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Article: Christmas on the SS Sapho 1 - 1966

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    Christmas on the SS Sapho 1 - 1966

    25 Comments by Peter Copley Published on 24th December 2020 08:02 PM
    I’m sure there have been many worst Christmas’s at sea than my Christmas at sea in 1966, but this was my worst. Sailing between the Great Lakes and Greece, my ship, a former Empire boat, was the Liberian flagged SS Sapho 1. Crewed by some of the dregs of the world’s sea ports; Greeks, Spaniards, Colombians, Sudanese, Mexicans, a West Indian (Sullivan) and myself, (Brenda Silver, remember her? Silver Marine Agency Liverpool, Brenda, my agent told me the ship was new, crewed by American officers – no wonder we called her Shanghai Lily!) The voyage between Piraeus and the Great Lake ports and back to Greece, was one catastrophe after another, a fire in the engine room in mid-Atlantic, a Colombian, drunk on Ceuta cognac, going on the rampage with a revolver shooting at everything and everyone in sight, including me and the skipper. The Colombians and Mexicans were all sacked and deported for having firearms at sea. We ran out of fresh drinking water with the port hydrants freezing up. The lake water was undrinkable, We were the last ship to leave the Lakes before the locks to the St Laurence were shut for pre-winter maintenance. Anyway, the cook got stabbed to death in Buffalo NY. So we sailed from the Lakes without a cook. The captain’s wife took over cooking duties and believe me she could not cook. For Christmas lunch the Greek officers decided to have an outdoor BBQ type meal, they cut an old drum in half from top to bottom filled it with burning wood and rigged a spit for the lamb, or maybe it was goat, whatever. The spit was out on the deck, middle of the Atlantic in winter, the sea was rough and it was freezing cold. The meat congealed on the cold plate, the only other accompaniment with the meal was boiled macaroni, that too was cold. Captain Poly-Chronakis-Chronis invited the sailors up to the officer’s saloon for drinks and tab-nabs. The evening festivities was more like cold comfort farm. The Greeks hated the Spaniards, The Spaniards hated the Greeks and they all hated the black sailors. You could cut the atmosphere with a knife. At around 10pm I left the mess for the radio room to listen to the BBC World Service. Carols from Kings was on, they were singing Once in Royal David’s City. I’ve never felt so homesick in my life. When I returned to the dining room, all hell had broken loose. The skipper had the mess boy Ricardo by the throat up against the bulkhead with one hand trying to stop being stabbed with his other hand. Sullivan was slumped in the corner blubbing his eyes out, he had been called the N-word and so it kicked off - the Greeks fighting the Spaniards, the skipper’s wife screaming her head off, spilt beer and beer cans sloshing around the deck. Complete mayhem, everyone shouting and bawling. Ricardo was my friend and I managed to calm him down and get the blade off him. The skipper had apparently insulted him. However, as is often the case with Latins, the bedlam died down as quickly as it flared up and we managed to reach Scaramanga shipyard in one piece where I paid off. I thought the Sapho 1 was to be scrapped there but I think she was sold onto another company. Anyway, I hope everyone will have a wonderful Christmas and a much better 2021.

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    Default Re: Christmas on the SS Sapho 1 - 1966

    Quote Originally Posted by Peter Copley View Post
    I’m sure there have been many worst Christmas’s at sea than my Christmas at sea in 1966, but this was my worst. I thought the Sapho 1 was to be scrapped there but I think she was sold onto another company. Anyway, I hope everyone will have a wonderful Christmas and a much better 2021.
    Peter I certainly remember Brenda Silver of Liverpool of Silver Marine Services a crewing agency. I took one job via the telephone of a mates job joining in Rotterdam sight unseen in 1969 ,and finishing for me 10 months later by my self imposed breaking the 12 months contract in Japan and flying home. I could probably match your disfavour of this vessel not so much crew wise but to the seaworthiness of the vessel ,parts of this story is hidden away on site also. A seaman is used to taking the good with the bad this in my books was worse than bad.. cheers JS
    Last edited by Doc Vernon; 25th December 2020 at 04:13 AM.
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    Default Re: Christmas on the SS Sapho 1 - 1966

    Quote Originally Posted by j.sabourn View Post
    Peter I certainly remember Brenda Silver of Liverpool of Silver Marine Services a crewing agency. I took one job via the telephone of a mates job joining in Rotterdam sight unseen in 1969 ,and finishing for me 10 months later by my self imposed breaking the 12 months contract in Japan and flying home. I could probably match your disfavour of this vessel not so much crew wise but to the seaworthiness of the vessel ,parts of this story is hidden away on site also. A seaman is used to taking the good with the bad this in my books was worse than bad.. cheers JS
    Hi JS. I did a few jobs for Brenda. In fact, I think I was her very first customer after she set up her business on her own, after leaving her former employer. Once again telling me porkies about a ship I joined in Hawaii the Eugenie S Embiricos. She said it was Liberian or Panamanian flagged with English speaking officers, it turned out to be Greek flagged, registered in Andros with all the crew Greeks. I spent 13 months on her as Embircos Line said they couldn't find a replacement. Keep safe in 2021 regards from Peter

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    Default Re: Christmas on the SS Sapho 1 - 1966

