From Norwegian to Balmoral extension

[Captain Kong]

http://www.liveleak.com/ll_embed?f=4627a8984ac8

Cut ship in half and then extend.
Cheers
Brian

[John Arton]

Brian
I was flying home from Hamburg some years ago and met up with a crowd of Geordie plumbers, carpenters and welders who had been doing work on the Balmoral. One of them actually built the stainless steel bar top in one of the new lounges. The plumbers especially had a fantastic life as they had visited for free most cruise places. There main jobs were always on brand new cruise ships (Queen Liz. Mary, Costa etc.) where they would be flown out to fix all the leaks that invariably developed on new passenger ships that had been built on the stocks but when actually fuelled and stored and then loaded with passengers developed slight hog or sag causing much of the plumbing fixtures in passenger accommodation to start leaking. These guys were employed on an almost continual basis working all night after been flown out to join whichever cruise ship needed there attention. The documentary on the Q.E.3 was a pretty good example where hundreds of contract workers sailed with her from Italy to Southampton putting the finishing touches to her and I bet a number of them still stayed on board for the maiden cruise fixing all those small things that only come to light on a new ship when she actually starts sailing in service and not sea trials.
A number of years ago a yard in Shields did the first ever lengthen and heighten of a ferry for P and O, stretching it length wise but also horizontally in order to put an extra freight deck in.
I was cadet on the "Beaveroak" when she was converted from a lovely 4 hatch general cargo ship to a 5 hatch fully celluor container ship in a small yard in Rotterdam. She had a 40 foot section inserted into midships section, cell guides and new hatch covers plus sewage plant, new fuel tanks and piping installed. Took months and the last coat of paint on the hatch covers was done the night before we shifted to the loading berth and as so had not dried properly, which caused no end of problems when the stevedores found that they were sticking to the hatch covers when walking on them to remove them or put the twistlocks in place.
The yard was also required to install concrete permanent ballast in her in one of the hatches and this was done by building shuttering the exact size of 40 feet containers on the tank top. Cannot recall the exact tonnage of permanent ballast but I think it was around 1000 tons so, despite our protestations, the yard ordered 500 tons of premix concrete on a Monday and put it all in the stbd. side, which of course meant she developed quite a list. Fortunately we were all living ashore in Schiedam at the time so we were not required to walk around with a huge port list. The next day 500 hundred tons of concrete were poured into the port side and hey presto, she was upright again. Very red Dutch faces when we pointed out that all that beautifully hardened cement on the stbd side now had a 20 deg slope in it instead of being horizontal. Took them ages to chisel off and re-cement the surface and even more red faces when we pointed out that they had covered over the bilge wells with cement and left no way to not only access them but for any water to run into them. More work with the chisels gang.
Maiden voyage to Quebec was pretty epic as had to turn back almost immediately after dropping the Maas pilot due to engine problems.
About 3 years later I was 3rd mate on her when she decided to start sinking in a howling gale off the grand banks....which was fun abandoning her.
rgds
JA

[cappy]

Brian
I was flying home from Hamburg some years ago and met up with a crowd of Geordie plumbers, carpenters and welders who had been doing work on the Balmoral. One of them actually built the stainless steel bar top in one of the new lounges. The plumbers especially had a fantastic life as they had visited for free most cruise places. There main jobs were always on brand new cruise ships (Queen Liz. Mary, Costa etc.) where they would be flown out to fix all the leaks that invariably developed on new passenger ships that had been built on the stocks but when actually fuelled and stored and then loaded with passengers developed slight hog or sag causing much of the plumbing fixtures in passenger accommodation to start leaking. These guys were employed on an almost continual basis working all night after been flown out to join whichever cruise ship needed there attention. The documentary on the Q.E.3 was a pretty good example where hundreds of contract workers sailed with her from Italy to Southampton putting the finishing touches to her and I bet a number of them still stayed on board for the maiden cruise fixing all those small things that only come to light on a new ship when she actually starts sailing in service and not sea trials.
A number of years ago a yard in Shields did the first ever lengthen and heighten of a ferry for P and O, stretching it length wise but also horizontally in order to put an extra freight deck in.
I was cadet on the "Beaveroak" when she was converted from a lovely 4 hatch general cargo ship to a 5 hatch fully celluor container ship in a small yard in Rotterdam. She had a 40 foot section inserted into midships section, cell guides and new hatch covers plus sewage plant, new fuel tanks and piping installed. Took months and the last coat of paint on the hatch covers was done the night before we shifted to the loading berth and as so had not dried properly, which caused no end of problems when the stevedores found that they were sticking to the hatch covers when walking on them to remove them or put the twistlocks in place.
The yard was also required to install concrete permanent ballast in her in one of the hatches and this was done by building shuttering the exact size of 40 feet containers on the tank top. Cannot recall the exact tonnage of permanent ballast but I think it was around 1000 tons so, despite our protestations, the yard ordered 500 tons of premix concrete on a Monday and put it all in the stbd. side, which of course meant she developed quite a list. Fortunately we were all living ashore in Schiedam at the time so we were not required to walk around with a huge port list. The next day 500 hundred tons of concrete were poured into the port side and hey presto, she was upright again. Very red Dutch faces when we pointed out that all that beautifully hardened cement on the stbd side now had a 20 deg slope in it instead of being horizontal. Took them ages to chisel off and re-cement the surface and even more red faces when we pointed out that they had covered over the bilge wells with cement and left no way to not only access them but for any water to run into them. More work with the chisels gang.
Maiden voyage to Quebec was pretty epic as had to turn back almost immediately after dropping the Maas pilot due to engine problems.
About 3 years later I was 3rd mate on her when she decided to start sinking in a howling gale off the grand banks....which was fun abandoning her.
rgds
JA

that gangs still going john a mate of mine has been on the oceana recently ....it seems to be a good number

[Jim Brady]

My wifes nephew is an upholsterer he often sails on cruise ships to repair any damage to upholstery,I would've thought that to be unimportant and it could've waited until the ship returned to port.
Regards.
Jim.B.

[Captain Kong]

Hi Jim
a lot of cruise ship carry upholsterers, On the Amsterdam I have just come off a few weeks ago, had one.
My suit case was damaged when joining and it was sent to the Upholsterer, unfortunately it was so damaged he could not repair it, so they gave me $65 US. the case cost me £30 = £45 dollars so I made $20.
Brian.

[Ivan Cloherty]

Proves the old adage 'The rich get rich and the poor get children', but we don't begrudge you Brian, a lot of us are making the sign of the cross blessing ourselves we were never fortunate enough to sail with you, as don't think we would have survived all those broken legs, arms pelvic, fires and collisions, never sailed with any one as lucky as you, but we'll still drink with you.........ashore, cheers

[Captain Kong]

Hey Ivan,
whats a few broken legs and arms between friends.
You have to be more adventurous.
Even SHE is having doubts about me.
I am going to have to sail on my own eventually
Cheers
Brian.