Clan Malcolm

[Alwyn John]

Sailed on the Malcolm as engineer when she was part of the salvage operation to Find the Good Hope Castle after she was abandoned on fire in the Atlantic, stood by until tugs arrived, went onboard by ship boat to survey condition of ship and to establish whether it was feasible to restart the engines,Not possible as the engine room had been flooded with CO2!!
The company thought that if we got a line on board first then they could do a deal with the salvage tug, based on a straight tow job.
Part of the salvage operation was to smash the passenger accomadation windows to let out the accumalated fire fighting water which was causing her to list.

[Tim Culpin]

I was one of the twelve first trip cadets when the Malcolm stood by the Good Hope Castle. Alan Welcome and I spent most of that time on the helm. Alwyn were you the 3rd or 4th Engineer? We had races horses onboard which we took to Mauritious.
Tim Culpin

[Chris Isaac]

I was Second Officer on Good Hope Castle the voyage before, just got off in time.
Particularly so as I has already been on Ayrshire when she was lost and on Capetown Castle when she went up the beach in Flushing.

[Mike Line]

Hi, I was a Deck cadet on the Southampton Castle at the time of the GHC fire. We were North bound from St Helena, on one engine, when the news started to filter through. The stbd Sluzer was rebuilt in record time and we set off Arived south of Assension and located the GHC by radar as it was still dark. Fired off a couple of white parachut flares. After dawn, the Mate, 2nd Eng and a couple of others went across in a lifeboat and scrambeled onboard via a pilot ladder. they managed to release some water from the port holes on the stbd side and open the gun port door, they also started one of the RR generators. Then those that know in London, told us to leave and continue to Assension. Had we have stayed or put a tow line on, the outcome may well have been beter, no second fire, no loss of cargo etc, etc.
I still have my original photos of the GHC as we found her.

[sean mccormac]

hi sean mccormac here nice to talk to you. my dad was second engineer on goodhope castle at the time of the fire. my dads name is John mccormac sometimes J J.He died 3years ago. He was lost at sea for a while and picked up (rescued)by portuguese or italian seamen . when he arrived home he was dressed in purple trousers and a bright shirt as he lost all his belongings in fire.not really his style; i remember my mother laughing. He told a lot of strories of his time at sea mostly ending with but i wasn't married to your mother at the time.would love to know if you ever met him.He woked on many of the clan line ships .
Many thanks sean mccormac

[Chris Isaac]

Seems Clan Malcolm was always first to respond.
She was the first company ship to arrive at Ayrshire when she was aground in Arabian Sea.