Assisting ships in distress

[j.sabourn]

Going into Yarmouth one time the coast guard called me up and asked me to go alongside a yacht stranded on a sandbank. The banks outside Yarmouth are very tricky and likely to change at certain times. I told him I had no intention of going alongside the yacht as was drawing 5.5 metres draught and would go aground myself if tried to do so, and told him to tell the yacht to wait until the next high water and would probably refloat himself. If not to send an inflatable or semi rigid to take the 2 occupants off. Amateur sailors cause more trouble than enough. The coastguard should have had more sense than to ask me to go alongside. However believe these people are now in charge of certification re what is left of our merchant fleet, so hope it is a different department of same that does so. Cheers John Sabourn

[j.sabourn]

Having made maybe unjust fun of the coastguard, I suppose I am also guilty of making some statements which might sound ludicruous to others. Shortly after or at the tail end of the Piper Alpha disaster, people were still in a high sense of suspense or other words I find hard to describe. What I believe was the coastguard were in touch with me wanting to know what the survivors were wearing.This to me did not penetrate as they were all different.So I believe I said words to the effect what do you mean. He then said what are you wearing, so I said trousers shirt and carpet slippers. Was dressed the same until ship arrived back in Aberdeen. Thinking back to this as by this time in the crisis, with all the boats which at that time were starting to appear, all the crews of such were dressed immacually in survivors suits. However it wouldnt have made much difference as we didnt carry such for crew members, only the old heli suits which the FRC crew had. My poking fun at the Coast Guard may have been a bit unjust in previous post. Cheers John Sabourn

[Des Taff Jenkins]

Hi All.
Heading for Canada for pit props in 1952, we hit a hurricane with waves reported to be over ninety feet high, the Queen Mary which was up near Sable Island had her wheelhouse windows smashed in, and they were ninety feet above sea level. We got an SOS from a ship bringing pit props from St Johns that her deck cargo had shifted and she was listing badly, The name was something Star, there was no way we could have gone to her aid as we were battling to stay afloat ourselves, I remember when we got back to Garston the skipper's wife of that ship was on the wharf asking if we had heard anything, apparently she had been asking all captains that came back from Canada the same thing.
The other time, not a ship but coming from Westport in NZ on a Union Co collier we heard this yelling in the Hauraki Gulf outside Auckland. Clinging to a Bouy were eight oarsmen who had been caught in a storm and pushed out to sea.
Cheers Des

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[j.sabourn]

Dez ref your post re timber deck cargo.Was always a very dangerous cargo to my mind especially on long sea passages say from western Canada to Europe. Even on commencement of passage they usually had a very small GM, during passage due burnout and saturation of deck cargo by rain or sea the GM was further reduced. It was a common sight to see timber ships arriving with a definite and pronounced list as had a negative righting arm and had reached what used to be called the angle of loll. After this anything could happen. It was up to the master in such cases as to when to jettison the deck cargo, as all timber deck cargoes were supposed to be fitted with quick releases on the chain securing the same. This would be a case where I suggest that the owner sitting in his office would not be his decision, but the masters, and can never see them taking this out of his hands as they have tried to remove other instruments of authority. Thinking back to my final years at sea cannot really remember seeing any ships with timber deck cargoes, although they must have been around. Cheers John Sabourn.

[Bob Dunkley]

we recieved an s o s at about midday in april 1968 i was jos on the shaw saville M V Megantic we went 3 in a watch and started heading towards the ship in trouble , which was the lebanese cargo ship SS ALHELI this was about a day out of the Azores homeward bound from N.Z by the time we arrived it was nearly dark we were guided in by a U S coastguard plane.once there the alheli crew were trying to launch there life boats they had one man in the boat which was being lowered on staghorns as the ship was rolling the boat was crashing into the ships side all of sudden one of the falls snapped and there mate was lucky to hang on and be pulled back on deck .They asked for assistence and we sent our life boat with 1st mate 2 ab 1 eng across to the Alheli ,as we lowered our boat we had a stroke of luck as only one fall released and the men and the boat were hanging by one fall but as the next wave came along somehow the other fall released and the boat was like a surfboard 1/2 amile away in seconds. We took 26 seamen off in two attempts we had set up cargo nets gangway nets etc over the side and they climbed up we dragged them onto our deck they stayed on board all night and in the morning we transferred them onto the U.S Coastguard Cutter the MENDOTA we watched the Alheli sink and then carried on to the royal docks with channel night the next thing on our minds

