English: View of 'Naess crusader' shortly before her launch from the North Sands shipyard, Sunderland, December 1972 (TWAM ref. DT.TUR/2/60960C).

These photographs were taken by the Newcastle-based firm Turners (Photography) Ltd. They celebrate the construction of the OBO (oil/bulk/ore) carrier ‘Naess Crusader’, covering the early stages in January 1972 through her launch on 21 December 1972 to her completion and sea trials in July 1973.
‘Naess Crusader’ and her sister ship ‘Nordic Chieftain’ were built by Sunderland Shipbuilders Ltd at the firm’s North Sands Shipyard for Anglo Eastern Bulkships Ltd. They were the largest ships ever built on the River Wear.
The memory of ‘Naess Crusader’ is integral to the Sunderland Keel Line, a new public artwork, opened in 2015, which celebrates the City’s shipbuilding heritage. The Keel Line is 291.7 metres long and that distance was chosen because it represents the full length of ‘Naess Crusader’. This album is a reminder of Sunderland’s proud industrial heritage and a tribute to the skill and dedication of her shipyard workers.

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