ships wheel

[Red Lead Ted]

I remember steering through the Suez Canal on one ship big wooden wheel, Ears wide open for the pilots orders, He never opened his mouth for about 15 minutes just walked in and out the wheelhouse onto the wing of the bridge, I kept moving the helm to stay in the wake of the ship ahead, He came over to me and he must have had a sense of humour................. Perfect English you have navigated the canal before yes, Yes pilot I replied it shows he said you are doing just fine. I think we can all confess to this one at the wheel lighthouse just been spotted on the horizon and the officer of the watch gave you a head to steer Gyro compass if you remember you couldn't always see all the numbers highlighted and just for a moment that doubt was there port or starboard. I actually preferred to steer by points rather than numbers. I got my steering ticket 12 hours at the wheel at sea on the Empress Of Canada, O.S. Anyone else remember what ship Terry.

[Keith Tindell]

I remember going up each evening on the Treworlas, on my first trip, i was the peggy, and the guys on the watch from 8-12 were all trying to get me to do their trick, even though they had to stand by me and monitor. I can remember going up one night to do an hour, and i suppose the weather was a bit lumpy, because the old man waved me away with distain. I cannot remember if i ever had to show this bit of paper for any reason, can remember being very proud of it, KT

[Ivan Cloherty]

Used to love tricks on the wheel when transiting the Panama Canal, so many leading marks made it a doddle, and saying 'excuse me Cap'n you're standing in front of the leading mark' only time you could tell a captain to get out of the bloody way!

Got my first tricks at 13 years old going out to Iceland and Bear Island on the 'Swanland' a 1914 built deep water trawler with rod and chain steering and with a wheel taller than me, lived on that wheel on the way out when I wasn't chopping ice down the closed dark hold ready for the trays when they started trawling, also on the way back when I wasn't polishing brass. Only the skipper and mate used the wheel when fishing, a small wooden wheel in front of the big wheel whose axle went through the big wheels and operated a small steam engine to turn the rudder when quick rudder movements were important. Steered by quarter points you never saw the whole compass because it was a reflection in a mirror from the magnetic compass on the monkey island. When that big wheel kicked back in heavy weather it could send you flying up to the deckhead.

[john sutton]

the training school I went to(dr barnardos) had a steering machine for training.It was the full monty requiring check helm etc.2nd trip to sea on the capetown castle I was bridgeboy and the qm I was on watch with needed a pee and asked me could I helm.Piece of cake, so he went off for his pee and left me on the wheel ,unfortunately the skipper was on the wing of the bridge and looked astern at the twisted wake and came storming into the wheelhouse.His comment was "you again"(the previous trip he,d been on the wing of the bridge and seen me doing a board of trade wash up from the petty officers mess and de-rated from petty officers peggy to peggies peggy)get off this bridge and don't ever come up here again.The QM got a bollocking ang transferred it to me that I should stay out of his way for the rest of the trip on pains of getting a boot up the ****.It was back to peggies peggy again

[Red Lead Ted]

I remember going up each evening on the Treworlas, on my first trip, i was the peggy, and the guys on the watch from 8-12 were all trying to get me to do their trick, even though they had to stand by me and monitor. I can remember going up one night to do an hour, and i suppose the weather was a bit lumpy, because the old man waved me away with distain. I cannot remember if i ever had to show this bit of paper for any reason, can remember being very proud of it, KT

Keith, If its your steering ticket you are talking about never having to show, I was told to keep mine at the back of my discharge book at all times, After you have signed on and the skipper holds the books he goes through them all to check for a steering ticket or apparently a stamp somewhere with the captain of the ship you took done your 12 hours on signature.

[Captain Kong]

I remember in 1950 I went to HMS ST. VINCENT, a Shore establishment in Portsmouth.
They had a circular platform about six feet in diameter with a binnacle and steering wheel, and worked by electricity.
By steering and altering course the platform moved around to what ever course was used. it was quite magic at the time and a way of teaching a young seaman how to steer without endangering a ship.
Cheers
Brian.

[Captain Kong]

I got my steering certificate after I had been at sea for two years, been on the wheel watch keeping on all kinds of ships from coasters to EDs, Blue Star Ellermans, London Greeks, etc. I only asked for it when I was going in for the EDH and was asked for one. I must have had Hundreds of hours in by then. I wrote a letter to the Captain of my last ship, New Zealand Star and he posted one to me just in time for the EDH exam, upstairs in the white Union Building alongside the bomb site next to the Sailors Home in Liverpool 1953. Never saw it again.
Cheers
Brian

[j.sabourn]

A lot of smaller tonnage and probably larger tonnage by now, don't have rudders so the use of a wheel for moving such is unnecessary. Azimuth thrusters although ideal in principle and make a vessel very manouverable in calm waters, always found were not so good when a big sea running. When I watch film of these big passenger vessels coming alongside one can imagine what type of thrusters etc they have to enable them to do so, however they still seem to have tugs there, probably as an insurance in case of engine failure in a lot of cases. Always found Becker Rudders very useful if fortuanate enough to have. JS

[Red Lead Ted]

All a bit different today.

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[j.sabourn]

Terry, its a pity that a lot of the older ones could not see the Bridge of a modern seismic vessel, especially the ones of Norwegian origin. The bridge of these passenger liners would probably pale into insignifigance re the modern technology involved. The Bridge itself is in many cases as big if not bigger than a liner, part of which is usually taken up with a leather and luxurious 3 piece suite with coffee table etc. Used for entertaining customs and immigration normally. No wheel, The forward consul is built round what appears to be the big leather plush seat, the steering is done on a built in computer with a tv display showing the track of ship etc, speed set and drift, and the helmsman spends his time pushing buttons to make allowances and to keep the ships speed constant when shooting usually at 4 knots. Course is maintained within a half of 1 degree and if go off this would have to start all over again after you had been flown off the ship and replaced by someone more capable. However there is no skill in this apart from being able to assist the computer. This shooting will probably go on for many days, until a large area called a block, of sea area is covered. Nowadays you would probably be towing at least 12 arrays astern for a distance of 3 to 4 miles. On a ship with only master and mate it means 6 hours at a time sitting in the chair so to speak. You never if can help it stop shooting as this is money lost for the charterers. Stores and refuelling is done whilst shooting from a supply vessel which manoeuvres alongside and makes fast and he is carried along with the vessel, Yokohama fenders and such being used, crew changes are usually done in two stages by helicopter at different days so as to keep a continuity of knowledge of the vessel as there is usually in excess of 50 people with all the surveyors and uncle Tom Cobbley an all. It is nothing like it was going to sea nowadays like it once was. Most seagoing employment you don't have the choice of ships one once had, there are more of the few remaining who are employed nowadays on specialized shipping, and is usually a big learning curve wherever one goes. At one end of the spectrum you have the old sidewinder ( trawler) no gyro, hand steering, back to basics, next trip are put on Flash Gordons space craft. Going to sea now is as different as chalk and cheese. Cheers JS