[Gulliver]

we recieved an s o s at about midday in april 1968 i was jos on the shaw saville M V Megantic we went 3 in a watch and started heading towards the ship in trouble , which was the lebanese cargo ship SS ALHELI this was about a day out of the Azores homeward bound from N.Z by the time we arrived it was nearly dark we were guided in by a U S coastguard plane.once there the alheli crew were trying to launch there life boats they had one man in the boat which was being lowered on staghorns as the ship was rolling the boat was crashing into the ships side all of sudden one of the falls snapped and there mate was lucky to hang on and be pulled back on deck .They asked for assistence and we sent our life boat with 1st mate 2 ab 1 eng across to the Alheli ,as we lowered our boat we had a stroke of luck as only one fall released and the men and the boat were hanging by one fall but as the next wave came along somehow the other fall released and the boat was like a surfboard 1/2 amile away in seconds. We took 26 seamen off in two attempts we had set up cargo nets gangway nets etc over the side and they climbed up we dragged them onto our deck they stayed on board all night and in the morning we transferred them onto the U.S Coastguard Cutter the MENDOTA we watched the Alheli sink and then carried on to the royal docks with channel night the next thing on our minds

24.4.68 s..s. ALHELI foundered 33.15N/45.50W -mid-Atlantic - [Almeria-Wilmington ,Delaware with fluorspar]





[Ex Liberty ship , 7,176 grt completed 7/43 at Permanente,Richmond Yard # 2,Calif. as HENRY DODGE for U.S.Govm’t. 1946 To Pasquale Mazola , Naples,renamed GIOVANNI AMENDOLA. Sold 1961 to San Antonio Inc.Beirut,Lebanon .Renamed ALHELI]

[Captain Kong]

I did a three month assignment with Court Helicopters and this what I wrote in the Article................
.
.One day, June , we got a Mayday, a Cyprian cargo ship, the `AROSA`, registered in Limassol was in distress up the coast just north of Hondeklip Bay, before we got up there she had grounded on the rocks and had a steep list to starboard, She was a traditional cargo ship, five hatches, and 10,000 tons.
The crew were on the Port side waving to us as we approached, seas and spray was flying over the ship in a strong sou`westerly gale.
Tikki got himself ready and rigged the harness and then went down to pick them up. I was in the door way and as they came up I pulled them inboard, Tikki went up and down 27 times and was really exhausted and collapsed in the doorway as I heaved him in. I got them all sat down in the seats. Lucky we had the size to do it. Then back to Cape Town. The Immigration Authorities, the Padre from the Seamens` Mission where there at Green Point waiting to receive them. They were extremely thankful for being rescued from certain death.
Two days later the gale subsided and we had a quiet day so `Stretch` [ Pilot ]said lets go look at the wreck and see what we can get. So off we went.
She was in the stages of breaking up. So Tikki and I went down in the harness and he said we wanted a fridge for the Mess room at the Base so with great difficulty against the sloping deck we got one out on deck and hooked it up, then I got a lifebuoy, with the name AROSA LIMASSOL and took that up as well. It was quite dangerous in there, she was grinding on the rocks and at a dangerous list so we got out of there. we didn’t hang around. It was quite scary. So when we got back to Base we had a fridge in the Mess and the lifebuoy was hung on the wall.
Cheers
Brian

[Ralph Rushton]

when i was on the queen Mary we went to a ship to pick up injured men and operat on then we transferred them to another ship but the sea came up rough ,we was able to get them on the other ship but when we got back to the q m it was to rough to pick us up so we spent all night in the lifeboat bloody cold,when it calmed down a bit we got back on board up the rope ladder 6 decks that's what happens when you volunteer to be a stretcher bearer.

[Evan Lewis]

A revelation of Gross incompetence John.
Thank Christ!""

