Travel

[Charlie Hannah]

The man who was killed was a Port Kembla Man.R.I.P.

[j.sabourn]

#11... Thanks Charlie, nothing on news here apart from a one liner as said. JS

[j.sabourn]

#10...Ref. Chagaramus, what I remember from 1968 was just a Bauxite port. Suppose by now there will be a good transport system into Port of Spain where you can keep up with your Limbo dancing. Are there any British companies running out of Trinidad now or are they all legs in the air. The AHTS that I was on re, British were Wimpeys marine and Seaforth Maritime. ( the abbreviation is Anchor handling tug/supply for those unaware). Out here in Oz usually worked on rejects from the North Sea, being rejects as considered under powered, when I left in 1991 the oil companies were turning their nose up at anything under 14000 BHP. However working in better climatic conditions maybe the rules of engagement aren't so forcible in the West Indies. Cheers John S

[Charlie Hannah]

John, Here is the accident Report of Port Kembla man.


Man crushed to death after wave lashes supply vessel off Pilbara coast - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

[j.sabourn]

Charlie thanks the report. Can visualize exactly what happened. Is a daily danger on any supply vessel. The only means of securing a deck cargo of containers skips or whatever is by the use of two tugger winches and pulling their wire around such and tightening, this is the only or was the only method of securing cargo. Stretching this wire around such when the ship is rolling all over the place and the deck cargo moving and sliding one has to be very nimble and aware. Paddy Crumlin was I believe in the seamans union when I was still working, there seems to be a bit of misinformation there as there has always been one for one leave ratio in that part of the maritime sector, however I am now 13 years out of date. Cheers JS

[Charlie Hannah]

John, Paddy Crumlin is still there i haven't been in touch myself for quite some time now but its a different game now than when we were in the industry.I was on both rigs and tenders for a number of years and each tender i joined had either 3on 3 of or 5on five off some six on six off.Depending on were you were out of on each tender.Wouldn't have a clue how they work it now.cheers.

[j.sabourn]

6 weeks on and 6 weeks off Charlie in 2002. However on your 6 weeks off was advisable to keep a low profile or go away and not leave a forwarding address otherwise would get a call out for some other job. While financially well worth it got to be a bit of a strain at times, as was usually a rig shift, with some old tonnage still using the old pelican hook and anchor buoys. Although the buoys seemed to have disappeared by 2002 and was all chasing down the chain and wire to recover. The days of trying to lasso the buoy, the two of you standing on the stern roller with a great heavy wire and chain lasso, being knocked off your feet by every incoming sea, seems to have gone. The same as the pelican hook, now replaced with hydraulic sharks jaws and pop up pins to try and direct the heavy work wires. The trouble starts when these modern aids are not working and you have to go back to the old methods. I think we are all well out of it. Cheers John S

[Charlie Hannah]

Worst thing about the crew change on rigs john if you were going off during the rig shifting you worked right to the hand over then a really quick dip in the shower and onto the chopper,Same thing coming on off the chopper straight in to heavy yakka.Especially hard yakka when as with me i was on permanent night shift so it was go on stay on knackered by the next morning fall into cot and away to dream time.
All that after flight Kempsey to Sydney, from Sydney to Perth then citation flight to barrow Island then 5 hour chopper ride. Glad we never had rig shifts every time rejoining.Cheers.

[j.sabourn]

Never really saw that side of it Charlie. As was usually tow master on the rig, and the OIM had you there on sufferance only as they all thought they could do it and save the cost, however it was law for a marine presence, and usually choppered in as the last anchor was coming in, when shifted put the first anchor down and the marine crew off, time was money. Was on the Ocean Epoch an American rig for 7 weeks once shifting from the Bass strait to the NW shelf, towline parted off fremantle and the OIM went charging out on deck and dropped No. 7 anchor right on top of the phone cable going to Singapore, however he stood up and took the blame as he ought, some would of tried to blame the marine crew. Cheers JS

[Brian McIlroy]

The mention of Chagaramus brings back fond memories of the bauxite run on SSM's Cape Race and Baron Belhaven between Chag and Port Alfred. The crew were all Guyanese and a great bunch of guys.

I remember being stuck in Chag for about 10 days in the Swann Hunter shipyard there over carnival - a never to be forgotten experience, with the money going out of my bank account almost as fast as it was going in!