Shrink-wrapped Seafarers...

[Captain Kong]

We nearly lost our lives on the Katrina Maersk 15 miles south of Cape Town in a storm, in 1976, winds blowing over 60 knots in our helicopter, we took three successive green seas over the bow and over our helicopter, right into the twin turbines, they failed on take off and we crashed into the ocean with huge swells of maybe 50 feet, The Katrina Maersk swung around and provided us with a lee so that gave us time to get the throttles working again but still unable to fly , it just kept us upright.. a long night before we got back to safety.
the following year the pilot, Fritz, was killed when it came down again.
I didn't know until two years ago, when I sailed with his widow on the world cruise on the AMSTERDAM when I bumped into her on deck. She told me then, 38 years later.
Brian

[j.sabourn]

#5... Keith I don't know how you would describe any differences between a coroners court and an enquiry. Shortly after attending the Enquiry I lost a good friend at sea. At the Enquiry I was dreading having to describe any deaths I witnessed as this would be in front of the many family and friends in the court. However these questions were not asked, for which I was thankful. In fact I was asked very little and was only a short while on the stand due mainly to Lord Cullen who released me, perhaps he could see the start of a slanging match between me and one of the union reps who asked why did I go so close into the inferno, maybe some of his flock had complained about being put in harms way, I don't know. A coroners court was held for a good friend of mine who stayed on a ship to do a double header with the other crew so as to accumulate more money he was drowned at sea. I had to learn of this after the coroners court had been and gone and on my return to ship. Although he was drowned the day after I left the ship I was never called to this court to give evidence. I think the Company kept me out of it as I would probably have tried to get the most for his widow out of it, as knew the probable cause of the accident. So the Court of Enquiry and the Coroners court I find hard to differentiate. Going back to the first case, I wondered for years who the first survivor was that was taken off the Piper Alpha, and only found out recently he was a Chemist. He was obviously management and in which case one would have thought he would have been the spokesman for the Company and for all the interviews ad lib given out to the press by people who were no where near the actual explosion. To the best of my knowledge he was never shown to be interviewed. The so called position and cause of the disaster was to my mind indecently stated with a lot of haste within weeks in fact even with the remains lying on the sea bed. The owner Doctor Hemmerton or whatever his name was, was a good friend of maggies probably through her husband Dennis who had big interests in Oil. The ones who could give an accurate cause to the initial explosion are all conveniently dead which is usually the case. Once again one has to be kind and take the authors word who writes out such reports as true. The 2 incidents were only 10 months apart. I must be honest and state I was more concerned about the rotten deal my friends wife got, than all the huge payouts given to the widows of those lost on the Piper Alpha. Cheers JS

[Des Taff Jenkins]

Hi All.
I was always shrink wrapped in an old oilskin I made out of an old tarpaulin. kept me away from the psychiatrist.
Cheers Des

[j.sabourn]

Ref. to the hole in the bow thruster room in Post 1. Reminds me of the first ship I joined shortly after landing in Australia, the Pacific Dart, owned by Swires and managed by Total marine a Fremantle company. Being fairly green to the ways of the coast within weeks had to make accommodation for a Cyclone expected to pass through the port of Dampier. As all the Cyclone moorings were full and didn't have time to get out to sea and try to outrun, went behind one of the islands put out about 17 shackles on each anchor , and steamed on the anchors when the worst of the winds was passing through, was again lucky as the centre did not pass over us. However shortly after this we had previous to, was coming off hire and pumping chemicals Cement, Barytes and Bentonite ashore prior to my taking the ship back to Singapore. They came up with one final job which was some maintainance on an SBM ( Single Buoy mooring). I was talked in to putting the ship alongside the buoy to enable the workers to gain easier access onto the buoy, normally they would of been transferred by boat. I was assured that there were no unseen obstructions below the waterline of the SBM. Going alongside there was, as the bow thruster flat was pierced by an iron rod, on the ingress of water the chief held a rag in the hole and I hammered a hard wooden wedge in and we built the usual cement box round. After the job on buoy was completed we sailed for Singapore cement box an all. As regards the report on the Maersk boat I cannot visualize the thruster room being part of the main Engine room, maybe they build ships different these days. Cheers JS PS Sorry just re-read and it says adjacent to the Bowthruster Room, my mistake. JS

[happy daze john in oz]

Scared at sea, storms, burials, mad bloody bloods, skippers who had doubtful parentage and then if you joined UCL as a young lad the shock of men in womens clothes mincing around . Enough to scare the pants off you, well it actually did for some.
The only shink wraping we got was when we took the wrap off the top of a Gin bottle.

[John Gill]

#15. Yes John in Oz, I experienced most of the trauma you describe, including three trips on the Capetown Castle. I'm still receiving counselling, albeit from the barmaid in my local, (who sports a cleavage you could fit a small coaster in). I'm slowly getting there although it may involve several more visits until I'm completely cured.

Gilly

[j.sabourn]

Suppose most of them coasters being Everards or more likely ever hards as the posh ones called them. Maybe find a few missing Disharge Books down there as well John. JS

[j.sabourn]

Maybe what caused the consternation on the Maersk Ship, was that no one had heard the bilge alarms going off before, and was all new stuff to them. Most ships I was on of earlier vintage the bleddy things were always going off. Another good reason to not do away with manned engine rooms. A few inches of water in the bilge and ship rolling around and off they would go enough to wake the dead. JS

[j.sabourn]

#10... Standard equipment to combat the scourge of trauma on the average tramp ship was 2 pair of handcuffs and a straightjacket usually kept in the mates wardrobe. If there was ever going to be an epidemic on board you would have had to take turns. Reckon I could slip the cuffs even in the last notch, I was skinny then, would even have trouble putting in the first notch today. Being unable to scratch your nose in the straightjacket would have caused more panic than enough putting on. Usually found a tot of rum kept the panic away. Probably where that jingle came from, a mars a day helps you work rest and play. Cheers JS

[cappy]

#10... Standard equipment to combat the scourge of trauma on the average tramp ship was 2 pair of handcuffs and a straightjacket usually kept in the mates wardrobe. If there was ever going to be an epidemic on board you would have had to take turns. Reckon I could slip the cuffs even in the last notch, I was skinny then, would even have trouble putting in the first notch today. Being unable to scratch your nose in the straightjacket would have caused more panic than enough putting on. Usually found a tot of rum kept the panic away. Probably where that jingle came from, a mars a day helps you work rest and play. Cheers JS

bright eyed and bushy tailed this morning john ......must be the new bed ....was up on the 12 to 4 last night looked on the site ist time no js......couldnt sleep not tired ....seem to need less sleep now regards cappy