Red Duster

[moktay]

In San Diego, woke up this morning Sapphire Princess docking and flying the Red Duster got all excited until, I think, I remembered that someone had posted that the Red Ensign had become a flag of convenience. Still it was nice to see the old flag flying on a working ship.

On a related the cruise ship Celebrity Odyssey yesterday blasted out the seven shorts and one long on its ships siren while it was tied up alongside, didn't see any activity on the boat deck though.

[Captain Kong]

COSTA have a new 115,000 tonner coming out this week, they said she is well booked up.
And soon a bigger one is coming out for COSTA.
I do hope the chose their Crews wisely.

[moktay]

All the lifeboats on the outboard side, can't see the dock side, have been lowered to the embarkation point and crew members are inspecting the boats and falls. Emergency stations have been sounded and the crew members are reporting to their lifeboat stations. It looks like one of the Cruise Lines have learned from the Contra Costa debacle or they have all British Deck Officers.

Even better now all Lifeboats are in the water and cruising round in a big circle took pictures will try and post when I get home.

[Tony Wilding]

Was a photo of her on the aol news, Costa Fascinosa, they said a sister ship to Concordia, ? never knew of a bigger one in the pipeline, i wonder if they will continue with that upright funnel design, they stated courses will be monitered and no unauthorised persons on the bridge.COSTA FASCINOSA.jpg

[Keith at Tregenna]

Cannot pass a lifeboat collection box, without adding a donation, a post re: the Red Duster needs a contribution also, cannot add much further to the conversation but add this:

THE RED ENSIGN MEN

Dedicated to the men of Merchant Navy
Have you ever stood a foc’sle watch
On a tanker, just at dawn
And through icy sheet checked out the fleet
Dreading the klaxon horn,
Loathing the feel of freezing steel
And longing for a day that’s warm ?

Hoist the blood red ensign high !
Pay homage to the brave !
Those who live and those that die
In a deep and lonely grave !

Have you ever seen a cargo ship go down ?
Heard the screams of dying men ?
Struck by a foe from deep below
And were helpless to defend
And in your dreams relived the scenes
Until you woke again ?

Hoist the blood red ensign high !
Salute those valiant men !
Those who were, and those who are
And those to be again !

Have you ever seen a ship at sea
That could barely make its way ?
But bore the might of a frenzied fight
And still made port, one day ?
With decks still red from those that bled
Who died for our today !

Hoist the blood red ensign high !
And let us not forget
Those loyal crews who paid there dues,
In courage, blood and sweat !

Have you ever sat in an open boat
On seas that were choked with oil ?
With lungs aflame and racked with pain,
And felt your anger boil
And wondered why men had to die,
And was it worth the toil ?

Hoist the blood red ensign high
Sound the bugle call !
And honour them the Merchant men,
The bravest of them all. !

Dennis John Wood. Caerphilly, Ex Army and ex Merchant Navy

On display at: The United Services Club, Wharton Street, Cardiff

K.

[Captain Kong]

On the DAILY MAIL online on Google News their are a lot of photos of the new ship. and details about the bigger. ship.
Brian

[happy daze john in oz]

If the ship has a British captain then he is entitled to fly the Red Duster. Apparently this is now a ruling of all the cruise lines.

[Capt Bill Davies]

If the ship has a British captain then he is entitled to fly the Red Duster. Apparently this is now a ruling of all the cruise lines.

Define British!!!!

[len mazza]

That sounds a a bit odd John,surely the ensign of the country of registration is the one flown.

[Capt Bill Davies]

The cruise line operators 'likeing' for a British Master will have its origins in the requirements for a 'British accent' and a dose he sport a 'beard'. It's as commercial as that.

As any of us on this site knows REAL Ship Masters only come looking like 'Captain Birds Eye' and speak ever so far back.

Bill

---------- Post added at 09:02 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:29 AM ----------

Just a small aside on this thread in attempt to introduce a little levity into the 'Red Duster' saga.

It was not uncommon in NBC to have the Crew List showing all on board as BRITISH. Names like Joe Smith, John Roberts, Morrison and some real long forgotten 'old English' Christian names also abounded. Be sure all, with the exception of myself were from British dependancies in the Caribbean. All proud to be British even though we always had Monrovia on the stern. One a few the only non Brit on board would be the Sparkie (Irish).

Bill