Rigging

[Keith Tindell]

Like i remember the back spring, when the call came to check her, easy her back slowly, and don't wait for the wire to start to sing. Holding the tail of the chain stopper, and standing as clear as you could, .

[j.sabourn]

#11 After the seaman’s strike in 1966 I was mate on an ore carrier just prior and shortly after the same. We had a visit from the mot who asked me to take him round the ship , he asked me how many men were required for tying up purposes and I pointed out that it took 3 men on each back spring as at that time we had the great heavy rope tail hawsers on the end of each wire . We received shortly after his visit instructions from the shipowner to remove these heavy tails. Little did I know at the time that the plan was already underway to reduce the manning of all vessels. Another pointer that the seaman’s strike was not the cause of the disappearance of the British MN . JS
Even on the day of the end of the strike sailing from Port Talbot we were told the days of 3 on a watch was unnecessary as long as there were means of communication between the crews messroom and the bridge (and of course the auto helm,) this only had to be a call button, this was obviously discussed well before the strike unbeknown to me at least . Overtime was usually confined to a maximum of two watchkeepers at the weekend and if well at sea only one. Where does the safety and normal practice of watchkeeping appear in all this.? I notice recently someone starting a sea career has opened some paper he has to be knowledgeable about safety at sea, the likes of myself will have a different aspect to this subject , so rule myself out on altering his mindset. I wish him well and trust he will find job satisfaction with today’s rule of the road shall we say , which for an easy life all you need is a vhf and trust others in your area that theirs are all working. Myself I was lucky as managed to keep some semblance of job satisfaction until 65, but if at sea today there would be very little left. Cheers JS

[Graham Payne]

I seem to remember on the "Oronsay" in 1963 we had what were called Combinations used as springs, it was a wire interlaid with rope. 50% of each I suspect. (not sure.)
Anyone else used them ?

[j.sabourn]

Don’t think they lasted too long Graham ,seem to recollect something about them being dangerous on parting . They weren’t much bigger than a wire of the same SWL and easier to handle as less jagged wires. However I never saw them in later years. Cheers JS

[j.sabourn]

#11 The idea in principle when coming off the berth was to heave on your headline and take the weight on your spring to swing your stern out and away from the Quay. However this did not always work and some masters were more accustomed to using the engines in lieu of the head rope , the engine power of a ship is much greater than the windlass and sometimes too much power , if it only sang you were lucky , if it parted you were up the creek. Today at sea you have people who have never handled ships without bow and stern thrusters giving them lateral movement. Today you also have directional thrusters and a lot would be lost without them. The days of standing there with a heaving line to put ashore to take your first line and trying about 50 feet off are nearly over today , most are used to handing the eye of the rope or wire to the linesman ashore. Used to drive me mad , especially if you had a dodgy thruster . JS

[Michael Black]

Wife rope splicing does appear to be a skill that is dying out although there is still a small call for it now. When I worked in a test house for every wire splice we did by hand, we did a lot more by pressing talurit splices.
The large grommets and wires used in the installation of offshore jackets and topsides are a marvel to see made, plenty of videos on you tube showing this process.
Handling them in preparation for a lift can be quite a job, you are given a drawing how they want it flaked out but the wires are so big and heavy at times you can spend days getting them in position.
Never had much chance at sea to splice wires, this job was usually done by the lampy on the ships I was on.
Had call to splice an eye on a polypropylene rope once, but that was in a shore job. Only once in the rigging loft was I asked for a wire sp!ice
and that was a guvvy job for someone.
Once had to join a small poly rope to a wire to enable running through a purchase as we didn't have a stocking with us.
Regards Michael

[Tony Taylor]

#11 The idea in principle when coming off the berth was to heave on your headline and take the weight on your spring to swing your stern out and away from the Quay. Used to drive me mad , especially if you had a dodgy thruster . JS

Using heaving lines might be contravening Health n Safety these days, you might accidentally hit someone, I did know some guys who would deliberately try to do just that.

[j.sabourn]

Think the ones with the sandbag on the end were the most dangerous . Especially if they had a dash of cement in the mix. JS

[Des Taff Jenkins]

Always used to put a large nut in my Turks head, not to hit anyone but for distance. as for wire splicing, did plenty in my time, most NZ coasters I was on had a vice on a bench around the back of the stern housing, then the shore riggers took it over, plus I suppose safety.
Des

[j.sabourn]

Anyone not knowing what a Turks head is Des , can just imagine them clutching their groin and saying ,bet that hurt. JS