I was on the "Esso Lambeth" round the UK coast. Decent grub, plenty of overtime but the worst accommodation I have ever been with. Steel bunks, tin lockers and three to a cabin.
She was built for the Maracaibo lakes in Venezuela and not for the British coast. Flat bottomed, a bastard to steer and she did eight knots flat out. We were supplying power stations and loaded mostly at Fawley. We always got a night ashore as she took so long to discharge and ballast. We did Tilbury, Littlebrook, Purfleet, Plymouth, Portishead, Whitegate (Cork), Dublin, Bowling, I joined her in Manchester and paid off in Liverpool.
Trader.