Great Bitter Lakes Association

[Cath Senker]

Dear John Alistair

Thank you very much for getting in touch. This is very helpful - I am working on the publication at the moment. Would it be OK to get in touch with you by email to find out more? If so, please contact me: through either PM or Site Email
Thanks again.
Cath

[Cath Senker]

I am currently writing a short book about the experiences of seafarers who worked on the ships stranded in the Suez Canal from 1967 to 1975.

Dear John Alistair

I am currently writing a short book about the experiences of seafarers who worked on the ships stranded in the Suez Canal from 1967 to 1975.

I’m hoping to publish it to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the Six-Day War around 5 June 2017. I am also hoping to organise a reunion of former seafarers who were on the stranded ships to celebrate the anniversary. The anniversary event will be in Liverpool, possibly at the Merseyside Maritime Museum.

I understand you were on the Great Bitter Lake. Would you be interested in attending this event?

Best wishes

Cath Senker

[Cath Senker]

My article about the 50th anniversary reunion of seafarers who were trapped in the Great Bitter Lake appears in the July issue of Nautilus Telegraph. It's on p29:
[URL="http://nautilusint.org/en/what-we-say/telegraph/"]http://nautilusint.org/en/what-we-say/telegraph/[/URL

[Cath Senker]

There was just one ship in Lake Timsah, the USS Observer. It was separated from the other ships in the Great Bitter Lake and not part of their community.

[Ivan Cloherty]

There was just one ship in Lake Timsah, the USS Observer. It was separated from the other ships in the Great Bitter Lake and not part of their community.

They still deserve to be recognised, they are part of our seafaring community, and it must have been just as hard, if not harder for them in isolation

[Cath Senker]

I absolutely agree. I understand the Americans called their ship the FBI - the Forgotten Boat of Ismailia. It must have been really tough for the seafarers stuck there on their own and they must have wished that they were closer to the other ships.

[Cath Senker]

This evening, the BBC One Show is due to broadcast a short film about the story of the seafarers who were stranded in the middle of the war zone during the Six-Day War. They filmed at the 50th anniversary reunion at the Merseyside Maritime Museum on 1 June.

Report and some photos here:
50th anniversary reunion of seafarers stranded in the Suez Canal | Cath Senker

[john walker]

Cath, I read your book, It was extremely interesting and a great read. thanks for bringing this story to light. The men and ships that you wrote about epitomised all that was good about the seafarers of the past.

[Cath Senker]

Thanks John, I am really pleased that you enjoyed the book and that it represented the story well.

[Cath Senker]

Here's the link for the One Show clip about the Suez seafarers. It's 50 mins into the programme: BBC One - The One Show, 12/07/2017