deck cargo

[Brian Charles Williams]

When a ship carried deck cargo was it up to the discretion of the `old man` if he took aboard & if so was it insured & did the Captain `get part of the action`of such cargo. I`m recalling a deck cargo of wool bales from OZ that com-busted in the Red Sea and as a result of the fire some bales were jettisoned over the side. Some bales were still smouldering almost to Liverpool.

[happy daze john in oz]

Recall we often picked up crates of Tomatoes in Maderia homeward bound. All stored on the fore deck of the UCL liners. One voyage we lost the lot in the Bay when it blew up rough.

[Chris Allman]

Yeah we carried Tomatoes from Las Palmas to Liverpool on top of the hatches. They didn't half get discharged quick when we got to Liverpool, they were off before we were

[Ivan Cloherty]

When a ship carried deck cargo was it up to the discretion of the `old man` if he took aboard & if so was it insured & did the Captain `get part of the action`of such cargo. I`m recalling a deck cargo of wool bales from OZ that com-busted in the Red Sea and as a result of the fire some bales were jettisoned over the side. Some bales were still smouldering almost to Liverpool.

No the Master didn't get "part of the action", deck cargo was carried at Shippers risk, they of course could insure it (for damage caused by the vessel or stevedores) but not against 'Force Majeur' (ship safety in inclement weather, where-in it may have to be jettisoned) nor could they insist on it being carried under deck even if space was available. Rules are more complicated today with the advent of container ships, but Bills of Lading still show carried 'under deck' or 'on deck' and that in most cases would depend upon the nature of the contents

[Keith Tindell]

I think i posted before, we were on our way to India with two second hand steam locomotives on deck, they broke loose in a severe storm, the Bosun broke his leg as we all tried to secure them on the foredeck , but they were causing huge damage to guard rails, hatch comings etc, the skipper took the descision to jettison them over the side, boy were we pleased to see that one go swimming, kt

[Captain Kong]

1955
We lost Six Locomotives for Australia on the SUEVIC, they snapped their chains and shunting up and down the fore deck in the South West Monsoon, The Captain shouting.` Lash those trains down,` 200 tons each charging around the fore deck, from the bridge , with big heavy seas crashing over us and rolling 45`. terrifying. We got out of there fast.
.

1959
On the Good Hope Castle homeward bound in the Bay, a deck cargo of 600 barrels of Cotton Oil from Sudan. all adrift, Barrels bust oil everywhere and so slippery. The rails carried away, and Fred went over the wall off the fore deck, in a big sea. gone.
We couldn't stand up, seas crashing over. ten minutes later Fred appeared on the fore end of the Boat Deck, head covered in blood, As the ship rolled over to port and the sea took Fred with it, it then rolled to starboard and he was washed back on board on the after deck. Luckiest man alive.
We lost all 600 barrels,
later the Captain came down to the Mess room, and shouted,
"Who never paid the whore in Barcelona, [ our last port]. [it is an old superstition, you get Very Bad weather if you do not pay them]
I said` Me`. He went berserk, screaming abuse at me. Still I have good memories of her, Maria,.
Cheers
Brian

[Keith Tindell]

Brian, all the whores i knew only ever did it for love, just wanted money as a souvenir !!! kt

[Chris Isaac]

1955
We lost Six Locomotives for Australia on the SUEVIC, they snapped their chains and shunting up and down the fore deck in the South West Monsoon, The Captain shouting.` Lash those trains down,` 200 tons each charging around the fore deck, from the bridge , with big heavy seas crashing over us and rolling 45`. terrifying. We got out of there fast.
.

1959
On the Good Hope Castle homeward bound in the Bay, a deck cargo of 600 barrels of Cotton Oil from Sudan. all adrift, Barrels bust oil everywhere and so slippery. The rails carried away, and Fred went over the wall off the fore deck, in a big sea. gone.
We couldn't stand up, seas crashing over. ten minutes later Fred appeared on the fore end of the Boat Deck, head covered in blood, As the ship rolled over to port and the sea took Fred with it, it then rolled to starboard and he was washed back on board on the after deck. Luckiest man alive.
We lost all 600 barrels,
later the Captain came down to the Mess room, and shouted,
"Who never paid the whore in Barcelona, [ our last port]. [it is an old superstition, you get Very Bad weather if you do not pay them]
I said` Me`. He went berserk, screaming abuse at me. Still I have good memories of her, Maria,.
Cheers
Brian

The master of GHC in 1959 was Alec Hort. Can't imagine him screaming at anyone.

[Captain Kong]

The master of GHC in 1959 was Alec Hort. Can't imagine him screaming at anyone.



Hi Chris,
Sorry, you may have the wrong GHC.
I have Three Discharges off her in my book. Every one signed by R. J. ...esforden.? The discharge port stamp is on top.
Certainly not Alec Hort.
Did three trips and then took her to Hong Kong to the breakers. 15. 7. 1959.,Paid off there and flew home.
I have my discharge book in front of me as I type.
She was Registered in Cape Town and under the South African Flag. ex Union Castle then Springbok Line of Cape Town.

Good Hope Castle, built in1945, 9,905, ex-Empire Life. scrapped 1959.
Cheers
Brian
see below, complete with a Deck Cargo.

[Geoff Bray]

!965-70
On the beaverboats in Canadian Pacific, we lost deck cargo over the side during the winter months a few times. I remember one trip we had a big steel cylinder as deck cargo it was supposedly lined with lead and contained some radio active material in it. Everyone used to get up in the morning after a storm to see if it was still on deck, luckily we got it safe to Liverpool.