Ship funnels

[Bill Morrison]

Painting the funnel on Shaw Savill ships was straightforward, wouldn't like to paint the likes of Blue Star.
Always used to be a job n knock, except one trip on the Icenic, the mate wouldn't give us a job n knock so we took 2 days to do it.

Well Michael if this was the trip you were on they made a good job of it.
Bill

[happy daze john in oz]

So there you are up the funnel with paint pot and brush.
Looking good you think, step back to take a look at your handiwork forgetting where you are LOl

Then half way through a squall come sup, lashing rain on your wet paint.
The joys of being a deck hand, there was me inside in catering looking out>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

[Keith Tindell]

I remember the funnel ,job and knock, we used to rig the chairs the night before, so a good start the next day, with any luck in our *go ashores *, by smoko, and then down the gangway, kt

[Michael Black]

Bill #37 nice photo of a smart ship. I can't remember now when S.S.A. changed to grey masts, derriks, Samson posts and over the wall. Might have been on the Illyric, which I was on before joining the Icenic or on the 1st trip I did on her. Probably 1971.
Regards Michael

[Red Lead Ted]

Easiest funnel you would ever paint, Anchor Donaldson Line Glasgow. All Black Terry.

[Keith Tindell]

This post brought back some memories. Now as i recall when painting the funnel, the correct procedure was to haul, or be hauled up to the top, and then tie a whammy to the two parts, and then slip the rest over your head , round underneath you and the chair, pull in the slack, and that was the self lowering knot in place, hope that description is clear. However, mostly as i recall, we used to haul up to the top, and hold the two parts together with one hand, and then feed the slack through and over your head etc etc, H&S would have kittens with some of the things we did, but we didn't give it two thoughts, we were indestructible , or so we thought, kt

[Red Lead Ted]

Job and knock on this one NO TAKERS, What was controversial at the time, was that Cunard decided not to paint the funnel with the line's distinctive colour and pattern, something that had been done on all merchant vessels since the first Cunard ship, the RMS Britannia, sailed in 1840. Instead, the funnel was painted white and black, with the Cunard orange-red appearing only on the inside of the wind scoop. This practice ended in 1983 when QE2 returned from service in the Falklands War, and the funnel has been repainted in Cunard traditional colours (orange and black), with black horizontal bands (known as "hands") ever since.

The original pencil-like funnel was rebuilt in 1986 as an enlarged version using metal from the original, when the ship was converted from steam to diesel power.

[Ivan Cloherty]

, but we didn't give it two thoughts, we were indestructible , or so we thought, kt

Not indestructible Keith, but we did KNOW what we were doing, because we were taught by those who had gone before us and we were lucky enough to sail with, but I never did find that adjustable metric spanner I had been sent to look for!, must have been at the top of the one stay I didn't slide down!

[Red Lead Ted]

What was the shout Ivan BELLOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[j.sabourn]

#42 cannot ever remember tying the whammy Keith, that’s where the destructible part would come in ,held the two parts together with left hand and passed the bight of the tail of other through the chair over the head and pulled tight to enable you to lower yourself in the chair. Must have had stronger wrists in those days . Maybe why a few of the fairer sex reckoned I held them too tight and the tops of their arms had bruises if they were of pale skin. That’s working of course from a bosuns chair. JS