The beautiful Duquesa (Duchess)

[Steve groves]

Hello all, Anybody left out there who sailed on Duquesa 1961?
Southampton to Rotterdam, Cape Verde, Buenos Aires, KG V London. Signed on as deckboy. Signed off 9 months later as SOS. Wonderful memories.
Best wishes all.
Steve

[Doc Vernon]

Nice Loking Ship , like many others as well in Various Fleets, those wee when Ships looked like Ships!
Cheers

Dequesa.jpg

[Des Taff Jenkins]

Hi Steve.
Welcome to the site, hope you enjoy the tales on here. How did you get to Aus? We have a long time member living over there.
Cheers Des

[Leighton Denver]

How did you go from deckboy to SOS In nine months . What happened to JOS? I thought i was I year Deckboy, followed by I year JOS Then if competent SOS. I was definitely at sea in 61 having first sailed in 59. It seems a bit rapid to me. Leighton Denver

[Keith Tindell]

I also sailed in 1958 as deck boy, i did 9 months deck boy , 7 months JOS, and then finally SOS through to AB, i thought the usual length of time for each rank was 9 months actually sea time, but could be shortened if signing back on in the same ship. Thats how i remember it, could be wrong of course.

[James Curry]

Not being a deckrating I thought the ranks went Deck boy, JOS EDH then AB? am I wrong?

[Des Taff Jenkins]

Yes you are wrong James, You joined as deck boy twelve months. then Junior Ordinary Seaman,12 months, then Senior Ordinary Seaman twelve months, then Efficient Deck Hand if you passed the exam, then the same for AB. BUt there were exceptions, such as my brother who did four years in the Sea Cadets before going to the Vindicatrix Sea school, his time in the sea cadets counted so he signed on his first ship in the war as JOs.
Des

[j.sabourn]

In earlier years promotion was always on seatime not like today. Even as apprentices who carried the equivilants as deck boy JOS , SOS, AB , as required if found necessary for the manning scale of the vessel. The only rating different was the DHU which at the time of introduction was supposedly to recruit older ex national servicemen into the industry. And although just about par with EDHs money , their seatime I believe designated their equivilant rank for manning purposes . JS
For those who did 12 months at a recognised nautical school 6 months remission of seatime was allowed . JS.

[j.sabourn]

Further to promotions at sea .. I was master on smaller vessels and think I twice promoted the leading hand to Boatswain / 2 mate can’t remember the first time but can the second time which was in 1989 , this gave him the discharge he needed to go further which he eventually did. JS

[corrientes]

Ignoring all the remarks about your ranking, yes, I was on the Duquesa at time. One of the finest vessels I ever sailed on and will always have lifelong memories of her and her crew.