Cruising Down the River.

[David mullins]

Cruising down the river.

I just know the following account will bring reams of criticism and accusations of immaturity. But in defence I was very young and undeniably immature but full of high spirits and adventure.
The ship was the Manchester Merchant, date circa 1961, after offloading cargo in Montreal we shifted empty ship to Trois Rivieres (3 rivers) for engine repairs and reload general cargo for the UK.
It was summer and the weather was really hot. The repairs were taking longer than anticipated and we were becoming bored.
Each hold had a significant amount of dunnage scattered about and in an effort to overcome our boredom we hit on the idea of making a dinghy out of the dunnage.
Most of the deck crew became involved including the Chippy who decided he would be in charge of the build since it was his tools we were using.
After only two days the boat was finished and it turned out to be the ugliest boat I had ever seen. After construction, the chippy spent several hours on his knees applying Oakum for caulking the planks to keep out the water.
Discussions of who would actually crew the boat caused much shuffling of feet and glances in other directions.
However, Fred and I in our infinite wisdom and vast knowledge of seamanship (so we thought) offered our services.
Although only approx 16 foot long the contraption weighed a ton and after attaching 2 strops to a Derricks runner, we swung the boat out ready for launch.
We had made a pair of oars and borrowed a pair of rowlocks from one of the lifeboats. Anticipating some seepage, we put a bailer in the boat together with a bucket.
All ready to go, Fred and I scrambled over the ships gunwale and into the boat for launch. No thought of life jackets entered our heads.
The Derrick runner was lowered and down we went into the Saint Lawence river.
After releasing the strops we were immediately carried away by the fast flowing current.
Surprisingly the stability of the boat was good. However, within minutes the chippies caulking work proved to be an utter waste of time as both bailer and bucket were brought into frantic action. Manoeuvrability was none existent as we drifted in the current turning through every point on the compass.
Excitement now dissipated as signs of apprehension and fear crept in as we were carried further and further down the river.
Desperately, with each taking an oar and applying as much strength as we had, our efforts were futile as she made her own merry way completely out of control, towards Quebec City.
We were passed by a couple of vessels who’s crew stared down at us with what appeared to be disgust, although it may have been pity.
We considered shouting for help but pride and shame held us back. After all, we were British with stiff upper lips.
Probably a further hour passed and the onset of evening darkened the skies.
Ahead of us we noticed a bend in the river and as we approached, the boat was carried from the central area of the river closer to the riverbank and the speed increased. With only several yards from the bank we put as much effort as we could into the oars and eventually ran aground but still bouncing along the bank and riverbed. We both leapt on the banking and watched as the boat carried on, now a little lighter, with the current.
With no idea where we were, we waded through swamp and woodland till we came across a major road. Fortunately a kind Canadian couple saw us thumbing a lift and took us back to the ship.

[Peter Copley]

I had to smile at an image of an out-of-control boat spiraling down the St Lawrence River with two panicking sailors onboard. I know from personal experience how fast flows St Lawrence. A ship I was on (SS Sappho – 6 knots flat out) could not make headway upriver on the ebb. I had a similar experience in the Barrow Channel returning to my moored boat in the dark. The incoming tide in the Morecombe Bay floods in at a rate of knots (3rd Hour 3/12th 1.5m 4th Hour 3/12th 1.5m = 3metres in 2 hours) My 1.5HP Johnson outboard on the tender doing 3 knots on full revs the incoming tide doing 3.5 knots. I’m rowing as hard as possible, my missus on the throttle. I’m thinking if the bloody outboard coughs we’re in deep SH-1T.

[Frank Thorp]

This story made me smile. An experience that you will never forget. We all do some crazy things when we are young.

It also backs my theory that whether you live by the sea, or inland, I think for one term at least, schools should be compelled to watch one series of "Saving Lives at Sea" . ( A series of films
shown in Britain about the Royal National Lifeboat Institution).

Frank.

[Steve Singleton]

Morecambe Bay is a place to be treated with respect, Peter. I guess you never felt the urge to repeat the experience.....
Of course, an Anniversary Trip with your dear wife might be romantically nostalgic.

[Des Taff Jenkins]

Hi David.
That brought tears to my eyes, {Laughing} it so reminded me of when I was still at school before the war when we school kids used to make boats out of thrown away sheets of tinplate, the others gave it away i kept going with plenty of blood snot and soaking clothes, in one such boat? I was caught when a bore came up the river, I think that was my last sailing until I went to sea.
Des

[Peter Copley]

#4 Hi Steve, My days of sailing around the Irish Sea and Morecombe Bay are well and truly over. The nearest I'll get to the Lune Deep and the Wyre Channel is strolling down the Fleetwood prom with my missus reminiscing, "Remember when we got pulled in by the Lytham lifeboat?" or "Do you remember when we ran aground by the Perch?" P.

