Malcolm Macleod

[Bill Morrison]

The Murdo MacLeod drowned in Dundee harbour would have been about 1983. It was one of Seaforth Maritime ships not sure which one but have been Seaforth ????. He would of been a man in his fourties I would imagine. Can’t bring his DOB or dis/no. To mind in memory banks. If Bill out of Seaforth is reading these posts maybe he can recall Murdo. Also was Seaforth funnel marking which looked like the first point of Libra upside down supposed to represent a globular of oil inside a globular of water, or maybe the other way round, or was someone having me on. Cheers JWS.

I was gone by then John. There were a lot of Western Isles seamen in Seaforth the original Chairman Ian Noble had a thing about the Isles not sure but the company's name may have had something to do with Loch Seaforth. Your memory as to logo on the funnels is what I was led to believe it was a globule of oil. The mad Nats. were sure it was a thistle, see bottom left of attachment.
The only MacLeods I recall were Willie whose demise we have discussed before and Ally both skippers I sailed with.
Bill

[j.sabourn]

Looks like the Victor was master on that one in 1986.. Was willie the one who was supposed to have walked into the sea off Aberdeen beach and his body recovered from the harbour the next day ?. He was involved in the rig disaster off Newfoundland and got various bad media reports which is normal for them so must have been the worrying kind. Once again the press sank to its usual level of crap news. Cheers JWS.

[Keith at Tregenna]

It may be interesting to Keith and Doc to try Callum while researching . Callum is the islanders version of Malcolm.

Thanks Louis,

Hoping to take a fresh look at all in the morning.

Keith.

[retarf]

I would add that at that time the Isle of Lewis was part of Ross and Cromarty, This changed in 1974/75 when the new Authority of Eilean Siar (Western Isles) was created. Macleod is the most common surname on the Isle of Lewis.

[Bill Morrison]

Looks like the Victor was master on that one in 1986.. Was willie the one who was supposed to have walked into the sea off Aberdeen beach and his body recovered from the harbour the next day ?. He was involved in the rig disaster off Newfoundland and got various bad media reports which is normal for them so must have been the worrying kind. Once again the press sank to its usual level of crap news. Cheers JWS.

Yes John That was Willie MacLeod. I sailed with him on the Seaforth Chieftain 1975/6. It's a strange how mishaps seem to follow some people. Just before Christmas 1975 we were dodging the weather I think it was the Cormorant platform. One of the crew arrived on the bridge and asked Willie "What time does this train get into the station." It was concluded he was suffering from some form of the D.T's. In a conference with the office and the platform it was decided to transfer him to the platform by basket and flown ashore. In the mean time all accommodation doors to the deck were wedged from the outside leaving only one on the bridge as we waited for a break in the weather. When it came the Rig Medic was dropped down in the basket injuring his shoulder on a container. The crewman was in the mess in a rather agitated state so it was decided to fasten him in the stretcher for the transfer. The Medic decided to inject him with something to calm him down, I don't know what it was but had the opposite effect, he shot straight out of the stretcher and pick up a steel marling-spike which was lying on the bench with that about eight guys in the mess make a rather quick exit into the accommodation with the crewman behind them some went through door onto the deck which was opened to allow the Medic access. The crewman was last seen following them. A search was made of the deck but he could not be found. It was around 1900.hrs. when this happened and as you know very little day light that far north at that time of year. We searched the sea till day light with little hope, the sea temperature was thought to be around 3degrees C. you don't last long when it is that cold. He was from the Western Isles.
Bill

[j.sabourn]

In 1975 I was still deep sea and probably in China or somewhere. Have been on the Chieftan though, think it was that ship as mate had taken a load of rig chain off a rig and had to be dragged up the deck length by length using the deck tuggers the cable lifters on the chain lockers not working. One helluva job. Taking many hours , which one of the super duper Norwegian vessels would have done in half an hour. Anyhow took this to a port in Norway all this big chain flaked out on deck , and repeated the process putting it ashore, one of the ABs must have had the DTs as he collapsed behind the tugger winch. He swallowed his tongue and. Had to fish it out with a spoon and hold onto it and wait for an ambulance. He was lucky to survive . Another one I had palmed off on to me to get the ship away which was a safety boat, he was Shanghaid from a pub by someone in the office. When he came to next day he had no. Idea where he was. By this time I was a bit wiser and always used to carry a bottle of whiskey with me, which was a sackable offence. But came in useful when getting someone dried out bit by bit. He left the ship sober at least. If you were allowed to go by the rules , some ships would never have left the
Berth. Think it was the chieftan that was sold to the Italians and became the Altair. As the Altair was under Seaforth management for a time . Was on the same ship but with. 2 different names for a time. Cheers JS