Mixed Matters and Thoughts

[Red Lead Ted]

Watchmen on the Liverpool docks, Unheard of these days.

Watchers
A Liverpool docker foreman told me this story. He had a gang of men working on the dockside some were on the ship and some were on the quayside. The MD&HB wanted to do some cost cutting so they called the foreman in and asked him to account for his workforce. The foreman explained that he had two gangs one on board and one on the quayside. He also informed the managers that he had two men watching. The managers in their wisdom thought that men watching was not in line with the dockyard work ethic. They told the foreman that men watching was in fact out of order and reduced his gang to working Dockers only. A few weeks later the foreman was called back in and asked if he could reinstate the watchers as the holds of the ship were empty. Terry.

[Bill Cameron]

Watchmen on the Liverpool docks, Unheard of these days.
They told the foreman that men watching was in fact out of order and reduced his gang to working Dockers only. A few weeks later the foreman was called back in and asked if he could reinstate the watchers as the holds of the ship were empty. Terry.

Terry, when I joined HM Customs I started as a Revenue Assistant uniformed office who did security in the Whisky bonds and bottling plants, ind I did a few years in Leith Docks tallying containers on and off feeder vessels from Amsterdam, we we commonly known as “Watchers” also
Bill

[happy daze john in oz]

Terry, when I joined HM Customs I started as a Revenue Assistant uniformed office who did security in the Whisky bonds and bottling plants, ind I did a few years in Leith Docks tallying containers on and off feeder vessels from Amsterdam, we we commonly known as “Watchers” also
Bill

Bill, was that watching the cases of Scotch just vanish??? LOL

[Colin Wood]

Went to sea in 1954 and still have not forgiven the EU from banning Britain trading with the commonwealth. How many hundred 10-12 000 tonners were put out of work and laid up which had traded between UK and Commonwealth. I believe that was the death of the MN.

[Ivan Cloherty]

Went to sea in 1954 and still have not forgiven the EU from banning Britain trading with the commonwealth. How many hundred 10-12 000 tonners were put out of work and laid up which had traded between UK and Commonwealth. I believe that was the death of the MN.

Colin I doubt the EU had very little to do with the loss of all our 10/12000 tonners, economies of scale and advancement in technology together with the reluctance of our Govt's of the day to subsidise shipyards (and their restrictive practices) and the reluctance of owners to meet new challenges and technology sounded the death knell of our MN.

Economies of scale rule the day and always will, Taiwan owners have just ordered 4 -6 vessels with 23000 TEU capacity with 25000 TEU vessels on the drawing board, there will be few ports that will have cranes with outreach to service these vessels, so there-in may lay an opportunity for British ship owners to get in on the act by providing smaller feeder vessels.

[John Arton]

Ivan
For years now I have failed to understand how our last remaining shipyards did not get into building feeder container vessels. German yards seemed to have the monopoly but even to date there is a need for new feeder vessels along with new coastal tonnage. Dutch yards have been very successful in building very smart new coasters of around 100-120 metres length for the likes of Scotline and Arklow. Wonder if any u.k. yard even bothered to tender.
Rgds
J.A.

[Ivan Cloherty]

Ivan
For years now I have failed to understand how our last remaining shipyards did not get into building feeder container vessels. German yards seemed to have the monopoly but even to date there is a need for new feeder vessels along with new coastal tonnage. Dutch yards have been very successful in building very smart new coasters of around 100-120 metres length for the likes of Scotline and Arklow. Wonder if any u.k. yard even bothered to tender.
Rgds
J.A.

Like you John, the failure of Govts/shipbuilders/owners/traders who seem to forget that we live on an island never fails to amaze me.

[Chris Allman]

This Thread is for the Off Topic Posts from the Thread " Forum in General " Thanks.

[Tony Taylor]

Ivan
For years now I have failed to understand how our last remaining shipyards did not get into building feeder container vessels. German yards seemed to have the monopoly but even to date there is a need for new feeder vessels along with new coastal tonnage. Dutch yards have been very successful in building very smart new coasters of around 100-120 metres length for the likes of Scotline and Arklow. Wonder if any u.k. yard even bothered to tender.
Rgds
J.A.

Among those last yards, those on the Wear had a very successful design -SD14 which although was general cargo, for which they had orders and sold so well that I think two foreign yards had licenses to build, they could have been adapted to containers but the rug was pulled by Thatcher who sold the Wearside industry down the river for £25m from the EU, promising them no shipbuilding on the Wear for 25 years. She said there was no market for ships (German yards were busy with rumours of govt subsidies circulating), but the yards were quite busy, I recall there being something like 6 diesel electric ferrys for Denmark being underway at the time.
Shipyards from around the world were queing up to buy all the kit from the Sunderland yards; they would not spend if there was no market.

[vic mcclymont]

Tony, I don't dispute your 25m figure, I have other figures banded about. Can you point me where you seen this figure.
I am not disputing, but trying to build evidence in the decline UK shipbuilding due to the EU.
Thanks.
Vic