SS Gripfast Gripfast was a 2 , 852 GRT 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 Costis , 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 . Convoy MKS 33 departed Alexandria , Egypt on 2 December 1943 and arrived at Gibraltar on 13 December . " Empire Brook " was bound for Augusta . Convoy 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 . Convoy 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 " propellor 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 Costis " . She was reflagged to Panama . " Capetan Costis " was operated under the management of Ezkos Maritime Technical Co , Greece . In 1966 , " Capetan Costis " 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 " , " Karine M " and " Pitsa " had the Lloyd ' s Register number 506219 . " Empire Brook " and " Stancliffe " used the Code Letters BCKF .