Willemstad Curacao.

[E.Martin]

August 1952 paid off Shell tanker Caprella after 7 months,had 5 weeks leave Wednesday September 17th
joined Tenergodus at Heysham.
September 20th left Heysham for Venzuela but it was changed for Curacao,orders changed again for
Punta Cardon Venzuela,Arrived Punta Cardon October 2nd,sailed same day for Curacao,arivedthere October 2nd.
October 4th after a session at The Suicide Club arrived back late all of the deck crowd were logged 10 Shillings.
Arrived Punta Cardon October 5th.
Apparantly there had been a fire at the refinery in Punta Cardon,and they had no electric supply,a transformer was put on us and another T2 and we supplied electricity ashore for 20 days.
October 25th left Punta Cardon for Curacao (Hurray),next day left again for Punta Cardon.
arrived and left Punta Cardon,next day arrived Curacao,3 days at Curacao then left For Boston USA.
6 days cat sea November5th arrived Boston,Sailed Next day for Aruba
Arrived Aruba November 12th,sailed next day for Aden arriving there December 6th.
Left Aden for Kuwait December 9th.
arrived Mena Al Amadi December 15th.
Left Mena next day for Liverpool.
After leaving Port Said orders changed for La Spezia Italy.
Arrived La Spezia January 2nd (What a New Years Party)
Left La Spezia January 5th for Tripoli.
Arrived TripoliJanuary 9th left for UK next day.
Arrived Heysham January 22nd
At anchor for 3 days before proceeding into Heysham and paying off.

On the whole a good trip the whole crew a good crowd.
Paying off her finished my 2 year Shell contract.

I kept a log all the time I was at sea which helped to write above.

Regarding Curacao The Suicide Club was a bit dodgy enjoyed a few sessions there.
As have been said Good Shoping.
I bought a pair of swimming trunks in Willamstad in 1952,have still got them in the garage,last time I tried them they were a bit tight,They must have shrunk.

[Jim Brady]

Some good stories there boys after checking out Happy Valley on You Tube I don't know why I never went there.Anyway that is the Mad House sorted was it the Dog House in Cristobel?What I remember about this place is they gave you what I will call an "Inchometer" you were supposed to measure your John Thomas with it and at that measurement it told you your fortune or something of that nature.
Regards.
Jim.B.

[Albert Bishop]

Jim mate, when you did that mesurement did you stick rigidly to the truth, or did you strech things a little bit?
And while I'm on, I did stick a photo of the Madhouse on the Gallery a while back Cheers, Albi

[Gordon Turnbull]

The Madhouse and Happy Valley were different class.

Loved Punta Cardon, Filipinos used to call it Punta Cantok (sp) which they tell me has sexual connotations. Tunning from there to Rio Haina (called Rio Vagina) was rather wearying :-)

[Jim Brady]

Jim mate, when you did that mesurement did you stick rigidly to the truth, or did you strech things a little bit?
And while I'm on, I did stick a photo of the Madhouse on the Gallery a while back Cheers, Albi

Hi Albi,where would I find that photo please.The rules were rigid but being upright gentlemen we stuck to them hard and fast.
Regards.
Jim.B.

[Albert Bishop]

Hi Jim For the Madhouse just go to the Gallery and put "Madhouse" in the search. Cheers Albi.

[Jim Brady]

Hi Albi thanks for that it brought back memories,was the Madhouse within the confines of the refinery I certainly can't remember seeing any town or anything else for that matter just straight into the place from the refinery.
Regards.
Jim.B.

[Neil Morton]

Hi Peter ( Bruno) us Rose Hill lads never ran from a punch up in the old days, now I get my skates on and flee. Cheers to one and all.

[john sutton]

from memory the cantina in the refinery was called the wharf inn and not only were there no glasses or bottles the furniture was bamboo and there was no glass in the wndows.
I was there several times on the navicella.Spent a night there as a guest of the local constabulary.not a reccommended hostelry
john sutton

[Albert Bishop]

Madhouse was definitly outside the refinery, Stood pretty well on its own not far from the gates, from what I remember, Can't remember anything inside the refinery at all. and a lot of the time, we were not allowed to walk back through the refinery to the ship. We had to wait for transport at the gate, but I think that depended who was on duty at the time. Remember getting the ferry back from town to the ship, but can't remember where it dropped us off. Must have been full of Rum and coke by then (me, not the ferry). Cheers Albi