A cold day in cornerbrook

[Henry Phillips]

It was some time during the winter of 1955/56 that the Fort Hamilton was loading paper pulp in Cornerbrook, Newfoundland. We were taking on water at the same time. It was so cold that parts of the fire hose being used to pump the water into the ship's tanks froze. That reduced the bore of the hose so that taking on the water became a much longer process than usual. To add to the fun, the harbour was freezing up. There was a tugboat going round breaking up the ice pans so that they would not get thick enough to damage the ship's hull when we left after loading was completed. The Captain was concerned about the depth of water under the keel and had ordered the Third Mate to go around the ship taking soundings. I was helping the Third. All part of the dollar an hour I was paid for doing anything other than the usual radio duties. Neither of us had the proper clothing for the Canadian winter. I was wearing my doeskin uniform and a raincoat that only had a thin liner. I have never been so cold in my life. My feet felt like lumps of ice. How we managed to escape being frost bitten I do not know. Rest assured that I bought cold weather gear after that experience!!

[Doc Vernon]

Hello Henry
Sounds like a bit of a harrowing experience there, with all that Cold it is a Miracle that you never got Frostbitten. But we were tough Lads in them days and it took a lot to daunt us! However good experience as you say that you after that got to Buy some good Warm Gear! LOL
Nice little Tale there , lets have more !
Cheers and Thanks

[Des Taff Jenkins]

Hi Henry.
I was in St Johns New Brunswick, and St Johns Newfoundland, in the early 50s both times to load logs, the run into St Johns Newfoundland was through those ice pans, and the Skipper wasn't pleased that we would be there around a week, but the ice wasn't to bad when we left.
Cheers Des

[Keith Adams]

My firstborn trip into St John, New Brunswick on the “Empress of Britain” was introduction to Canadian winter cold weather. I had made up my mind i was going ashore to buy one of those fur hats with the flaps and brim that come down to protect against the cold wind. I was so cold getting to the dock gate, whimpering like a baby, i cut across the Rail lines weaving between the biggest locomotives i had ever seen, all with cow catchers like in the Western movies. Scary as hell ! Returning to the ship i found the stern brow type gangway tilted heavily downward and soon to be broken in half by the deck head coaming. Had a heck of a job just getting the Watch out to pull it clear and position it a couple of decks up — thought the Mersey had a the highest tidal rise and fall but didn’t compare to the Bay of Fundy !

[j.sabourn]

I was mate on the Pennyworth an ore carrier in 1964 on the Murmansk run for Iron ore. Had done two consecutive trips there and was having a trip off. The mate who relieved me was older and I thought would have been wiser. He left Murmansk not fully loaded and unwise to the fact . He had taken out partial ballast before arriving and the partial loaded tanks froze , he thought the sounding rod was hitting the bottom of the tank and it was striking the ice. It was always advisable before Ballasting to take the whole tank out or leave the whole tank in , was common sense really , also to know the depth of the tank so knew you were hitting the bottom with the rod . Think he was short about 3000 ton of ore , however it wasn’t measured out just landed on the Quay in Cardiff , but someone must have realised later , but they wouldnt have heard it from me , too late now 57 years too late , to prove. JS ..

[happy daze john in oz]

Sweden in the port of Lulea second week of December, last ship before the port froze over.
Out on deck for a quick smoke, only there for about 3 minutes or so, went to move and found shoes frozen to the deck.

In Durban Boxing Day 1963, heard of the snow in UK.

Three weeks later back in Southampton and the snow di not look so bad.
On the train to London it got deeper the longer we went.
Got home and the stuff is everywhere, bloody freezing cold.
One week and back to Southampton, bit warmer there.
Another 6 week voyage to the cape, come back and the bloody stuff is still hanging around.
Took a life time dislike to it then.

[j.sabourn]

Lulea and Oxelosund could both be very cold in winter both exported iron ore JS

[Tony Taylor]

Sweden in the port of Lulea second week of December, last ship before the port froze over.

Another 6 week voyage to the cape, come back and the bloody stuff is still hanging around.
Took a life time dislike to it then.

We still had 6ft snow drifts here at Easter that year

- - - Updated - - -

It was some time during the winter of 1955/56 that the Fort Hamilton was loading paper pulp in Cornerbrook, Newfoundland. I have never been so cold in my life. My feet felt like lumps of ice. How we managed to escape being frost bitten I do not know. Rest assured that I bought cold weather gear after that experience!!

I found the women in Cornerbrook were hot though.

[John Arton]

As cadet on the Beaverfir, in saint John, new Brunswick, it was my job every evening to go to the local burger joint to buy burgers for all on board as the ship was partying so hard that meal times were a chance to get your head down for an hour and catch up on your sleep. Coming back one night one burger fell onto the ice covered pavement. Next trip, around 6 weeks later, same routine, off to the burger joint nightly and looking down at the point where last trips burger fell, there it was under a further 3 inches of ice. There were only about 3 places you could drink in at that time, 1968, so with alcohol and shops bars we were inundated with local girls wanting to party every night. Most whent on from 20:00 to 06:00 with new guests turning uP at midnight after change of shift at the hospital or telephone exchange.
To beat the cold we all had skidoo suits that kept out the cold. There was one Canadian winchman who called us all wimps for wearing those suits and he spent the shift sitting driving the Derrick winch in only trousers and vest, though he was well fortified by cargo brand gin.
As cadet, my day job was spent in the focsle store splicing old cargo runners up to make sure slings that the mate then flogged to the stevedoring outfits for $5 a pop.
The whole place was akin to something out of the wild west and if you ventured into town by taxi you took your life in your hands as not only were the drivers maniacal behind the wheel but the taxis were rust buckets with panels hanging on by a thread,flapping loose, dodgy brakes and tyres, but boy did we have fun partying every night.
Rgds
J.A.

[Duke Drennan]

“Sweden in the port of Lulea second week of December, last ship before the port froze over.
Out on deck for a quick smoke, only there for about 3 minutes or so, went to move and found shoes frozen to the deck.”

Did the Lulea trip a couple of times and yes, it was freezing. Fortunately it didn’t take long to load and get out of there.