3 2 1 zero ?

[j.sabourn]

Going back to the time of conventional cargo ships, and there are still plenty around albeit under foreign management. I sometimes wonder re the demanning of such vessels little things. It was the usual practice, also depending on the type of cargo, to keep the vents off the wind and sometimes putting one vent on and the other off the wind depending on the cargo. This was an ongoing job sometimes during every watch, depending on changes of direction, rain etc. Sometimes it was a 2 man job turning these vents (big open cowl) depending on how well they had been maintained and greased. With the lack of seamen on such ships 1. Such maintainance must now be very little and 2. where does the manpower now come from. I would hazard a guess that it doesnt and nobody bothers about now. So much for care of the ships cargo. Also in the case of a hold fire who would remove these vents an plug off, which also applies to every tank and hold space on ship to cut off oxygen supply. There are times even now where I think to myself, if I was in this situation what would I do, invariably whatever action I have in my mind would be impossible due to lack of manpower. When the demanning was just starting, I remember the owners saying riggers would board the vessel for berthing (lies) all maintainaance would be done ashore (lies) anything was said as long as the act could be passed to get the manning certificates altered. They are good partners to some of our politicians. There are other numerous shipboard jobs re. maintainance that must now not be done due to lack of manpower, I sometimes wonder how they manage to scrape together a fire fighting party. Cheers John Sabourn

[Captain Kong]

Hi John,
On the ESSO VLCCs we had maintenance gangs that would fly out to join us.
There were six ABs on deck and with three in watch keeping, Only three ABs to do all the maintenance wasnt enough.
So Six men would fly out and sail with us, They would be used for painting and cleaning the Engine Room and painting on Deck. Some gangs came from Glasgow and the most used were Nicos from Nicowerken of Las Palmas. They would sail with us for two of three months before flying off to another job. They also helped us with mooring.
Cheers
Brian.

[Capt Bill Davies]

Going back to the time of conventional cargo ships..........................

Well John, you certainly have a knack for threads!
1. Venting....are the crews sufficiently competent to know about RH etc and use the vents to best effect. I doubt it.
2. I heard that BF, in the 70s, had standby 4th mates based in Penang and they were carried for that element only...Penang to Penang.
3. We were always spoilt for crew in NBC and most of the US operators. We had a total of 54 on the Bantry class (34 on the 'Phoenix') I heard about the Esso set up that Brian alludes to but would be interested to hear more.


Brgds

Bill

[j.sabourn]

Brian you must have been lucky. Never saw no maintainance done by shore labour. in 1986 through force of circumstances had to go back deep sea, and chose to go mate on a 5000 ddwt. cargo vessel, cant even remember its name. Crew consisted of Yugoslav master self mate and an irish 2nd mate. 3 deck crew ( Cape Verdes) 2 yugoslav engineers and a Cape verde motorman. and a cape verde cook. Total 9. Crew could not steer or work the 2 cranes, self and other mates job. Crossing the N.Atlantic the master said to me that I didnt have to do my watch on the bridge that I could go and start chipping the focsle head. He would look out of his port from time to time. I can tell you he got told his fortune in no uncertain terms.The 2nd. mate and myself decided he was going to do a watch as a normal 3 watch ship and he was told so to that effect. I have never seen so much incompetency in my life. I had heard storys about ships going along with nobody on the bridge but the ships cat but had always thought it was a joke, I found out it was no joke. We did Philadelphia, Bermuda, Guantanomo Bay in Cuba where he refused to take stores, said he would get in Georgetown ex British Guiana, both the 2 mate and self told him he wouldnt get stores here apart from watermelons and a few veggies. We were boarded by pirates in the McKenzie river, another story. We loaded 3000 tons of bagged rice for Italy bags were stamped not for human consumption. We left for Italy no stores, his answer was we could eat the rice and he would stop a fishing vessel and swop for some fish. I wanted to know where he was going to find fishing vessels on our passage to Italy. Some of crew came down with malnutrition. have never seen so much incompetency in one person in the whole of my time at sea. I can tell you I did not chip the forecastle head on principle alone. It was just a matter to keep the ship going until my contract was finished. Apart from this however I never saw no maintainance teams on any British Ships I was on. Cheers John Sabourn.