    Quote Originally Posted by j.sabourn View Post
    Peter I certainly remember Brenda Silver of Liverpool of Silver Marine Services a crewing agency. I took one job via the telephone of a mates job joining in Rotterdam sight unseen in 1969 ,and finishing for me 10 months later by my self imposed breaking the 12 months contract in Japan and flying home. I could probably match your disfavour of this vessel not so much crew wise but to the seaworthiness of the vessel ,parts of this story is hidden away on site also. A seaman is used to taking the good with the bad this in my books was worse than bad.. cheers JS
    hi john sabourn
    its still in castle street liverpool.
    tom

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    Default Re: Christmas on the SS Sapho 1 - 1966

    #3 Would take reams of paper to describe and then most would not believe, the excuse for a ship I was on jS

    In short on discharging Copra the bugs closed all the waterfront cafes in Rotterdam.
    2. Sailing from Gdańsk with coke and coming out via the Kiel canal the Arabic 2 mate jumped over the side and was never replaced. The Chinese 3/mate was purely a watchman on the Bridge.
    3. Half of a blade off the propellor was missing.
    4. The lifeboats had all been condemned a year previously .
    5 the chief engineer died in Singapore and was replaced by an indian
    6. The second engineer from Aberdeen Scotland but lived in Aberdeen H.K. Was sacked and also replaced for less money.
    7 the engine room cook was made up as 3 engineer.
    8 going from A to B had to go to any port in between for boiler water. Ship always on rationing.
    9 ship arrested in Singapore , we just sailed
    10. In Hong Kong as a port of refuge the Chinese paid off and philiponos employed were a pound a month cheaper.
    These are just a few of the things ,the real reasons are complicated and involves acts of safety which are more technical and goes into realms of stability,stowage etc.
    But could multiply that 10 by 4 and still find faults. One of which was not getting paid.
    JS.
    Last edited by j.sabourn; 26th December 2020 at 12:24 AM. Reason: Er.
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    Default Re: Christmas on the SS Sapho 1 - 1966

    Hi JS I certainly believe you, I've seen some pretty dodgy things on flags of convenience vessels that I sailed on. Mate stripping out a lifeboat of all small gear, drinking water, sails, oars, mast and leaving them unsecured on the deck for more than a month. The cardboard box holding the canned water got saturated, the box disintegrated and half the water can rolled around the deck before being lost overboard. Liberian oil tanker so overloaded stuck to the dock bottom. Liberian oil tanker turned back to Port (Augusta) by the Italian navy for being overloaded. Liberian oil tanker discharging tons of oily slops straight into the sea and so on. But the lack of seamanship knowledge of some crews beggars belief. ie promotion steps for British deckhands; Deck Boy, Junior Ordinary Seaman, Senior Ordinary Seaman, Efficient Deck Hand (When qualified) Able Seaman, then after many years experience promoted to Bosun. I've sailed with a Greek bosun, who two years previously had never seen running tap water or mains electricity, or a TV, on the island he had lived all his life before going deep sea. He was next to useless had no idea of bowsing-in a painting stage, could not rig a painting stage or a bosun's chair. Its no wonder their ships come to grief so often.

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    Default Re: Christmas on the SS Sapho 1 - 1966

    Most people agree that the Cape Verde seamen were proper seamen, maybe they were on their sailing vessels , but the ones I sailed with were not allowed on the wheel or to drive the cranes which had to use to open and close the hatches . This may have been due to the lack of foresight on teaching them how to work a modern ship, but as I was there for a limited period it was not my intention to alter the past and cause problems. Cheers JS..

    PS As regards Brenda I only took the one job . From her which was a Chinese HK owner. She complained bitterly on the time and expense incurred on the telephone . So I asked her what she gained when providing crew to customers, her reply true or false was that she received a payment equivalent to a months wages you received, It was similar to what the H.K crewing agencies got, only there the seaman himself had to pay for this privilege , so his first months wage was zilch. You hear a lot about this so called International Union , it must have been a gentleman’s club , because I never saw it. JS
    Last edited by j.sabourn; 27th December 2020 at 12:36 AM.
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    Default Re: Christmas on the SS Sapho 1 - 1966

    #6... Therein lies the difference of ship management Peter. On a regular manned British vessel the lifeboats would be the 3 mates responsibility and if he was on B agreement was a source off overtime for him , however it was often abused and had to be curbed 4 hours a day for 6 months looked a bit suspicious to the shipowner. JS.
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    Default Re: Christmas on the SS Sapho 1 - 1966

    Peter ! That made my day. Thanks, Bob

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    Default Re: Christmas on the SS Sapho 1 - 1966

    Quote Originally Posted by Peter Copley View Post
    I’m sure there have been many worst Christmas’s at sea than my Christmas at sea in 1966, but this was my worst. I thought the Sapho 1 was to be scrapped there but I think she was sold onto another company. Anyway, I hope everyone will have a wonderful Christmas and a much better 2021.
    Great post and your voyage sounds a desperate affair.
    I am one who called on Brenda Silver. She painted a bright and lucrative picture but I didn't go further.
    Her assistant told me that I would have to join ships outside the UK owing to laws governing the press gang.
    Happy New Year to all

    - - - Updated - - -

    Some interesting things happened on British ships when crewing from the Rotterdam International Pool
    Last edited by Doc Vernon; 30th December 2020 at 07:10 PM.

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