Piper Alpha

[Bill Morrison]

Talking about drops of oil , there are a few on here now out of Seaforth Maritime Ltd…..Aberdeen I was still innocent enough to ask what the funnel marker represented , never forgot how it was explained by much senior members of the North Sea Chinaman Association , “ its a column of oil contained by a column of water” , or maybe the other way round today. Thought the Stadive was bought and built by Seaforth Maritime mustn’t have had enough experience offshore knowledge to be in the inner circle. ? The things we forget to remember about revealing bad news to alter a bad course which may occur distress to others if too much is said you are right . The first ones to play the cards to ones chest is of course the media , otherwise you would probably be awarded with the ace of spades and told in future keep mum , she’s cheaper to keep than Dad. How does retirement grab you these days. ? Cheers all the best . JS

Hello John. You are correct as to SFM's funnel emblem. It represents a drop of oil in water, nothing to do with the Scottish Nutter Party.
I received this communication by post with said tie included. I don't remember being part of senior management!! but there you are. As I recall Ray McCrohon used his as a substitute for a belt.
Bill

[j.sabourn]

#51. Bill, Ray is a member of the site if he sees the water and oil bit he might say something about it . I don’t know the state of his health but hope he is keeping ok. Cheers JS
Talking of ties I just found one in my closet must be over 60 years old ? Navy Blue of course with a double gold rig and and arrow pointing through it , looks like the shortened replica of a gyro compass , it’s either the MIN …member of the Institute of Navigation or the MNI … member of the Nautical Institute. I was in both but a long time ago. Anyone know which one ??? JS

[j.sabourn]

To add to my own post Bill, were you in Seaforths when the question of buying the Ark Royal was raised by them to a consortium of possible investors of money for use in the North Sea . The idea was to utilise it as an accomodation vessel for manpower out there ,fly short wing air transport out and disperse men as appropriate by helicopter to the various oil fields . It never reached fruition however , can’t remember what finally happened to the old Ark Royal , someone must have bought her or was made razor blades with ? JS

[James Curry]

Ark Royal R09 scrapped at Cairnryan 1980/1984.
Ark Royal R07 scrapped also Cairnryan 2011.

Maybe Hugh could clarify this, why did the Audacious class Ark Royal R09 commissioned in 1955 and the later Invincible class Ark Royal R07 commissioned in 1985.Why was the older one R09 and the later one R07?

[Bill Morrison]

Post# 53. I do remember some talk of using the Ark Royal as a base for STOL aircraft before helicopters came to the fore. Crew transfers in the early days were dodgy affairs, being hoisted in a basket by crane to the deck of an installation from a vessel, which in reasonable weather conditions was OK. In the North Sea not always the case, crews could be stuck on board until the weather improved.
It was just an other idea of the time.
Bill.

[Thomas Daley]