[Captain Kong]

Also apart from the Work gangs joining us, We had from Las Palmas north bound for European ports such as Fawley, Rotterdam, Slagen and Brunsbuttel, A crowd of extra ESSO crew members were flown to Las Palmas, to double up watches. a Chief Officer, 2nd Mate and a couple of engineers and three ABs.
Watches were doubled for the passage and through the Channel etc. The double crews were then transferred ashore when the VLCC was outbound again at Las Palmas They then waited for the next VLCC heading north. if none then they would fly home.
Also in the Gulf watches were doubled, the Crew were flown by helicopter from Ras al Khaima across the peninsular to join an inbound VLCC before transitting the Quoins, doubling watches for navigation and loading at one of the terminals.then outbound after the Quoins the chopper would take them back to Ras al Khaima to await the next inbound tanker, That was a good job.
I will give ESSO their due, it was the Best Company to work for, good salaries, good working and social conditions and a good Golden Handshake and Pension.
Cheers
Brian.

[Keith Tindell]

Hi Guys, When i read these threads, its almost unbelievable , really makes me appreciate how lucky i was to go to sea when i did 57- 64. If this is still going on today, its incredible we dont have more disasters like the Concordia. What a spoilt life i led at sea!!! regards KT

[j.sabourn]

Keith thats why we dont talk too much to shore workers as they would think you were spinning them a line. However I retired in 2002 and spent the bulk of the last 20 odd years in the offshore industry which one never hears much about. The odd years that I had to go back deep sea I found it had gone backwards, this however may have been on the type of ships and jobs that were available and even these jobs one had to search for and were hard to come by. Anyone wanting to have a career at sea nowadays would have to lower their expectations in lots of cases. I feel fortuanate that I was able to go to 65, but believe me I had had enough. Shipping was to me the same as most on this site, a way of life, it was a good life at one time but would not recommend it to anyone unless they knew what they were getting into Regards John Sabourn

[Peter Trodden]

I joined the new "Newfoundland" May '65. L-Pool. A nice little job, single berth,ships cranes and hydraulic hatches but only carried 6 ABs and a Bosun. We had 3 Cadets on the Mates watch and for Pilot Wheels,never seen them working on Deck,so we had 2 men on deck with 1 on the wheel (no Iron Mike) btw She was GRT.6905.50. The problem started on Docking days in those open Ports, St John's, Halifax and Boston with the Mate wanting all ropes ashore asap. Head and Stern Lines on the eye and bight,back springs the same, Cranes topped,Hatches opened and lower the Gangway,what a work-up But as I said,a nice little job with a great crew so I stayed for a few trips.
ttfn. Peter.

[Gulliver]

Looks like a nice handy vessel to work cargo on Peter,especially as a new ship as you did.

For those who like to know,here's her history.
She seemed to have an identity crisis,being transferred and renamed several times within the group,which often happened in those years. There's a good pic,courtesy of Photoship) below with both names visible on her stern.

m.v.NEWFOUNDLAND (ON 306493), 6660 grt .Completed 18.11.64 as Yard No. 407 by Burntisland SB Co.,Burntisland for Furness Withy & Co.Ltd;Liverpool

1972 Renamed CUFIC same owners.
1973 Transferred to Johnston Warren Lines Ltd;Liverpool
1974 Renamed NEWFOUNDLAND by same owners.
1976 Renamed CUFIC by same owners

　


1977 Sold.Renamed GAIETY by Golden City Maritime Corp SA Panama
1986 Broken Up Shanghai


Note: Her Sister ship was NOVA SCOTIA which also became TROPIC suffering the same style identity changes.Later she was the BOOKER VALIANT , before later ending her days at Alang as-late as 1998.


　

[j.sabourn]

Ref. the title of the original post 3210 was a sarcastic ref. to the watchkeepers , 3 on a watch, then 2 on a watch, then 1 on a watch, and in a lot of cases now only the mate on watch. Whatever happened to the Rules and Regulations for preventing collission at Sea. Is having a knowledge of these not now mandatory.? Are we now totally reliant on electrical appliances. Reminds me of the old Dan Dare comics of the green floating head hovering on a cushion. Someone mentions chinese ships having properly manned vessels, Russian ships are also the same and in most cases still have the old system as was laid down. Maybe their capitalistic aims are not so high as others. Regards John Sabourn