When signing on The" Mary and the Lizzie" and others of it's ilk. One when signing on a.. then lookinb at assignments , when in favour or no"t . That's your lot". You;re credited to Accident Boats ,No 1 or number 2 . As one would apprecate . those Liners Size,

Were expected to respond to calls in their immediate vicinity Which doesn't allow for the innocents , on signig On to these Great Ships .

their own lives safety was at risk was not on the Horizon. In retrospect ,if you think it through .Would one in reality RiSk it. The Wester n Ocean ,always a challenge , hard to cross .
Yet one's signed on at Southampton . As a.b. it is true, ,though being unaware of the commiments , to man the Accident Boats , with all the dangers that entails Surely shouyld have been warned ,in addition to their regular tasks . frapoing in the Deriick' Stay' s ,W hilst going Down the Channel at eighteen ,Knots they should .at least been made aware .When signing, of the chances of engaging in a smaller Vessels ,
rescue .

Takes my hat off to those lads .part of our prorfession . .The many dangers one endured . Proud of what you did , .Rewards one does not need ,I know . Just happy ,being Alive. To reminisce and educate those never had the chance

To Join the British Merchant Navy, . Just hope that in your fututre lies And may you soon aspire . to fulfil all You wish in Life .Beng British
is a Plus.
Am Sure As was proved in the Olympics. Must Close now . Hope you one and All that all your dreams succeed
Hold Your Head up on high
Thank You for Your time

Hope THAT IN THESE FEW WORDS .I;ve done A BIT of Good , , MuST GO now to feed my dog . it must be very hungry. So! I.lll say ac gaIn a >Cheerio > Hope THIS Hasn.t been a Pain
The Motive being to add some to inp
ut to a Post t. so treat me kindly . Have to go. !

It;s T[me to go on Watch. at least, it's just outside the Door , no fear of gettinfg Logged
As one Master, Charged me , .Of failing to arise to take my Watch ,as from Bremen . we were leavinG .The charge being. Quote " Failing to Keep a Watch whilst the ship was being navigated ,in Fog in a Buoyed Channel

My defence being , "was it my fault it was Foggy? 'Wipe it Out .was the response. Sanity prevailed .
Buenos Noches ! Amigos Y Amigas!


\

[Gulliver]

I did a three month assignment with Court Helicopters and this what I wrote in the Article................
.
.One day, June , we got a Mayday, a Cyprian cargo ship, the `AROSA`, registered in Limassol was in distress up the coast just north of Hondeklip Bay, before we got up there she had grounded on the rocks and had a steep list to starboard, She was a traditional cargo ship, five hatches, and 10,000 tons.
The crew were on the Port side waving to us as we approached, seas and spray was flying over the ship in a strong sou`westerly gale.
Tikki got himself ready and rigged the harness and then went down to pick them up. I was in the door way and as they came up I pulled them inboard, Tikki went up and down 27 times and was really exhausted and collapsed in the doorway as I heaved him in. I got them all sat down in the seats. Lucky we had the size to do it. Then back to Cape Town. The Immigration Authorities, the Padre from the Seamens` Mission where there at Green Point waiting to receive them. They were extremely thankful for being rescued from certain death.
Two days later the gale subsided and we had a quiet day so `Stretch` [ Pilot ]said lets go look at the wreck and see what we can get. So off we went.
She was in the stages of breaking up. So Tikki and I went down in the harness and he said we wanted a fridge for the Mess room at the Base so with great difficulty against the sloping deck we got one out on deck and hooked it up, then I got a lifebuoy, with the name AROSA LIMASSOL and took that up as well. It was quite dangerous in there, she was grinding on the rocks and at a dangerous list so we got out of there. we didn’t hang around. It was quite scary. So when we got back to Base we had a fridge in the Mess and the lifebuoy was hung on the wall.
Cheers
Brian

[wrecked 30.00S/17.10E 40kms S. of Kleinsee on 16.6.76 [Lagos-Capetown(for drydock with damage) , in ballast].

s.s.AROSA 10,043 grt cargo vessel buit as ATLANTIC GENERAL 12/56 by Nagoya Zosen,Japan for Liberian owners. 1973 Renamed AROSA by Elvira Sg.Co Ltd,Famagusta,Cyprus.