TSS Markland 1962 Trip

[Stan Hackett]

I sailed out of South shields on the TSS Markland (Bowaters) August 1962,for Canada to take over the run from I believe the Sarah Bowater,we broke down mid Atlantic ,nopower no engines no radio .we were spotted by a plane ,who contacted the USS Coastguard.the Coast Guard Cutter Evergreencame to our aid,and sent a Radio across by a line.After which we were able to contact the Sarah Bowater.which after a few turns around us we managed to attatch a tow line,She then took us in tow and towed us to Saint Johns.where we had a generator installed on deck for power,and then towed down to Halifax for repairs.We were eating whatever the cook and Chief steward could find and prepare,mostly dried stuff,we were given Beer to drink in leu of tea,coffee,which on pay off the Co tried billing us,After we were repaired we took over the run,another incident occured when one of the Engineers pumped out thick fuel oil over the side instead of Ballast,which covered the rear end ,Bridge wings,masts Decks with Black oil,we were put to cleaning up,with a number of chemicals,which rotted our clothing.Eventually after a bun fight we were issued with new clothing,which I might add was good American stuff Wrangler Jeans,great warm shirts and tough boots.W e had a few more incidents,mainly loss of power,and steering at crucial times,like going past the Statue of Liberty,going into Newport News etc.Was the worst trip at sea I ever had,on pay off,I went on leave and didn,t look at going to sea for about six months.

[Des Jenkins]

Hi Stan
Well you picked a nice place to break down, I had some great adventures in the North Atlantic back in the day, on old rust buckets carrying logs from Canada to the UK.
Des

[Peter Copley]

On the trawler Velia we lost steering as we approached Fleetwood lock, slewing to starboard crashing into the dock wall sending the waiting wives scattering, a pram turned over spilling out a baby. That was many years ago now but when in Fleetwood I often go to the dock wall and look at the patched up dock edge that the bow of the Velia made.

[Alan Briggs]

Bet the engineer was popular!!.

[Geoff Bray]

Hi There ,

I sailed with Bowater's in 1962, I joined the Nicolas in Grayson Rollo dry docks in Birkenhead, six months on the YANKY coast after which I took leave, and sailed out to Cornerbrook on the Sarah Bowater as supernumerary to rejoin the Nicolas.
The Chief Engineer had problem with the fifth engineer. I did another two voyages on the Nicolas on the YANKY coast. After leave , the office called me and said that they were in a bind, the TSS Markland was in Cammell Lairds, and the fourth engineer had thrown a wobbler ( being local, living in Wallasey ) I went and joined her, she was supposed to be sailing to Umea, in Sweden. The ship was in such poor condition (Twin screwup and downer) that they decided to take the ship and lay it up in Black Water in Essex.
It was the coldest winter.(1964) we shut the ship down, and were sleeping in our over coats, we had one small diesel generator that we started every night a five o'clock. We were putting everything into lay up, the boilers up, draining all the lines. there was only about ten of us on the ship. We had an oil fired galley and two Chief Stewards, Ernie Gelling and Ronnie Hughes, they were great cooks and we ate like "Kings" using all what was in the meat locker and fresh produce
We were there for about a week, then left a Dead Ship. What a terrific Company Bowater's was. I left the Company whose management had been taken over by British & Commonwealth . I joined Brocklebank's

Geoff Bray