By registering with our site you will have full instant access to:
268,000 posts on every subject imaginable contributed by 1000's of members worldwide.
25000 photos and videos mainly relating to the British Merchant Navy.
Members experienced in research to help you find out about friends and relatives who served.
The camaraderie of 1000's of ex Merchant Seamen who use the site for recreation & nostalgia.
Here we are all equal whether ex Deck Boy or Commodore of the Fleet.
A wealth of experience and expertise from all departments spanning 70+ years.
It is simple to register and membership is absolutely free.
N.B. If you are going to be requesting help from one of the forums with finding historical details of a relative
please include as much information as possible to help members assist you. We certainly need full names,
date and place of birth / death where possible plus any other details you have such as discharge book numbers etc.
Please post all questions onto the appropriate forum
-
5th October 2018, 12:23 PM
#11
Re: Butterworthing.
We got the drum money from the scrap man in Ecuador , paint was gash but the drums were good
Rob Page R855150 - British & Commonwealth Shipping ( 1965 - 1973 ) Gulf Oil -( 1973 - 1975 ) Sealink ( 1975 - 1986 )
-
Post Thanks / Like
-
6th October 2018, 01:01 AM
#12
Re: Butterworthing.
Hi All.
On Tank cleaning with BP always volunteered to do the wheel; spent eight hours a day on the wheel still got the overtime but clean.
In Antwerp we were cleaning tanks and pumping the sludge ashore when three blokes were gassed down the tank, had a hell of a job getting them out I went down and tied a rope around two of them then had to get out, someone else did the other one, they were rushed to hospital and were lucky to live.
Cheers Des
-
Post Thanks / Like
-
6th October 2018, 05:57 AM
#13
Re: Butterworthing.
Not having experienced anything like that, it sounds horrific to some extent and one wonders why there was not a better system than sending men down there to clean up.
Sounds a bit like Dickens, sending four year olds up chimneys to remove the soot.
Happy daze John in Oz.
Life is too short to blend in.
John Strange R737787
World Traveller
-
Post Thanks / Like
-
6th October 2018, 07:38 AM
#14
Re: Butterworthing.
Originally Posted by
Des Taff Jenkins
Hi All.
On Tank cleaning with BP always volunteered to do the wheel; spent eight hours a day on the wheel still got the overtime but clean.
In Antwerp we were cleaning tanks and pumping the sludge ashore when three blokes were gassed down the tank, had a hell of a job getting them out I went down and tied a rope around two of them then had to get out, someone else did the other one, they were rushed to hospital and were lucky to live.
Cheers Des
###morning des .....glad to see you aboard again .....welcome old buddy regards and respects to you cappy
-
Post Thanks / Like
-
6th October 2018, 07:46 AM
#15
Re: Butterworthing.
It was a stupid system,
Go down a gas filled tank digging out sludge which releases more gas, climb up a 50 foot ladder wobbly and dazed, then the Mate gives you a large tot of rum then go down again. ,only another 27 tanks to do,
Today on VLCCs there is a branch line from the main discharge line. that leads into the Butterworth machine. that rotates at a high angle and slowly as the tank level of the crude goes down the angle changes, it blasts all the tank side removing the crude and scales of rust. all th way down to the bottom and all the tank bottom is blasted with the outgoing crude, leaving the tank all nice and clean.
At the same time the Tank is full of inert gas, so no risk of explosion. All the sludge and scales are discharged with the cargo.
Brian.
-
Post Thanks / Like
-
6th October 2018, 12:45 PM
#16
Re: Butterworthing.
Another strange thing irecall from tank cleaning on my first trip to sea was that after tank washing we had a fitment that was placed in the deck opening where the Butterworth machine had been and live steam was injected into the tank to assist in gas freeing. After a certain period of time this would be removed and a water driven fan would be used in its place to remove the steam and gas free the tank. Using this injection of steam caused a hue and cry from the engineers as it rapidly went through the boiler water content.
Rgds
J.A.
-
Post Thanks / Like
-
6th October 2018, 06:12 PM
#17
-
Post Thanks / Like
-
6th October 2018, 07:50 PM
#18
Re: Butterworthing.
I did it solely to get my steam time in for my seconds ticket I had all the general time in that I could handle which I think was 9 months as a junior watchkeeper and I then needed something like 9 months of steam time as a junior watchkeeper to do that on the Union castle mail ships could take 5 or 6 years at least took two trips on a tanker .
Rob Page R855150 - British & Commonwealth Shipping ( 1965 - 1973 ) Gulf Oil -( 1973 - 1975 ) Sealink ( 1975 - 1986 )
-
Post Thanks / Like
-
6th October 2018, 08:40 PM
#19
Re: Butterworthing.
I did 12 years with ESSO and also on several Shell tankers.
I found that ESSO was the best ever company to work for, Good wages, excellent accommodation and leave ratio, Excellent catering
All my college fees and exam fees paid whilst on full pay all the time. Stayed in the very best Hotels world wide, usually a Hilton, good none contributory Pension scheme, and early retirement with a very LARGE Golden Handshake, with excellent financial advisers, I am still spending the results 30 years later. Best move I ever made.
Cheers
Brian.
Last edited by Captain Kong; 6th October 2018 at 08:42 PM.
-
Post Thanks / Like
-
7th October 2018, 01:11 AM
#20
Re: Butterworthing.
As said I am not a tanker man at heart. The two clean products carriers I was on , on the NZ coast running from Whangerie as far as Bluff we did about 4 or 5 runs we never tank cleaned between between cargoes as was petrol on top of petrol. After 3 months coming off the coast went up to Newcastle NSW to tank clean alongside away from the town cum city. On the other tanker running between Bangor Mashur and Japan carrying mainly jet A1 and Jet A2, Naptha, and all sorts had to tank clean after every cargo. We were not inerted . In fact on doing my year on tankers went as a previous post on a seller of the Inert systems products in Southampton and may have been responsible for a bomb cell being discovered in that fair city. Anyone looking for me for retaliation purposes my name is Cappy and I sometimes can be contacted in South Shields. JS....
Last edited by j.sabourn; 7th October 2018 at 01:25 AM.
-
Post Thanks / Like
Tags for this Thread
Posting Permissions
- You may not post new threads
- You may not post replies
- You may not post attachments
- You may not edit your posts
-
Forum Rules