RMS "Queen Elizabeth"

[Phil Hughes]

I was AB / Look-out on the "Lizzie" in 1963 / 64 for her cruises from New York to Nassau and I recall there were 112 rungs on the ladder to the crows nest but can anyone give me an idea of how high the crows nest was from the fore-deck. I also had to climb the ratlines to under the crows nest to frap the falls in and am just curious.
Phil Hughes.

[Ivan Cloherty]

I was AB / Look-out on the "Lizzie" in 1963 / 64 for her cruises from New York to Nassau and I recall there were 112 rungs on the ladder to the crows nest but can anyone give me an idea of how high the crows nest was from the fore-deck. I also had to climb the ratlines to under the crows nest to frap the falls in and am just curious.
Phil Hughes.

Usual distance between ship rungs was 8 inches so that would give you a climb of +/- 74 feet, can you remember if you were above the fore mast head light, which has to be a minimum (can be higher) of 45 feet above the most continuous deck, normally the crows nest would be above the foremast light so as not to hinder the lookout's vision. Just for your info the mainmast light has to be 15 feet above the foremast light, no matter what height the foremast light was placed at.

[Phil Hughes]

Hi Ivan, many thanks for that, I know it seemed to be very high but when you are young you don't think about it do you? Cheers,
Phil.

[Ivan Cloherty]

Hi Ivan, many thanks for that, I know it seemed to be very high but when you are young you don't think about it do you? Cheers,
Phil.

When we look back at what we did, we think to ourselves now 'was I bloody stupid' or 'would get arrested for that today'

[j.sabourn]

On the 6 July 1988 at approximately 2300 hrs BST a number of persons jumped 170 feet into space to escape one death for another I hope less painful . I do believe there were survivors from this height who they were I never had the inclination to find out. However I assume one unlucky soul I saw hit the water about 12 feet off the ships side and I knew automatically he died there and then by the manner and the aspect and angle of his arrival at sea level.Not a pretty sight.However there were other obvious alive people in the area and more important to save any life that still existed. Another death from a fall down a ships hold this time in Japan and was about 40 feet into a lower hold by a Japanese dock worker who stayed on ship as it came out of Drydock and put alongside in Shimenosaki. He should not have been in the tween decks , and was unbeknown to ships staff . The old man and self were going ashore about 2000 hrs when stopped by Japanese ship workers shouting for help for their workmate , the old man said to me go and see what’s wrong and don’t spend all night doing it. He was in a hurry to get ashore, I wonder why ? I went down the hold and pronounced him dead with a broken neck for starters . An ambulance was called and the body removed and we carried on ashore. The old man next day was asked by the agent that a letter of condolence should come from the ship to his next of kin. Guess who got that job as well. JS