Eduard Bohlen – the Land-Locked Shipwreck

[Graham Shaw]

As a postscript to my post # 10 re the Clan Alpine. In both tropical cyclones of 1960-there was an earlier one in May,-and the ensuing storm surges of up to about 5 metres, an estimated 20,000 people lost their lives.I reckon all aboard the Clan Alpine were in the safest place!
Tropical cyclones occur almost yearly in the area,destroying lives,straw built villages,livelihoods,agriculture and cattle. All they can do is just live with it....

[James Curry]

As it says in the article, the coastline of Namibia is constantly changing due to ocean currents, storms etc.
Think one of Wilbur Smith's books used the ever changing coastline in one of his books, think it was all about diamonds.
Rgds
J.A.

Yes John I think it is called The Diamond Hunters. I have just got from my local library yesterday a Wibur Smith book Legacy of War. I have started to read books that I remember from my days at sea, the authors who could actually write a decent yarn. Think it dates back to 1971?

[Doc Vernon]

A god Book that one , but of course not a true one all Fiction!
They say its set in Cpae Town and London, but for the most it is actually in the Namibian Area of Desert! Not really about Cape Town as such!
Cheers

[j.sabourn]

#10/11 Tropical Cyclones from the time of me living permanently in Australia have been an annual event in WA and the season for such. Is from October to the end of March and usually about 4 or 5 during this period . I was master on the Pacific Dart within 3 months of arrival in WA and experienced the hard way what you they can do. Your picture of the Empire boat could have been the Avonmoor Graham , just crop off the topmasts and the housing at the After end of the boat deck , Cappy will remember , unless he missed seeing the missing topmasts when there. Cheers JS.

[j.sabourn]

Further to Cyclones I always think of them in 2 different contexts . Like most TRS s ( tropical revolving storms) are divided into 4 quadrants by thinking of a St. George’s Cross drawn N.S. and E.W. Through the centre of the low pressure area , the two contexts are medical and meteorological. As regards the second in the Southern Hemisphere is to get the vessel into the right hand upper quadrant , in the first is to get the needle into the same quadrant on the right buttock of the patient. Never had cause to do both at the same time , maybe someone has ? Could maybe go in to the Guinness book of records. JS

[happy daze john in oz]

We did at one time have cyclones here, but since the mother in law passed we have not had any.

Wilbur Smith wrote some great novels and all well researched and well worth a second or third read.
Have all of them including his last Storm Tide, great story.
A number I have read a second time,
such good reading.

[j.sabourn]

Before the advent of weather satellites and such like in the old sailing ship days John , we were told that the the way to get an approximation of the direction of the centre was to take all the way off the vessel, face the wind and the centre was so many points on your starboard hand. Not much good to me as can’t remember how many points and quarter points that was. And the time machine hasn’t been invented yet to go back a couple of centuries to find out. Maybe your friend in the weather bureau may have a better memory as must know the ruminants of the tracks etc. of such. Your pictures of your recent Ocean travels look interesting thank you. The next time you are away would be a good question to ask a modern deck officer and see what his reply was . Cheers JS