Results 1 to 9 of 9

Thread: Shipwrights

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Location
    isle of wight
    Posts
    6,701
    Thanks (Given)
    2291
    Thanks (Received)
    5237
    Likes (Given)
    15143
    Likes (Received)
    24215

    Default Shipwrights

    Thinking back to my time at sea in the late 50s, we always carried a Carpenter ? shipwright ?, on board, does that still happen today ?. The only two ships that i was on that did not have a carpenter , but a handyman, ie one of the ABs, he did the soundings etc, this was on the United Baltic shipping boats. Are there any Carpenters on this site ?, or is this a rank that drifted away with time, kt
    R689823

  2. Thanks Doc Vernon, Rodney Mills thanked for this post
    Likes happy daze john in oz, Trader liked this post
  3. #2
    Join Date
    Jun 2008
    Location
    Wirral
    Posts
    2,596
    Thanks (Given)
    2871
    Thanks (Received)
    2533
    Likes (Given)
    4410
    Likes (Received)
    6267

    Default Re: Shipwrights

    Good question Keith - I sailed with some very skilled Carpenters who taught me some woodwork skills I still have today. Valuable and knowledgeable seamen. One wonders in these days of plastics and perspex, if there is just very large tubes of COPYDEX and UHU in a glass case marked ' For Emergency Use Only ' in ten different languages.

    PS Sorry I forgot the ' Gaffer Tape '
    Last edited by Chris Allman; 20th May 2019 at 07:46 PM.
    When one door closes another one shuts, it must be the wind

  4. #3
    Join Date
    Apr 2011
    Location
    Long Eaton
    Posts
    5,429
    Thanks (Given)
    793
    Thanks (Received)
    5721
    Likes (Given)
    15496
    Likes (Received)
    17505

    Default Re: Shipwrights

    When I joined the Clan Ranald she carried a Carpenter, once we got the Unmanned Certificate, the position was no longer required.
    Vic

  5. #4
    Join Date
    Jun 2018
    Location
    Nfyn
    Posts
    72
    Thanks (Given)
    23
    Thanks (Received)
    70
    Likes (Given)
    129
    Likes (Received)
    204

    Default Re: Shipwrights

    I think the rise of the box boats did for the chippy. Even tank soundings are at the touch of a computer. About the only tank soundings these days might be fuel tanks pre bunkering and during bunkering, hold bilges likely rely on an alarm.

  6. Thanks Chris Allman, Doc Vernon thanked for this post
  7. #5
    Join Date
    Aug 2016
    Location
    Auckland
    Posts
    167
    Thanks (Given)
    415
    Thanks (Received)
    164
    Likes (Given)
    387
    Likes (Received)
    504

    Default Re: Shipwrights

    The chippie's know-how came to the fore on the SS Boston City way back in 1950 enroute from Bristol to Port Tampa, when I was an EDH thereon. Dampness had been sighted on the hull interior within a hold. Chippie scraped to check on a possible leak but put his knife right through causing more than dampness. Chippies cement box kept most water out while we made for Savannah for urgent repairs. Entering dry-dock meant complete off-loading of cargo with 'urgency' falling away when rivets would not hold adequately in adjoining too-thin plates. Spent several weeks in Savannah welcomed by the locals even to the extent of our crew having football games with a local team on a genuine sports field. Can't recall the goal results though they would certainly not have been favourable to us.
    Ken T
    R412277

  8. #6
    Join Date
    Jun 2008
    Location
    Sunbury Victoria Australia
    Posts
    24,991
    Thanks (Given)
    8300
    Thanks (Received)
    10126
    Likes (Given)
    106523
    Likes (Received)
    45653

    Default Re: Shipwrights

    Not sure about containers and such but most cruise ships have at least a plumber, if you can call them that.
    Now classified as engineers of sorts.
    Plumbing on cruise ships with the evac toilet system can be a nightmare when it goes wrong.
    Wrong things down there and it blocks, then the 'engineer' is called to fix it.

    As to a chippy, well some in the galley, but have not seen one as such but here men who do work that at times we considered to be their work.
    Happy daze John in Oz.

    Life is too short to blend in.

    John Strange R737787
    World Traveller

  9. Likes Keith Tindell liked this post
  10. #7
    Join Date
    Nov 2017
    Location
    CHESTER LE STREET
    Posts
    2,326
    Thanks (Given)
    699
    Thanks (Received)
    1255
    Likes (Given)
    12937
    Likes (Received)
    8310

    Default Re: Shipwrights

    Quote Originally Posted by Chris Allman View Post
    Good question Keith - I sailed with some very skilled Carpenters who taught me some woodwork skills I still have today. Valuable and knowledgeable seamen. One wonders in these days of plastics and perspex, if there is just very large tubes of COPYDEX and UHU in a glass case marked ' For Emergency Use Only ' in ten different languages.

    PS Sorry I forgot the ' Gaffer Tape '
    Chris, I think you may be referring to Thistlebond (ha ha).
    When Shell removed all the oxy acetylene sets they were replaced with "sophisticated repair kits" I still remember that phrase to this day.

  11. #8
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Location
    isle of wight
    Posts
    6,701
    Thanks (Given)
    2291
    Thanks (Received)
    5237
    Likes (Given)
    15143
    Likes (Received)
    24215

    Default Re: Shipwrights

    This is a short story from an old ships carpenter from liverpool, as i recall the *chippie* was a job that answered to the chief mate, not the Bosun. This guy obviously misses the sea, much the same as the rest of us, kt

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CtzuQvPaZ7w
    R689823

  12. #9
    Join Date
    Jan 2018
    Location
    Isle of Man
    Posts
    1
    Thanks (Given)
    0
    Thanks (Received)
    0
    Likes (Given)
    0
    Likes (Received)
    2

    Default Re: Shipwrights

    Shell Tankers, back in the day, had a bosun, carpenter and a deck storekeeper as "petty officers". Shipwright not much use on a steel shell (pardon the pun), but the others were definitely not to be messed with!! Also had crew of about 35'ish, so plenty of jobs for all three to take care of.

Tags for this Thread

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •