Lady Samuel.[4]

The sea trials were held on 19 March, during which the ship could easily maintain speed of 11.5 knots (13.2 mph; 21.3 km/h) under coal with ship loaded.[5] The steamship was designed to the broad specifications of the Shell Transport & Trading Co, allowing the vessel to carry general cargo, such as silk and tea, in addition to oil and petroleum products. This required development of a special cleaning procedure which was successfully accomplished. The ship was equipped with five separate pumps for discharge of liquid cargo, with two of them being able to unload between 200 and 250 tons of liquid per hour.[4] In addition, a complete arrangement of cargo gear for quick handling of general cargo was installed.

As built, the ship was 470 feet 0 inches (143.26 m) long (between perpendiculars) and 55 feet 2 inches (16.81 m) abeam, a mean draft of 33 feet 1 inch (10.08 m).[1] Silverlip was assessed at 7,492 GRT and 4,904 NRT and had deadweight of approximately 10,080.[1] The vessel had a steel hull, and a single 579 nhp triple-expansion steam engine, with cylinders of 29+1⁄2-inch (75 cm), 48-inch (120 cm) and 78-inch (200 cm) diameter with a 54-inch (140 cm) stroke, that drove a single screw propeller, and moved the ship at up to 11.5 knots (13.2 mph; 21.3 km/h).[1] At the time of construction, the ship's engines were fitted for liquid fuel in addition to coal.[1][4]

At the time of their entry into service, Silverlip was one of the largest vessels in the world. Not surprisingly, following her delivery the ship was laid up due to scarcity of cargo and overabundance of tonnage. Eventually, the ship was reactivated and on 25 February 1904 she proceeded from her mooring on River Tyne to Middlesbrough for loading. Silverlip departed Middlesbrough for her maiden voyage on 10 March, stopped at London and left there on 26 March with general cargo for China and Japan. The vessel passed through the Suez Canal on 10 April and continued her journey calling at ports of Aden, Colombo, Moulmein and arrived at Singapore on 5 May. Silverlip departed two days later arriving at Hong Kong on 13 May and Kobe on 29 May. On her return trip the vessel stopped at Balikpapan and loaded approximately 9,000 tons of benzine from Borneo oilfields and local refinery, continued to Singapore and departed it to Europe on 26 July.[6] The steamer had to sail the long way, around the Cape of Good Hope, due to restrictions with regard to passage of tankers carrying oil and petroleum products in bulk through the Suez Canal, and arrived at Las Palmas on 8 September without calling at any other ports on her trip.[7] On her way Silverlip struck on a rock and sustained damage to bottom and had to replace 8 bottom plates in dock when she arrived at Hamburg on 21 September.[8] After unloading she sailed to United Kingdom, where the ship loaded general cargo and left London on 29 October for her second trip to Far East.[9]

Upon return from her second journey, Silverlip sailed from Rotterdam to Port Arthur on 10 April 1905 and arrived there on 12 May.[10] The vessel loaded 1,457,380 gallons (5,358 tons) of lamp oil and left for England on 22 May, arriving at Liverpool on 22 June consigned to the General Petroleum Company, owned by Sir Marcus Samuel.[11] After unloading her cargo into tanks, the steamer sailed back to Port Arthur on 1 July reaching it on 21 July. There she loaded 3,580,851 gallons of refined kerosene, and 219,678 gallons of desulphurized liquid fuel for delivery to Dover and sailed out on 2 August.[12] The steamer continued carrying petroleum products from Port Arthur and occasionally Borneo, to the United Kingdom and Northern European ports for the remainder of 1905 and through January 1907, when restrictions on oil tankers travelling through the Suez Canal were loosened. On 5 January 1906, while on a passage from Port Arthur to Dover, she had to call at St. Michael's with her steering gear seriously damaged, decks swept and other damages. The steamer also had to jettison about 200 tons of cargo. The repairs were done in St. Michael's harbour and finished on 11 January at a cost of £3,651.[13]

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