[Graham Shaw]

Possibly the strongest beneficial currents I have experienced were the Agulhas Current off South Africa where my normal 16 knot cargo ship attained 21 knots at times,and the Florida Current,which eventually joins the Gulf Stream, where my 19.5 kt container vessel often achieved 24 knots.

On the other ,non-beneficial ,hand I was on a 16 knot cargo vessel bound upstream in the River Congo from Boma to Matadi in Zaire as it was then called,now it's the Democratic Republic of Congo.That River Congo,as well as being the deepest river in the world carries a tremendous volume of rainforest water on it's way to the Atlantic,and especially during the rainy season.Our 16 knotter ,worked up to sea speed could barely make 4 knots over the ground due to the estimated 12 knot head current. We had a tug in attendance but not made fast and she stayed with us until hours later we docked in Matadi,which was also a protracted operation due to the fast flowing current. Other vessels of less power than us ,and could not make it to Matadi were anchored off Boma for days awaiting more favourable current conditions,some of which were diverted to other African coastal ports,or transhipped what Matadi cargo they had at Boma ,either to be taken up there later by tug and barge,or by road,which allegedly was even more of a hazard through those rainforests due to floods or landslips,or by robbers!
I only 'explored' so to speak,the Congo once,("Dr.Livingstone I presume",heh,heh)and my abiding memories were of seeing the rusty American cars parked in a compound behind the cargo sheds,hurriedly abandoned by the 'white man' when the Belgian Congo became Zaire,some 15 years earlier!,the unbearable shirt- stuck -to-your back humidity,the carcasses of dead animals-once even a bloated human corpse ,trapped around the bow or next to the quay when you took your morning draught,uprooted trees flashing past your eyes downstream at a rate of knots...If anyone would say to me would you like to go back
again,I would say- why not?!,but to Bali-not Boma please !..
By the way,the pilot station where one enters the River Congo from the Atlantic is at a place called...Banana !

Some of you who voyaged between South Africa and the Gulf of Guinea , and were between about 100-200 miles off the coast might have seen the change of colour of the ocean where the current from the muddy River Congo has extended so far out to sea-a powerful current indeed has brought it down from the rainforests of Africa and out to sea.

[j.sabourn]

Don’t know if in the pilot book or not Graham , but if going south in the Florida current cum Gulf Stream if kept well inshore was a strong south setting counter current and could sometimes get Up to 3 knots out of it .learned this as second mate from an old time master and never forgot. There was a wealth of wisdom in some of these old timers if they chose to let you in. To their experiences. Another one was making a sea passage from the Queensland area to japan , passage may not appear shorter by the Jomard Passage but always got there faster. I won’t put down what some of them thought about Ocean Routing JS

[Peter Pearson]

As a Shell Tankers deck apprentice I once went to Ango-Ango on the Congo river just downstream of Matadi. We had to wait off overnight. The radar image showed very clearly the demarcation where the river current and the Atlantic ocean met. I have vague memories of the ship, an H boat, turning in a wide part of the river just below Matadi to go out to sea again. It was over 60 years ago so memory of it a bit fuzzy now.

[Graham Shaw]

Another memory of Matadi.Prior to discharging our general and container cargo-mainly CKD's,motor parts etc and rolled steel coils for industrial use, we had to feed the gangs first--by tins of sardines and bags of rice brought from the Far East,stowed in the deck masthouses. They set up a 'cookhouse' on the poop.It was an 'incentive of sorts ('dash') from the shippers,agents,company etc to prioritise and secure a gang or two from the port authority to expedite cargo ops. I wouldn't like to think what 'presents' went ashore with the authorities,Customs et al from the bonded stores!
But "that is Africa my friend" as they say!
Of course,after filling their bellies with 'chop',-the gangs promptly fell asleep,and it was rather later when they commenced,although we actually discharged most of it ourselves-mates, deck crew and Sparky.I mean we didn't want our precious cargo gear ruined by accidents and have to stay in the jungle whilst it was repaired.In any case I think there was only one out of four shoreside cranes in serviceable order on the quay so that would not have been an option.
Oh Africa-you break my heart! I hope things have got a bit better for you.