First trip

[William Mair]

Hi, reading some of the first trips on here brought back some great memories which I thought I would share. I served my apprenticeship at Ravenscraig steelworks in Motherwell from 68-73 and joined my first ship early the following year as a Junior engineer. Company was called Courtline which had ships and planes in the early 70s. Went for an interview in London at 20 and they treated me like royalty. I had hardly been out of my home town up until then, so even London was a huge adventure. Got the job and they sent me for professional photo for my passport put me up in a hotel and started paying me until a ship became available.
Couple of weeks later I received a telegram to join The Halcyon Isle in New York, I nearly fell off my seat. I had to join up in London with the relief captain and second mate ( neither names can I remember unfortunately ) Flew to New York , ( first ever flight ) and again treated like a lord. We were driven to the docks and taken by a launch to our ship. The docks in those days were amazing full of wonderful ships and a sight to behold. As a young nieve kid I kept asking, as you do “ is that our ship “ when getting close to a beautiful vessel, the answer of course was no not yet. We then spotted the rust bucket, Halcyon Isle which was again being repaired. ( this went on throughout my 6 months at sea. Although disappointed the voyage and crew mates were fantastic apart from some initial hiccups. I took a really bad flu almost immediately and was in bed for about a week. As you can imagine this did not go down well as no one knew me and assumed I was a chancer. ( this all changed as the trip went on )
After my bout of flu ( we were in New York harbour for around 3 weeks ) some of the lads were going into the city, and we did the usual Empire States etc, I got a subby to go with them, but not a lot, so when the lads weee going on for a trip to some of the bars I was skint and said I would go back to the ship. ( deep throat was the movie in just about all the major cinemas at the time ) The month I think was around mid December and pitch black and I walked through Brooklyn to my ship, stupid, absolutely, hiding in door ways if I heard people. Arrived back ok, probably more luck than good judgement. Got a real bollocking the next day when told of my adventures.
I remember there were like 4 junior engineers, Pete Finch and Ollie ? both from Tyneside and They were “ nuts “ but in a real fun way and hilarious and very good mates. There is much more to tell on this trip, as stated we broke down so often it was reckoned Columbia’s sailed from New York to SA quicker than we did. However I will leave them for another day. I will say reading other stories brings real nostalgia and even writing this brings it all back.
Maybe this trip and ship will be remembered by others who sailed on it.
Thanks
Willie Mair

[Graham Shaw]

Halcyon Isle.
Good story Willie. Dare I say it though? .....Typical Court Line vessel bought at the end of it's life,manned by an unsuspecting British agency crew recruited from a rented office in London where they were 'treated like royalty.' .."Just sign here please Mr X,and here's your plane ticket to New York..... She's a beautiful well-maintained ship with a happy crew.Safe trip!" (...Fingers crossed they've patched up those holes)

Many have done that,and all turned out to be quite an experience,as I'm sure you'll agree,just reading your story .

The reality...

m.t.HALCYON ISLE, an 18,340 deadweight motor tanker started life in Amsterdam as the KONINGSWAARD for NV Vereenigde Nederlandsche Tankvaart Rederij a Dutch tanker company in May 1956.
15 years later in 1971 she was sold to the Greeks becoming IONIC QUEEN and then the ALICE.
In 1973 she was bought ,(maybe even from the scrapyard ? says me,wedging my tongue firmly into cheek) by that infamous company Court Line and renamed HALCYON ISLE,who registered her in London,that well-known flag of convenience capital(!), giving her company title as Ocean Bulkers (UK) Ltd.
She didn't last long after your trip because she was turned into a barge at Singapore in 1975,and was reported to still exist in 1995.

But congratulations,you survived!

HALCYON ISLE 1973-1975.Court Line.jpg
Photo courtesy of Ships Nostalgia

[vic mcclymont]

Hopefully and fingers crossed, a WSS publication on the History of Court Line is due for publication by April this year.
I am joint author of the book.
Vic

[Graham Shaw]

Hopefully and fingers crossed, a WSS publication on the History of Court Line is due for publication by April this year.
I am joint author of the book.
Vic

That will be interesting Vic.

I hope I haven't disclosed anything libellous about Court Line in my post!.They are my thoughts,of course,and it was general opinion in the 70's.

Graham

[happy daze john in oz]

Graham, just stay under the floor boards until it is launched, if they pull you up just say you were having an ilusination at the time due to being at sea for so many years.
Failing that just plead mental health issues, most do now,

[Graham Shaw]

That will be interesting Vic.



I hope I haven't disclosed anything libellous about Court Line in my post!.They are my thoughts,of course,and it was general opinion in the 70's.

Graham

[........In the 1970s the company diversified into airlines, shipbuilding, ship repairing and package holidays but this led to a cash-flow problem and the company went into liquidation in 1974.]




All things come to pass....LINK

There's lots of information on British shipping in general on Benjidogs Home Page-click on content in the left sidebar

[vic mcclymont]

Graham, it's the classic tail of mismanagement, dilution of founding families share ownership.
Vic

[Steven Mills]

I joined Common Brothers in September 1970 and did my induction course at SSM&TC. Another cadet ( Patrick Whelan from Eire) joined the same time and we were posted to different ships, me to Border Falcon in drydock in Shields and Patrick to the Border Reiver. However I was the only one between us that had a passport so they switched us.
I was 17 and had never been out of the UK...The Border Reiver was due in Oita and I was given a ticket to fly out to join here. First there was a North East airlines Trident to London then a BOAC 707 to Tokyo. Tokyo to Osaka by 727 and Osaka to Oita byAvro 748 derivitive.
The ship was due the next morning and we were given a Japanese hotel to stay in with sliding paper doors, bed on the floor, sqatty toilets, communal bathing in a pool and breakfast table 6 inches off the ground..it was amazing.
The ship broke down for two days off Okinawa so we limped to Singapore on 5 legs of the Doxford. ( my dad was a FEPOW captured in Singapore in 1942 so it was wierd that I strated my career in Japan etc). From Singapore we went to Port Sudan, Canaries, Lagos and Bonny, Le Havre and Whitegate before taking two weeks leave from Cardiff. i rejoined her in Barry and set off again to Milazzo, Philadelphia and Curacao where i left to join the Fina Britannia in Rotterdam. Wow. Happy days.

[j.sabourn]

Steven I flew out to a Japan once about 1968 on JAL airlines and they flew from Schipol airport in Holland.However they flew a G.C. Over the Pole , I remember this because all the mostly Japanese passengers were issued with a certificate saying so. I also remember that flight because think I was about the only European on it, and all the drinks were free. We also had to change flights in Anchorage so remember the big stuffed polar bear there. Cheers JS.

[Steven Mills]

I also flew to Japan with JAL at a later date and also got a certificate for flying over the pole