seven islands in winter

[cappy]

####the run to seven islands in winter on various ore carriers was always a bit different to say the least ......it was certainly the ist time i had truly cold weather ....icebergs and some quite hairy seas in general ......but one thing that i always remember was the vessel slowing down in the dark hours....and although i never asked at the time wondered if this was due to the iceberg situation ......or was it to fit into the schedule of loading in the port of seven islands itself .....answer please from ships deck officers .....as engineers and catering staff would be only giving second hand views.....and if it came from the catering staff i might have said it myself of course gleaned on the galley radio .....but they were the best payers i was ever on plus best feeders single accom.......no wonder the shipping companies went bust ......sujeed the same alleways out and the same alleyways home night after night........even made enough to get engaged .....and save some towards buying a ist property ....oh happy days.....most of the time.......cappy

[j.sabourn]

Would of been for ice Cappy. Apart from icebergs was a lot of floe and pack ice around, the icebergs with a good radar would probably show and sometimes the pack ice, but not always. As said if the Titanics master had survived he would of had a lot of questions to answer. I don’t want any ice in that Spanish beer you drink by the way.
Cheers JWS.
If you were on Bisco ships , then most of these the shipowner had very little outlay even to their building as was subsidised by the taxpayer. The overtime was paid by bisco that’s why it was so good, you were literally paying yourself after the shipowner took his cut. Fuel and running expenses were paid by the charterer Bisco. They were mostly on 10/15 year charters on a daily rate. Conditions were good. Cheers JWS.

[cappy]

###went out yesterday in shields bought two bottles please send three and ninepence .....and have made note.... no beer in ice .......cappy

[Keith Tindell]

Don't forget you can get the deposit on the bottle back soon, don't blow it all in one go, kt

[thomas michael]

hi cappy
I had a photo taken of myself holding the ships life bouy with the iceberg positioned in the centre,the first one I had seen,
as for slowing down, I thought it sounded like a runaway train during the night, it took a bit of time to get used to it after seeing that iceberg
tom

[cappy]

hi cappy
I had a photo taken of myself holding the ships life bouy with the iceberg positioned in the centre,the first one I had seen,
as for slowing down, I thought it sounded like a runaway train during the night, it took a bit of time to get used to it after seeing that iceberg
tom

####well tom it sure was a different scene to a tanker up the gulf .....but oh the money was the biz ......and the grub on them compared to the old tramps....you could call the king your uncle .....regards cappy

[cappy]

Don't forget you can get the deposit on the bottle back soon, don't blow it all in one go, kt

##no keith he will squat the bottle as he goes.....lol cappy

[Colin Wood]

As a changE of scenery from Fords works to Freetown, Bisco re routed us to Wabana where we were the last ship to load for the year. Loaded in a snow storm and back to Middleborrough round the top. Berthed 7 am Christmas Eve and told by agent we would be pleased to know we would sail at 2300 that evening. Dropped A grab on the cargo and had resounding clang, as cargo had frozen solid. Mate and 3rd mate had wifes onboard so old man said I could go home.Eventually returned on 4th January. Luckily for Bisc, the CORAL RIVER had been converted from a tanker to bulk carrier by just inserting 3 big boxes instead of tanks. They had left the old heating coils in what were now ballast tanks so cargo steamed to defrost..

[j.sabourn]

#8... I had a trip off one winter and my relief en route to Murmansk pumped out partial ballast before arrival. With the subsequent events that when the sounding rod was hitting what he thought was the tank bottom was not such but frozen water. With the event he sailed minus a couple of thousand tons short. When I went back he was very crestfallen. On the next trip to Murmansk I made sure I didn’t leave any slack tanks in likely to freeze. However you had no control on what the Russians did. They put water hoses down the holds and literally watered the cargo. I kicked up about it but was told could do nothing about it, as their claim was it was in. The charter party they were allowed a water content in the ore. I made numerous reports in the deck log about it and wrote a letter, which I assume the old man noted protest on arrival uk with the said written report. I heard no more so don’t know the outcome re the report or the weight of cargo out. Some of these countries have a lot of slow learners. Cheers JWS

[cappy]

##must say seven islands in winter was one of the most godforsaken places i have seen ........now the other side where den lives is a different kettle of fish..beautiful views as you go up the fraser river and them salmon jumping like silver angels .....chermainus where we ran to the little clearing in 57 scared of bears .....and recall the lady who had the timber built store who was in a wheel chair asked me my age and when i said just had my 17th birthday ...she stroked my head and said if i was your mammy i wouldnt let you out my site.....never forgot her ....new westminster where i saw for the ist time a plonky drinking out a bottle wrapped in a brown paper bag.....and the log men walking the rolling logs ......those were the days.....we were some three weeks on that river including vancouver......then down to ozz stopping in the lee of pitcain to secure some of the deck timber......they coming out in a long row boat some with pigtails and given us big silver fish in exchange for cigs and other goodies from old captain roberts......those were the days .......catching my ist shark on a meat hook with a barb put in it by the engineers ........i sit back now and think in my later years i paid money for my children and grandchildren to get a good education ......but they never did or saw what we saw.....but then this is a different world......full of trickery and chicanery......and of course the back stabbers .......how false it all seems in todays world...but still happy to be here......heard it seen it done it.....cappy