Apologies for such a long delay in replying. Regards Seaforth Maritime and Stadive?? Seaforth did the manning for Stadive, but, Sebsea who did the diving made sure Seaforth thought they were 50/50 partners soon found out they were a bought in hand. An ex Eng Super from Maersk who were now Super for Stadive on behalf of Subsea got me the job. My time on there were okay, had a crane op lowering concrete nets/mats to lay over a pipeline when he had the hook snagged on the platforms jacket. Unable to hoist anymore he boomed up destroying the load cell, sacked because if the wire had snapped it could have killed/crushed the two divers outside the bell or the wire covered their umbilical.
We also helped with the abandonment of Brent Spar when two American ocean going tugs towed her away, one I remember "President Hubert" Greenpeace had got onboard so we used our cranes to place Shell Security onto her. Some of the greenpeace fellas looked like they had fallen down the stairs inside a police cell. When the tow started some Greenpeace got back onboard notwithstanding the helicopter being hit by water from a vessel fire monitor, those onboard dropped lines down to allow others to abseil up. Those people had fire hoses turned on them and imobilised a female. One captain refused to turn hoses onto the greenpeace FRC and told to leave he were now off-hire.
Amongst others I received a white T-shirt "Brent Spar Abandonment" on the front and on the back a sinking Brent Spar with the words "Only a drop in the Ocean" Still have the T-shirt since got a small size for the wife (Now ex) who thought it tacky. Lots more about the Spar, but just ramblings.
The Stadive divers were called in to recover a chopper that had been struck with lightning though landed safely and all got out. Skipper of that boat should have towed it, instead lashed to the side, one side whole floatation compartment were rubbed through, chopper rolled over breaking a blade or two as it sank.
Stadive finest went down and cut off the tail to get the black box?? They then lashed it to the crane hook and pulled, weight went high then dropped?? Only the engine and G/box with more broken blades appeared and landed on deck. Divers went down, smashed cockpit windows and took straps out both exit doors and the tail, a folded/bent to be scrapped helicopter fuselage appeared, landed on deck and owing to fuel leaking everywhere a list put on the vessel.
Stena drilling gave me a call which I grabbed with both hands spending 15 years with them, last 5 years in Asia where I live retired.
While on the Stena Dee at Foinhaven, West of Shetlands Greenpeace appeared tying themselves (Survival cocoon) to an anchor chain another long tale.
38 years spent on the water and I would do it all over again.
Regards retirement, wife and I do dog rescue, at one time 11 dogs, 6 were GSD's who each eat more food per day than the average Thai, have dogs with broken/plated hips, brain damage, blind and missing bits. Of the GSD's only 4 now, two crossed that Rainbow Bridge taking bits of the wife and I. So now 9 dogs. Aged 68 have two bikes one that does 0-60mph in 3.5 seconds, have seen 100mph in 4th with 2 more gears to go. Too scared to find out actual top speed. Live in a Thai village with birds nesting in all the trees, Koi carp in my pond and a partner of 9 years married these past 6 years.
Retirement is good, please excuse the innane ramblings. Again, apologies for late reply, go safe.

[j.sabourn]

Forgot to ask you when on the Stadive was the night master an ex RN Lt./Commdr. Lived in Portsmouth , he was 2 mate with me as mate for a couple of trips on a naval party DSV the 1007 to be exact . He managed to talk his way with the Managing Director into the job after a couple of trips on Seaforth Clansman , he was a pretty aloof type of person. Cheers JS

[Marian Gray]

Still have the free gift from Elf a desktop paperweight showing a drop oil from Piper's replacement Piper 'B' inauguration June 1993, 30 years ago??
Wonder if worth anything???

Here you go Thomas: Nearest I could find.You'll have to scroll down three steps...don't get too excited


https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/354920440101

[Thomas Daley]

Here you go Thomas: Nearest I could find.You'll have to scroll down three steps...don't get too excited


https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/354920440101

Thank you so much for that, mine is still inside a plastic wrap, inside its white box so as new. Want my son to have it.
Also have a bottle of Lansom champagne (Unopened) given to me in 1997 from BP marking the Foinhaven development. Amazing the bits you pick up during journeys

- - - Updated - - -

Forgot to ask you when on the Stadive was the night master an ex RN Lt./Commdr. Lived in Portsmouth , he was 2 mate with me as mate for a couple of trips on a naval party DSV the 1007 to be exact . He managed to talk his way with the Managing Director into the job after a couple of trips on Seaforth Clansman , he was a pretty aloof type of person. Cheers JS

Cannot place him, I were there mid 1994 to around Oct1995 when Shell got rid of her and she went Norway to have the diving chambers removed prior to going Port Arthur in the USA for conversion to a self propelled drilling semi. When Seaforth took over the manning many of the originals left.
Take care

[j.sabourn]

#56 Ref. The inane ramblings you have nothing to worry about , I took the wife to a dept. in the local hospital last week on a referral from our GP , they told me I also have a referral, found out today it is the Geriatric part of the hospital . Never thought I would attain that level. Suppose we are lucky to reach that terrible name . Cheers JS