Insurance Wire

[happy daze john in oz]

Must have been all p***ed when putting out. Or maybe the crowd coming back from the Del Monico got in to help. Or maybe John himself had slipped up the road and had a couple of ginger squares. Cheers John Sabourn.

Well that is how I remember it, but I was catering not deck, but we all drank the same stuff.

[j.sabourn]

Cant remember drinking beer too much in the Cape. Was either Gin or Brandy. The Brandy with Ginger we always called Ginger Squares. The Insurance wire would nearly have stretched from Duncan Dock to the Del Monico, So those on the end of it could very nearly have deposited it there. Cheers John Sabourn

[Doc Vernon]

I think after a few of those Oude Meester and Ginger Ales we were all squared! haah! Good old Del! imagesCA37JOTK.jpg

[j.sabourn]

Never really got to the Navigators Den unless when drunk and cant remember. Was told it full of queers and perverts. Probably queers is going to disappear, however we still do have perverts in the English Language. The Carlton wasn't a bad pub unless you got thrown off the balcony. Wasnt too keen on the Castle beer especially when the Brandy and Gin was so cheap in comparison. Cheers John Sabourn

[Neil Howard]

I have used the insurance wire on a ship of about 7000 tons back in 1974. The ship was, I believe, one of the first container ships built and technically she was a major design step forward. However, the specification for the instrumentation did not exist for a deep sea ship at that time. Accordingly, a lot of shore based instruments found there way into the "as built". Further, she was specified for the waters of the North Atlantic. However, in 1974, I was sent out to her in Los Angeles to make a voyage to Taiwan. She was in such a poor state that, as the second engineer, I refused to sign the sailling letter, but the ship sailed anyway.
The auxilary engines were scored out one by one until the ship had no auxilary power.
A Mayday was put out when, at 4am in the morning, the lookouts determined we were to drifting towards a chain of Japanese islands. The chart showed that the islands had been seeded with Anthrax and the sea between the islands had been mined. All to stop the Americans in the last world war. The mayday was respond to by a small japanese coastal vessel. This vessel took our ropes but she only had the power to stop us drifting on to the islands. Over the horizon, two deep sea salvage tugs had been listening to our plight. They eventually made their move and made their way to us. They came at us bow on and then both peeled away to present us with there sterns. The names of these two mighty black tugs were painted in huge white letters along the ships sides. The names were the "FU.. YU" and "FU.. YUARDA". That is the gospel truth.
We, the crew, had to use swedish steam to haul the Insurance wire out of its location in the fore peak area lead it down the deck around the poop, back to the fore deck and through fore lead . Then a rope was paid out to the tugs with the Insurance wire secured to one rope end. The two tugs split the load and then towed us for two days to Keelung. Once safely inside the harbour at Keelung the Insurance Wire and a lot of other equipment was written off by LLoyds (the insurers). Hence the name insurance wire. Used only in a dire emergency.

[j.sabourn]

Neil is hard to believe that 2 salvage tugs were not equipped with their own tow wires. Dont suppose you would know under what agreement the tow was taken on whether Lloyds open form or a private agreement between the master and tugs to cut down on costs.The term Insurance Wire was used a long time prior to the dates you state. As stated by someone the correct term for this wire was emergency tow wire. No doubt re-christened by someone as Insurance wire, probably by seafarers themselves. Under normal circumstances the tug or tugs would have passed you a line either rope or wire for you to just put on your bitts, or maybe a bridle. If both tugs were towing in tandem they would of each passed you a line. By not accepting the tugs line no doubt the master may have thought he was cutting back on costs, maybe he was. Best Regards John Sabourn. Further to this it sounds like you describe as an emergency, the master of your vessel could also have tied up each tug using ships ropes one on each side of his vessel and the tugs could have manouvered your ship well clear. I have moved a ship this way, but of course would again depend on the tugs masters and the agreement they had with your vessel. JS

[happy daze john in oz]

Cant remember drinking beer too much in the Cape. Was either Gin or Brandy. The Brandy with Ginger we always called Ginger Squares. The Insurance wire would nearly have stretched from Duncan Dock to the Del Monico, So those on the end of it could very nearly have deposited it there. Cheers John Sabourn

Gin and Brandy squares coupled with Lion or Castle lager. In Durban in the Criterion by the docks draught beer, the only bar I ever recall seeing it in.

[Ivan Cloherty]

I have used the insurance wire on a ship of about 7000 tons back in 1974. The ship was, I believe, one of the first container ships built and technically she was a major design step forward. However, the specification for the instrumentation did not exist for a deep sea ship at that time. Accordingly, a lot of shore based instruments found there way into the "as built". Further, she was specified for the waters of the North Atlantic. However, in 1974, I was sent out to her in Los Angeles to make a voyage to Taiwan. She was in such a poor state that, as the second engineer, I refused to sign the sailling letter, but the ship sailed anyway.
). Hence the name insurance wire. Used only in a dire emergency.

Hmmmmmmmmm

What was the instrumentation that was missing

What was the instrumentation ashore

Second engineer signing a 'Sailing Letter' where were the Chief engineer and the Captain, what exactly was specified in the sailing letter

I used an 'Insurance Wire' in the 1950's and to my recollection was never referred to as a 'Towing Wire' by any Officer or seamen in my time at sea

one of the first container ships! lacking instrumentation, did not exist for a deep sea ship but the ship was specified for the North Atlantic trade

Sorry by have I been asleep and woken up on April 1st

The names of the tugs sound genuine

[robpage]

I always thought the first container ships were converted T2 Tankers and they were about 20,000 , I think the early UK ones were the OCL " Bay " ships and they were about 27,000 tonnes , the 7,000 tonnes , sounds like a small feeder . Clan Line were very innovative with Engine room designs , they had some of the earliest control rooms built , and a lot of the instrumentation was from Kockums in Sweden they had marine control from the early 1960s , and it was not marinised off the shorebased shelf . It was sensitive to heat and that is why the shipowner generously air conditioned the control room , not to keep engineers cool . I have known the Insurance wire used in a few rare cases as a Mooring wire , especially when some really heavy weather was expected in an exposed port , you always knew when it was out as the Mate groaned for days at getting it rigged , especially with Bangladeshi Crew

Fuku is a common Japanese word

The most common translation for fuku is 服 which means, clothes.

[j.sabourn]

Rob that clears up a lot of untoward thoughts. Always thought when the girls screamed at you in the morning they were being abusive, but were only telling you to put your clothes on. What a relief. John Sabourn