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John, when we were there our yachts always flew the red ensign. Used to get a little irritated that the blue was flown by so many, however most would not know what flag to fly anyway. A couple flew the white ensign one I recall was Sir Norman Rydge his yacht should no its name (began with P?) I believe is now with the navy? Richard
La Chacra June 1959 AB
Loaded sports cars uk for detroit /chicago and on to duluth grain back
where from canuck asked London mate, what London Ontario.UG!!
Got sacked one hr late back.
Watched 'Mighty Ships' last night, only got the back end of it, but it was about a 'Laker', having never been in the Lakes System I found it interesting, unlike a lot of these 'Mighty Ships' programmes which leave a lot to be desired. Perhaps it was my lack of intimate Lake knowledge which made it interesting.
Completed 5 seasons up the lakes in ML Commerce class Ships. Ab fab. At the time I was very young, the Beatles had arrived in USA so Beatle haircut, scouse accent and could do no wrong.
Run itself was good, used to fill ships drinking tanks under the Mackinack bridge, bet you cannot do that now.
Deck cadets used to be "Boom Men" on the lock walls and could be out there for anything up to twelve hours at a time
Then came containers and the lakes run ceased.
#65 If no one answered your query Richard was mainly for ship handling going into locks etc. This is what I have always believed anyhow. Cheers John S
#63... Ivan the time s I was up the Lakes, if you were a normal deep sea vessel , the locals used to call you salties, even some of the lakes pilots used to refer to them as such, in previous posts about the Lakes I said as far as I was concerned it was a work up getting access to the Great Lakes, but once up there was great. The locks were the biggest work up on a conventional ship as had to lead wires through blocks for securing in Locks. Four wires 1 2 3 and 4. The rapid ascent or descent was usually accompanied by parting wires which had to be replaced in very short order. Ships built for the seaway were a different proposition as not too much hectic activity. There was no sanitary discharges up the Lakes and if ship did not have a sludge tank, chemical toilets had to be hired for ship. Cleaned out and put ashore again in Montreal. The ones we had were run off a 24 volt battery and could be used 50 times or thereabouts before being cleaned out, we carried about 24 of these. Various ports such as Chicago and Milwaukee and the lakehead on the Canadain side all had different port regulations, even some of the Rule of the Road was different in Lakes navigation in some cases. Was up there on holiday a couple of years ago, the cleanliness of the areas I used to visit were no way near what they used to be. Cheers John S.
Was quite often heard on the VHFs Richard. " The Salty on my port bow , I am altering course to Starboard " or anything else they had to communicate and couldn't read your name. Cheers John S. PS When emptying the locks at the end of the season they have even found motor cars lying there, especially in the Welland Canal. JS
During my short (a little over two years) with Marconi, I made several calls up the St.Lawrence and the canal into the lakes.
I was Radio Officer for one 13 month trip on the M.V. Sungate, owned by Turnbull Scott and on charter to Saguenay.
After departing the U.K. we made a few visits to one or two Carribean ports and then started a routine which was repeated 4 times, if I remember correctly. Through the St. Lawrence to the lakes. Back out, through the Panama canal. A call at Long Beach and on to Vancouver. Then to Kittimat up the river with scenery which could well have been scandinavia.
Through the pines we could see the funeral structures, not sure whether they were pyres or not, of the loacl indians.
The Vancouver again, through the canal and again to the lakes. We called once at New York, before the first St. Lawrence trip I think.
I remember the booms which had to be fitted in order for us to put a man ashore. That was for just the American locks wasn't it? The Canadians had their own shore staff to handle the lines.
At one lock, after our man had been planted on terra firma, the ship, still with way on her, proceeded forward with the boom still out and the plank of wood which served as a seat still dangling a yard or so above the ground.
Along the lock was a row of lamp standards. The arm on which the lights were mounted extended in a shallow arc which sprouted from a short way down from the mast's top. There was therefore a sort of V at this point.
It looked to me that rope suspending the jury-rigged was going to settle in this V.
Being rather young at the time I found it quite amusing when this happened. (I still do actually.) :D
With each inch the ship made forward, the seat would rise by a corresponding inch. This continued until the plank was caught at the V, and the lamp post eventually snapped like a carrot.
I don't remember how our man ashore reboarded.
Since our radio was the normal m.f. and h.f., c.w. only installation, we also had to have a radiotelephone (fish-'phone as it was sometimes called) installed in the wheelhouse.
I have fading but pleasant memories of 1000 Islands. We passed incredibly close to some residences.
Oh yes, and I also remember the atrocious Morse transmitted by the operator at Father Point, was it VCF? I had never before and have never since heard such bad sending. It was always very difficult, sometimes impossible to read. Many of us radio men relied on it for weather forecasts.
(Perhaps the next worst was the meteorological broadcasts from LSV in Argentina, which we had to read in Stanley on the Falklands. But that's an entirely different story.)
And we had a cabin boy who stole an aluminium canoe from Three Rivers and brought in on board. The Mounties came aboard on our next trip up the St.Lawrence and took him away.
Ah, and at the Doghouse Bar (was it in Colon or Panama City?) I acquired a small parrot. It lived on a perch I had rigged across the corner of my cabin, between the desk and the settee back. Made such a mess that I gave it to someone on another ship some time later.
We had been out of the U.K. for 13 months as we headed back. The Chief Engineer asked the Old Man if he could make a small reduction in engine revs which would ensure that we would have been outside the U.K for a period which encompassed the magic dates of, what was it? 2nd April? so that we would be immune from income tax during that year. We were disappointed. Gibson was his name.
There must be more, but I can't think of it now ......
A bit more.
The Sungate's fog horn was mounted on the funnel, above the Engineers' accommodation. The other officers' accommodation was forward of this, separated by a hold/hatch, so the damned thing pointed straight at us.
The mates' cabins were on the for'd side, mine on the aft.
The man who decided to put it there should have been shot.
#70... David some of us can relate to your experiences up the lakes and Canada. The lakes especially on the approach walls of the locks. Wonder if same practiced now and how Health and Safety relate to same. As regards Saguenay Terminals I worked for them on the Sunprincess, but was never up the Lakes on her, but was on other vessels. My recollections of the ports round Vancouver and Vancouver Island also relate to a place called Tahsis , did you ever get there. Cheers John Sabourn
Never heard of it John.Quote:
Originally Posted by j.sabourn
Your good health,Quote:
Cheers John Sabourn
David Bridgen