Bibby Line ---Message

[Gulliver]

Nice Pics,Colin, even though it pains me to see my first ship in that situation.I didn't know about that collision. Do you have any more details,Roy? I see 'Derbyshire was sold soon after that to the Greeks in 1976(renamed Captain Lygnos). I saw her in West Africa a few years later,still looking very smart(one never forgets one's first ship!). Then,after being sold on and renamed Chrysovalandou She suffered a fire off Cartagena in S.Spain in late 82 and was broken up there.

As for the 'Rarau,' she seems to have been an unlucky vessel as she was wrecked in 76 on the Seven Stones Reef.(pic of Rarau on the reefs below)

Gulliver

[roya]

Gulliver
Remember it like it was yesterday, it was early morning and we were on route from East London south africa to barcelona with a cargo of yellow maize grain. Had just passed through Gibralter straits in poor vis with fog when the Rarau chopped into the port side cargo hold just in front of the accomodation. I watched her bow break free from the bridge wing and she dissapeared into the fog leaving us to sort out the mess. The crew took to the boats and wouldnt come out for a while but the mate and a few hands rigged a tarpaulin over the hole and we limped back to gib arriving that night. They put us on the outer mole and everone slept on the top decks just in case but after 6 very smelly weeks in Gib due to the grain fermenting we limped off to Naples for a drydock repair from where i paid off.

Roy

[Gulliver]

Thanks for that,Roy.As I said it's something I never knew about. Glad you all made it to Gib safely! Great story.

Looking back,if it was me,one of my enduring memories would have been all those "Abdabs" -are we still allowed to call them that?-all waiting in the lifeboats for the burra sahibs!

[Hamnavoemarine]

Colin,
Just noticed you on this sight, Thought I would give you a shout seeing we were in the same lifeboat
Regards
Herbie (Scottie)

[Hamnavoemarine]

Hi
I was on the last voyage of Ocean Bridge so I must Know you
Regards Herbie

[Hamnavoemarine]

John,
Just stumbled on this sight I can remember my sore back getting all the stores on board for the maiden voyage be nice to get some craic with you some time
Herbie (Scottie)

[Colin McClelland]

Herbie
Good to hear from you, that was quite a trip in a full lifeboat.
I believe the lifeboat was found still afloat about a month latter by some fishermen.
One of the photos is some of the crew when we arrived back in liverpool, and one of the injured being airlited to the Clemenceau.
Hope you are keeping well

Regards
Colin

[Hamnavoemarine]

Colin,
Thanks for the photoes I can see I have aged just a wee bit
Herbie

[Gulliver]

Hi W.A.! So sorry you haven't received a welcome.I was just checking back through the Bibby forums and found you.
So.....Croeso i'r Safle British Merchant Navy! (Pardon my Welsh,I'm not a Cymro, but made my home in Gogledd Cymru for twenty years during my MN years) Saesneo dw'i(Manceinion) Ydy mae!
I can hold a basic conversation in Welsh,but of course it's the pronounciation and consonantal mutations that betray me as a Saesno !

I didn't start with Bibby Line until 1969,so will not know your Dad.However you never know that there may well be someone a bit older than me here who may know him.
Yes,the older Bibby ships like the Leicestershire and Warwickshire were 'real' ships.

The Empress of Scotland was a Canadian Pacific liner,and of course the British Piper must have been a BP tanker.

The m.v. Port Hardy,by the way was the Bibby Line's' Herefordshire',which was on long term charter for 7 years to Port Line.
You mention Liverpool....and Tilly?. I don't know what that means,except there is a member on this site called Tilly(!)


Probably when your dad was employed in building Wylfa Nuclear Power Station at Cemaes Bay , I was still in school,and taking my holidays on Anglesey during the mid-sixties. I remember the outrage about the proposed building of it. I see now that Wylfa is due to be decommissioned next year(2010),although there is talk she may be reprieved for another couple of years.
Later,when I was at sea,it was always comforting to see Wylfa when homeward bound to Liverpool,just prior to embarking the pilot off Point Lynas.

A 'sister' site has a forum for Bibby Line also:-
http://www.shipsnostalgia.com/showthread.php?t=6470&page=2&highlight=Bibby+Line

(You may have to register and log-in.)


Anyway,wishing you and your Dad...Nadolig Llawen a Blwyddyn Newydd Dda!

Davey(Gulliver)

[Phil Jones]

Davey,
I reckon Tilly must relate to Tilbury from the list of W.A. Roberts list it would appear that he must have been doing a lot of relief work. Joining in Tilbury and sailing around continetal ports to Liverpool.
Salaams
Chota Sahib