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Thread: Empress Of England Old Bosun

  1. #61
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    Default Re: Empress Of England Old Bosun

    Lewis
    I well remember those recruitment adverts. Posters of them were sent out to the ships and at the time I was C/Off on a Cape sized bulker. We received them on board and the 3rd mate posted them up in the crew alleyway outside one of the Indian secuni,s cabin. He was my 4-8 watch keeper and wore sea boots and a duffle coat every day even in the tropics. He was a smashing fellow, very quiet and always on time for his watch and was immensely proud of how clean and sparkling he kept the wheel house. One afternoon he was late on watch and was refusing to come out of his cabin, when I went down to find out what the problem was he was terrified, saying the rest of the crew had hired a gang to murder him, which seeing as we were in the middle of the ocean coming up to Le Havre from Richards Bay seemed to be a bit strange. Asking him where this gang was coming from he pointed to the poster saying there the proof is.
    That C.P. ship that was stuck up in Basra was the Forest Product vessel H.R. Macmillan and she had a bit of a chequered history. In 74 she suffered an accident whilst discharging timber in Tilbury when, whilst a Munck engineer and a deck cadet were killed when the crane trolley came off the track and fell onto the quay killing them both.
    The voyage that ended with her stuck in Basra, I was Chief Officer on her started when we joined her in Terneuzen where she had come in from the Philippine's and Indonesia with Copra shells. After part discharge there we completed discharge in Hamburg where we had some tremendous drinking contests with ourselves and the lads off a Shell Tanker in dry dock against a French Navy ship on a curtesy visit, in the Zillertal where we were taking turns in conducting the orchestra. After engine repairs we sailed for Orange in Texas, hatch cleaning with special disinfectant in a attempt to kill off the copra beetles that had infested the ship. We were loading bagged rice in Orange for a USA Food Aid Program for Discharge in Iraq. On arrival in Orange the USDA immediately discovered copra beetle infestation still so we were all sent to a hotel for 3/4 days whilst she was fumigated. The first day in the hotel we set off to explore Orange, a one horse town. It was stinking hot but fortunately we discovered a bar selling ice cold beer in jugs that was open. It also sold burgers so that was our day sorted. Leaving around 1800 to return to the hotel for our evening meal, we said we would be back later, which drew claims of disbelief from the American patrons given the amount we had drunk. After our hotel meal we returned to the bar to gasps of amazement from the staff (they obviously had never met a crowd of British seamen intent on the ale and our excuse was the heat). We stayed there till closing and then went back to the hotel bar where upon seeing us all stagger out of the lift, the Captain and Chief Engineer, who had been enjoying a quiet drink, immediately departed for their rooms. The bar staff served us one drink and then shut up the bar so we had to persuade them to sell us a couple of cases to drink in our rooms. This involved us going past the pool so a bit of skinny dipping came into play. When we got on board after the fumigation the loading of the bagged rice took around 10 days.
    After loading the bagged rice we went to Houston (City Dock no.1) and loaded refinery equipment for Kharg Island, trucks fitted with drill equipment for drilling water wells, bound for Basra, steel drill pipes for Santos, SUV's for Iraq along with Buses also for Iraq, a huge mobile crane for Durban plus a drilling rig consisting of 4 units each weighing 266 tons (on deck) bound for a new oil field to the west of Kharg Island. We got to Santos just before Christmas and had Christmas day in port doing ship visiting after dinner ending up on a lovely Swedish Johnson line cargo ship, bursting into their lounge just as they were about to have fisticuffs with themselves. As we were in fancy dress it put a stop to any fisticuffs.
    After Santos we went to Durban to discharge the mobile crane but the heavy lift crane berth was occupied so we had to wait 4/5 days for it to become free, which allowed us to sample the drinking haunts in Durban. Knowing that there was going to be delays up the Gulf we took on extra stores of food and ale. There was a Greek cargo ship in port also bound for Iraq and its Captain was stuffing his freezer chambers with staples on his own account which he was going to sell to ships anchored off awaiting a berth.
    We eventually got this mobile crane off loaded, it being at the time, the biggest in reach and load, in South Africa.
    We then went up to Kharg Island and went alongside to discharge the refinery stuff along with some of the S.U.V.'s. After that we went to a latitude and longitude position and anchored awaiting a heavy lift crane barge to meet up with us to offload the drilling rig units. They were to be placed on pre prepared platforms and they were designed to be hooked up together and drilling within 24 hours. They were a accommodation module fully outfitted with everything for 50 person, two power modules and the drill stand.
    The crane barge eventually turned up being towed by its tug, skippered by a Brit. The crane barge was French registered in Djibouti and after having to turn down their lifting shackle pins to fit the lifting points on the modules they proceeded to cut off the hundreds of wire lashing that had been put on in Houston to secure the modules to our hatch covers. Before they could actually start lifting any module a gale sprung up causing the barge to break its mooring swing round and demolish the focsle of the tug and then make a big gash in our hull above the water line when its anchor came into contact with us, it then drifted off into the distance. 3 days later when its tug had eventually managed to repair its windlass enough to enable it to raise its anchor and chase after the barge, it re-appeared and discharge of the modules went on smoothly.
    By now we only had the bagged rice, the drill trucks, buses and remaining S.U.V's on board so off we went to anchor off the Shatt Al Arab to await with along with around 100 other ships, for a berth in Basra. The situation there was akin to the ships trapped in the Great Bitter Lakes where we did weekend visits to other ships for bar-b-ques etc. There was a Blue Flu bulker there, the Agamemon and when we visited her we got some scabby sarnies and about 3 cans of ale each, most disgusting especially as when they had eaten and drunk their fill on our ship. Occasionally a ship would shoot off to Kuwait to take on stores and water and would always ask other ships if they needed any stores and they would pick up extra staples for who ever requested the with their owners having worked out payment amongst themselves. Some ships had been there for 6 months or more and still had no idea when they would get a berth. After a month or so we had to go to Kuwait for water and stores plus reliefs and I paid off there. She went back to anchor for some more months and eventually berthed in Basra to discharge the remaining vehicles but the rice was condemned as unfit for human consumption. She was stuck there for almost 3 years whilst the rice problem was sorted out, anchored in the river off Basra where she was not allowed to leave. When she did eventually get released she was in such a state that after patching up her hull in Dubai she went onto the beach in India and was scrapped.
    rgds
    J.A.

