Wire splice/Ferrels

[j.sabourn]

Anyone know when wire splices became extinct on shipping? Up until the 80"s I was still putting splices in wires in UK. Was only when I was on a rig in Australia that I volunteered to put a splice in a wire and was told that was a no no. It was then illegal this would have been about 1993. There seems to be a gap when I must have been living in limbo. They had a machine on rig to do this, if remember correctly the SWL and date is stamped on ferrel. Anyone know? Cheers John Sabourn.

[Tony Wilding]

So that has effectually killed another Seamans Skill, on yachts its done on a Talurit Machine, same principle.

[Charlie Hannah]

John i know that the ferrel machine first came to Liverpool around 51 or 52 as i was serving my time in the Maritime stores at the time it came,and worked on it now and then as a boy.i was in the loft,The master rigger was Alf Bedford and he called me from my job to work the machine when it was put in positioned.all the men riggers and splicing gangs was not amused by it at all and was alarmed as it was a threat to there liveyhood.As for the job of wire splicing though i can remember it still in use at least to my retirement from seagoing in Feb 90.

[j.sabourn]

Thats what I thought Charlie. Must have been sometime in the early 90"s. Never heard anything official about it though. Maybe it was in some Notice To Mariners or suchlike. Thanks John Sabourn

[Les Woodard]

When I was rigging nearly all splices where manually done in the ropers shop but they started bringing in wire slings with ferrals on them. What I found to be a pain in the backside was when reeving a sling the ferral would most often sit on the edge of the load making packing the corner a pain or sometimes would hinder the reeving of the eye. The other complaint I had was that with a splice everything is out in the open and could be inspected visually for damage, corrosion or chemical damage. Never saw a Ferral one come apart but still very doubtful using something that could not be checked except under load. I know that not all ferrals pass the rigid tests that they apply but how long before we start getting lax testing methods on them. Glad I am out of the game now.

[Capt Bill Davies]

John i know that the ferrel machine first came to Liverpool around 51 or 52 as i was serving my time in the Maritime stores at the time it came,and worked on it now and then as a boy.i was in the loft,The master rigger was Alf Bedford and he called me from my job to work the machine when it was put in positioned.all the men riggers and splicing gangs was not amused by it at all and was alarmed as it was a threat to there liveyhood.As for the job of wire splicing though i can remember it still in use at least to my retirement from seagoing in Feb 90.

The Maritime Stores, (Scruttons) Hackins Hey. If memory serves me right Charlie.

Bill

[j.sabourn]

Opening up one question always seems to remind you of other situations, which now have the time to remember and try and clarify, which at the time was a passing incident and work just carried on. As there are at least 2 on here with rigging experience could uou clarify the possible consequences of a case as such. Moving out of Drydock with a rigging gang to lay the ship alongsiide a waiting berth. The foreman rigger on the focsle lost 2 fingers when ropes surges on the Drum end of the windlass. Whipped ashore into hospital. The next day the manager of the firm comes on board and asks me if said person was drunk. I say I have no idea and you should ask the doctor in the hospital he went to for treatment. He says the doctor will not confirm or deny. I say if the doctors doesnt know how do you expect me to know. He had an avidavit he wanted me to sign as I was on the focsle which states he was under the influence. I refuse to sign. The query is did your companys insure you for accidents when you where employed onboard. I have wondered lately did this bloke get any compo. Cheers John Sabourn

[Captain Kong]

I had a few accidents on ships over the years but never got any compensation.
Had my leg crushed and broke with the flesh ripped off in the Gulf. The gangway had been removed on Sea Island and I was reading the draft figures just before sailing as the Mercury indicators had stopped working. and got trapped on the dolphins getting back on board. Went to hospital in Al Khobar and then flew home. I was on wages for nine months but the ATOS at the time stopped my benefit bcause I was capable of sitting at a desk job in Bolton. So that came out of my wages.
. I fell off the mast on the Tarkwa, EDs in Port Harcourt, hands covered in grease off the wires when rigging the Jumbo, in hospital there then sailed home on the ship with two broken ankles and a broken arm, had to work on deck as our Alcoholic Doctor told the Mate that there was nothing wrong with my left arm. so I was carried on deck every day and given a chipping hammer to chip the deck. off work for two months when I got home, No Compo. EDs said it was my own fault for letting go.
I was injured in San Francisco with a back injury taken to hospital then sailed for the Gulf, 42 days away, I sat on deck for most of the time, like a passenger, Then a Ghost wrecked my cabin and threw me around and broke my ankle so went to hospital in Ras Tannurah. Sailed back to the Mariannas as passenger so could not complain.
and over all the years a few others, No Compo.

Happy days, They built us hard in those days.............................or daft.
Brian.

[Peter Trodden]

I was splicing wire,well into the mid 90s. This was Offshore and depended on what Job I was on. On a Pipe-Laying/Plowing Barge the AB/Riggers did all the splicing no matter what was needed to be done, Anchor Wires,Towing wires (Spelter ends.) and all working gear. The same on some of the Work-Ships,cable-laying,post Plow burying,we done it all. The Spelter Ends were made easy with the introduction of Wirelock 500 apoxy resin. I was on one Job that had a Ferrel machine but it was mostly ignored,as Les said Ferrels could be a pain. When moving or lifting a load and you just wanted that 1/2 inch,with a Ferrel its no go,but with a nice tapered eye splice no prob. About the Mid 90s some of the bigger Offshore Firms did bow to pressure from the elf&saf and all on board splicing stopped. All has to come from shoreside,stamped and with a cert, date,swl etc. I think this is everywhere now. The modern eye splice,! at the end of the wire make a Flemish eye,then close the Ferrel over the tail,its now called a Super-Loop As you say Tony,another maritime skill going, the machines are taking over. P.S John S.
G'Day, I did reply on the subject,re Piper Alpha but it,and the Thread seems to have disappeared of this site.
ttfn Peter.

[j.sabourn]

Hi Peter thanks your reply re splicing, I left the North Sea in 91 and as said was splicing tugger wires and such, never really saw a wire with a ferrel on it as regards shipping. A ferrel in any case on a tugger would have caused more problems getting snagged up I would imagine. The big Heavy work and towing wires usually had a ferrel on as was supplied direct from shore. The size of these wires would not liked to have attempted to splice with the ordinary spikes you had onboard. It was only working in the Australian Oil Industry that I really copped on to it then being illegal. Maybe this was just shipping out here. Was trying to clarify. Thanks your reply. Cheers John Sabourn