One of the Spanish built ships calling at Malta was the 1973 built bulker KING WILLIAM which called Malta for repairs at Malta Drydocks (MDD).
She was built at Astilleros Espanoles S.A, Sestao in Bilbao, Spain with hull number 189 for King Line Ltd (Cayzer, Irvine and Co Ltd – London managers) as KING WILLIAM when on 15th September 1973 she was launched and in February 1974 she was completed. In 1978 she was transferred to Scottish Tanker Co Ltd, London and 2 years later her managers emerged as Cayzer, Irvine Shipping Ltd, London.
During May 1982 she was sold to Taiwanese interests and renamed as PANAMAX SUN and in 1985 as BLOOMING ORCHID, staying with the same shipping group. In 1986 she was acquired by Mapextra Ltd, Gibraltar and renamed again as KING WILLIAM.
Later on that year she was sold again to Italian Interests based at Genoa and renamed as PACIFICO. 5 years later during 1991 she was sold to Beazly River Maritime Ltd, Douglas, Isle of Man and renamed again as KING WILLIAM and the same year sold to Treasure Shipping Ltd registered at Valletta, Malta.
On Sunday 18th August, 1991 she suffered structural damage while she was in ballast condition underway to Hampton Roads, USA from Setubal, Portugal.
On Monday 23rd December, 1991 she left Hampton Roads towed by the former Soviet Navy ocean going tug JUPITERIS bound to MDD for repairs where she arrived on Friday 31st January 1992 and assisted by Tug Malta tugs – CETTA; FELICA; KATRIN; LIENI and MARI (I), berthing at Parlatorio Wharf, Port Side Alongside.
Her interesting tug JUPITERIS was built in Finland in 1979 as STROPTIVYJ one of 7 units with 72.07 metres as length overall (loa) of which she was acquired by her Lithuanian Company in January 1991 and still sporting her Black Hull with Orange Colour Accommodation which had 52 crew capacity.
On 4th September,1992 the bulker KING WILLIAM left Valletta bound to Piraeus, Greece where she arrived 4 days later and was laid up. In 1993 she was sold to Greek interests and renamed as PYTHAGORAS OF SAMOS but she was longer King as she was detained by Port State Control and banned from European Ports that were affiliated with Paris MOU for failures to call at repair yards, deficiencies etc.
In December 1997 she arrived off Gadani Beach, Pakistan for shipbreaking.
