The huge tanker is the Esso Hibernia, built by Swan Hunter in Wallsend and launched April 1970. With her sister-ship, the Esso Northumbria launched 11 months earlier, at 253,000 tons, they were the biggest ships ever built in the UK.
Hibernia at sea | Northumbria leaving Tyne | Northumbria at sea | Four film clips of the Esso Northumbria at the BBC | Two more "Big Geordies" | One more "Big Hibernia"