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  3. #62
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    Default Re: Empress Of England Old Bosun

    I did one trip to the Gulf from the UK , we dropped the hook and I never seen it up again for the rest of my trip 4 months, Saturday morning we used to start the main engine and steam round the anchor for ten minutes or so. UASC had a trick , they had a class of ships known as the K class 43 of them nearly all the same. What they used to do was when they arrived in the gulf you had to register the vessels name and the time you dropped anchor. I suppose it was to get yourself in the berthing queue. What they did was register and then sail on to another port and register there as well. They got caught out as they would register other company vessels names as well. How they got caught was they Registered say the m/v Ibn Zinia as being at anchor ( it may not have been that name but) you get my drift, The Ibn Zinia was reported in the Lloyds List as a Casualty due to a major fire in the port of Antwerp a day later and it was picked up on by shore side authorities. Much egg on face, UASC being an Arab company rumour has it bribed there way out of that one , many shore side staff in port control ended up driving new Mercedes cars lol.

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  5. #63
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    Default Re: Empress Of England Old Bosun

    My father was master of the H R Macmillan when the Tilbury accident happened. I was on board at the time.

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    Default Re: Empress Of England Old Bosun

    It wasn't the England.It was the empress of Canada.Also it was New York where Capt Jeavons was removed not the west indies.
    I know this because I was there.

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  9. #65
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    Default Re: Empress Of England Old Bosun

    Captain Jeavons and I did not get on too well.
    when he was ashore he was involved with the Life boats in North Wales.
    I presume he has passed on by now.
    Last edited by Captain Kong; 7th June 2018 at 10:01 AM.

