Fires on Board

[Keith Tindell]

Also remember the metal label attached to the set, so many pulls for more air , more line etc. I cannot remember the exact sequence of signals you were supposed to be able to send. KT

[Nigel Smith]

The dear John passenger was posted missing after sailing from Las Palmas (another story)

Yes I do remember that, the guy went over the wall and was picked up despite being in the water for some considerable time. Was it 12 hours or more, I can't remember? The Chief Officer was a bloke called Wilson, he made sure everyone knew (press, tv etc) that it was his navigational skills that found the guy (the old man didn't get a mention!). I joined the Vaal when she arrived in Southampton somewhat later than the normal early eta.

[Ivan Cloherty]

Also remember the metal label attached to the set, so many pulls for more air , more line etc. I cannot remember the exact sequence of signals you were supposed to be able to send. KT

Keith, the only important one I can remember now is a rapid succession of tugs which meant get me out of here quick!, I think one tug was pay out more line and hose and two tugs take in line and hose as I am moving position or coming out, three tugs for more air, but you don't forget them when you are using the thing. In reality the whole set up was a bit Heath Robinson, as you had no protection except gloves you wore on deck to stop you touching hot steel and your ordinary deck wear which you kept dousing with the hose to stop yourself going up in a ball of flame. There was a metal tag with the signals on it, but hard to read when you are in action as water and fire cause an awful lot of steam which sometimes gets inside the helmet despite the design to keep it out, but signaling for more air usually cleared it. The disadvantage of being in small in stature is that you can get into small spaces to try and reach the seat of the fire so step forward that volunteer, but as said before sure beats 9 - 5

[robpage]

The passenger's name was Joseph Honeywill from Johannesburg, and the date was August 28th 1970 , the ship retraced 140 N-Miles , so an additional 280 miles on the Journey , Just North of the Canaries , the ship returned to within 600 yards of where he was in the water . Allowing for drift and currents , I think that navigator was pretty good

[cappy]

#35seem to remember a Norwegian going over the wall and being many hours before his ship picked him up in shark infested waters off oz or simllar many years ago cant remember how many but think it was 20 0r30 hours or more

[j.sabourn]

Cappy you aren't thinking of the app who went over the side inside the Barrier Reef are you. There was a post on here some time ago and someone put me right either Rob or Gulliver. I always thought his name was Tarbutt but apparently it was something similar, it was off the Hazelmoor and Hoggy was skipper. We never found him after searching for about 36 hours, is a long story but he was picked up by a fishing boat off an Island, think he was hiding. The following trip on another Runciman ship he jumped in Oz with all the saloon cutlery so believe the first one was also an attempt as we were passing Cairns at the time and he was a strong swimmer. However his story was totally different. He would have to do it on my watch about 0200 hours in the morning. Was a big hoo Haa when we got back to Liverpool as he was still classed as a Young person. He came from Newcastle. Who knows he maybe looking in on this site. Cheers John S

[John Arton]

One of the longest time in the sea for a man overboard was, if I remember correctly) a deck cadet who went overboard somewhere around Indonesia from a U.K. tanker but was rescued some 48 hrs later. This would have happened in the 70's
rgds
JA

[Jim Brady]

When is a fire not a fire???Well according to the chf engineer and captain of the Empress Of Britain it is when it is to small.I was always told that all fires start from a spark.Anyway on the Britain up on the boat deck engineers accommodation we were using the small service elevator (dumb waiter to the kitchen) to send rosies down to the shlt shute in the galley,sending one at a time to slow put two in.Two in the ship rolled one rosie in lift carriage moved and got stuck on elevator shaft bolts or whatever, so machinery was working overtime and going nowhere.I could smell smoke traced it to elevator machinery,all electrics were on fire.I got the CO.2 extinguisher and gave it a good blast.the chf eng heard the noise of the extinguisher and came on the scene.Our boss man was as drunk as a skunk and flat out on his day bed at the time so knew nothing about it.He was called up on the bridge the next day and was told to explain why this extinguisher was used,he could'nt. he came back and took off on me as the chf eng said the fire was to small to warrent the use of a fire extinguisher.What was I to do stand there until it got bigger by which time it could've been out of control.
Regards.
Jim.B.

[robpage]

We had a lot of packaging in the factory , and in my twenty + years in the Dairy Industry three Dairies had been a total loss due to fires in the packaging , at sea I was involved in three shipboard fires one a major incident , which we got under control before the ship got back to the Portsmouth Link-span . I therefore take fire seriously , and would say if a fire is Bigger than a " Rosie" alight , then you will possibly need more than an extinguisher to put it out . You did the exact correct thing Jim , You Find it You Inform someone you Report It and You Extinguish it if you can

[Jim Brady]

Rob is it a case that if an extinguisher is used it has to be entered into the log book and the captain or the company dont like this?I remember in Mauritius on the King Henry and I could smell fire,I thought it was coming from the second cooks cabin he was ashore,go the mate he had the pass key,it was the bunk curtain,the mate ripped it down and put it in the wash basin and doused it.He mentioned at the time something about not using an extinguisher.
Regards.
Jim.B.