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    Default Re: Empress Of England Old Bosun

    Quote Originally Posted by Captain Kong View Post
    Captain Jeavons and I did not het on too well.
    when he was ashore he was involve with the Life boats in North Wales.
    I presume he has passed on by now.
    Brian,
    Jeavons died a long time ago. I had his son as deck cadet on one ship and he was a completely different kettle of fish trying to overcome his fathers reputation.
    Jeavons nickname in C.P.. was "Low flying Pete" as he claimed to have a licence as a private pilot, HGV, and Hovercraft.
    I sailed with him as 3rd Mate on the old Beaveroak after she was converted and lengthened to become a fully cellar container ship. Coming out of Rotterdam after a 3 month conversion job Low Flying Pete was extolling the container trade to the pilot saying how they ran to exact timetables an for the first time ever he would be able to book a holiday knowing he would be home on time. 3 hours after dropping the pilot the Chief Engineer came up to the bridge and told him we had to return to port as the main engine was broken and who should come on board as pilot to take us back in but the same pilot who had taken us out and to whom he had been waffling on too about schedules etc. The pilot came on the bridge and on meeting low flying Pete, tapped his watch, saying "that's a hell of a fast schedule", an embarrassed captain mumbled something about "teething troubles" and never said another word.
    Jeavons and his big rival, Brian (Tit willy) both lived on Anglesey and were bitter rivals to claim seniority as both of them had joined C.P. as cadets with one claiming that he was senior as he joined 3 days before the other.

    Low Flying Pete was known for always doing big D.I.Y. jobs around his house, building walls, sheds etc. and he even kept pigs as a hobby.
    It was Tit Willy who was heavily involved with the lifeboat station raising a lot of money for it. I was 5th mate on the "Canada" with him and got bollocked by him for crossing the officers alleyway from my cabin to the bathrooms without my jacket been done up, also for having my photo taken with a first class passenger on a bridge tour without having my cap on.

    I sailed ith Brian Williams later on when I was 3rd mate on a vlcc, Williams was an 80 a day senior service smoker plus 2 bottles of gin a day man, yet never appeared under the influence, was always immaculately dressed and had embraced tanker practise to the full. Always addressed me as "chummy" and my main task as 3rd mate when on the bridge during docking was to prevent him going out onto the bridge wings to converse with the pilot with his lighted cigarette in hand.

    On the Canada after dropping the pilot he would have us steam full speed towards Lynas and he would be on the bridge wing with the daylight signalling lamp, signalling to his wife and the light house keepers would be answering back for her. He would then leave the bridge and would hardly ever be seen again until picking up the pilot at Escoumains as he considered the main part of his job was to look after the passengers by being on show in the public 1st class areas.

    On the Canada I thought he was a bit of an ***hole but on the VLCC he was a brilliant captain. Jeavons i'm afraid I never got on with considered him so far up himself.
    rgds
    J.A.

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  13. #67
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    Default Re: Empress Of England Old Bosun

    Thanks for that John
    He was involved , I heard, with the Moelfre Life Boat Station on Anglesey.
    Cheers
    Brian.

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    Default Re: Empress Of England

    empress of englandAttachment 27299

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  17. #69
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    Default Re: Empress Of England Old Bosun

    I was 5th mate on the "Canada" with him and got bollocked by him for crossing the officers alleyway from my cabin to the bathrooms without my jacket been done up.

    Hi John, I am new to this site having stumbled on it via 'Ships Nostalgia'.
    Reading the CP Ships posts here has certainly brought back a flood of memories from 40 years ago!
    I spent 6 years with CP from 1975 to 1981 & sailed with some extraordinarily good Masters who engendered respect, but sadly most are no longer with us.
    I also had the misfortune like many others to sail with the not so good, but for me they were definitely in the minority.

    Captain Jeavons' 'reputation' preceded him. I met him on my 4th CP ship posting, the 'JV Clyne' whilst sailing as 3rd Mate & experienced a 'similar' bollocking.
    I was on the Bridge by myself during an Anchor Watch doing paperwork. It was Winter & quite cold.
    I was wearing full Blues sitting on a stool with all my jacket buttons undone & didn't stand up when he came on the Bridge. He was singularly unimpressed - especially the unbuttoned jacket!!
    His wife was also onboard & was known un-affectionately as the 'Staff Commanderess'.

    Finding this website has spurred me to dig out my UK Discharge Book to reinforce memories & recall anecdotes from eons ago.
    Thank you the opportunity to post on your website,
    Vince

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    Default Re: The walk off in the West Indies?

    Yes I remember this , iworked in the laundry .

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