A game of two halves

[Keith Tindell]

John 18, thanks for that info, i saw here many times, it was many months she was laid up, and i see she was scrapped, and not sunk, kt

[Charlie Hannah]

Well the latest from our opposition leader here in Oz.
The Maratine union have been on his back and he is proposing to start a new Australian Merchant Navy.

He said such a navy would take so many trucks off the roads???????????? W have only three major ports here and as far as I know none of the ships that berth here go up the roads.
He then went on to show how many ships other countries have and how they make a profit.

What he failed to mention is the fact that those countries have crews from other countries such as Phillipines, Indonesia and other Asian nations and the rate of pay is lower.


One import company said that using Australian seamen on such ships would add at least 15% to the cost f all goods brought into the country.

But of course the opposition leader is a poli, and not a bright one!

From The Telegraph this morning!
BHP crews Return home.
Workers from the last two Australian crewed Iron Ore ships have started arriving home after BHP ended contracts with their employer. The first crew members from the MV Mariloula flew into Brisbane yesterday. A total of 68 from that ship and MV Lowlands Brilliance are expected to return home in the coming weeks. A Maritime union of Australia statement said; Earlier this month The crew of both vessels were informed that BHP & BlueScope had decided with out consultation to immediately axe the last remaining iron ore vessels. The decision brought to an end more than 100 years of Australian Seafarers carrying ion ore for BHP."

[j.sabourn]

So now Australia joins the likes of the UK where merchant shipping as such is a dead industry as such to its own citizens. With no shipping the natural events to follow is no training for youngsters and of course the loss of all standards of certification as there will also follow no Examiners as such. Shipping is a dead dodo bird floating on the briny. And it all has its roots the same as any other industry in money and profit making , to keep the status quo at various levels. Political parties of all persuasions have managed to bring us to this stage in our development. Bravo Democracy you’ve done a good job some will say, others will tell the truth. JS

[happy daze john in oz]

John, all brought about by politicians who have only one concern, their own well being.

Any project they consider worthy of consideration must at least have something in it for them, if not then it just does not happen.

Then the other way, one side proposes and because the other did not think f it opposes it.
I am beginning to wonder just where democracy went to as it is sure not here at present.

[Des Taff Jenkins]

Hi John S
Are these the same seamen that took a cut in wages to keep those ships going? Never works, while ever there is cheap labour in the world they will use it.
As for the seaman's union calling for ships around the coast John; there used to be a big fleet in Aus, including passenger boats from Freemantle to Brisbane. But to run a trucks from Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Freemantle, when a ship could take all the cargo from one place to another for half the cost strikes me as stupid, now if we had Bullet Trains, but there I go dreaming again.
To get back on the theme, I was lucky to leave the UK before the collapse of the MN and spend six years on the NZ coast and leave before that also finished. Great life, would do it all again, but not likely anyone will be able to; unless they come back to life in some cheap labour country.
As someone told me yesterday, there is a shortage of Clowns for the circuses, they have all gone into politics.
Cheers Des

[happy daze john in oz]

Yes mate, no more funnymen now apart from those in Canberra.

But do they ever consider how the world works, build up the Oz MN again, just another thought bubble in the hope of gaining some support.
Shipping has changed to the point that it does not even look like shipping any more.

[Bill Cowe]

I was in the UK MN with BP for 8 years in early 60s and could see the writing on the wall. The crunch came when I stood by a newbuild for BP and found there was no aircon. Union told me "bear with it son BP is bigger than you" so I promptly resigned from the useless union. After this I went freelance with FOC ships and eventually scored a job with Maersk (Danish flag) and was awarded twice the salary and overtime, given the status of Chief Marine Radio & Electronics Officer, a 3rd stripe (nice but you cant eat stripes), a seat on the Captain's table, and sent on numerous courses to gain extra certificates over the years. The ships were modern, excellent equipment, clean, excellent food, all airconditioned. I stayed with them for 12 years migrating to Australia and still working for Maersk until my kids came along. Wanting shorter trips I worked on Aussie ships and eventually went sideways into Offshore Oil and Gas on self propelled drillships, semis, construction barges with 20000 ton cranes building platforms, dive support ships etc etc. We worked 28 days then home for 28 days. Only drawback was we had to pay Aussie tax !! On reaching the magic 65 years and mandatory retirement I reluctantly had to swallow the anchor. I still remain in the union and do some work for them and the ITF helping the poor buggers on the "ships of shame". The comment by one contributor that Aussie only has 3 ports - what ??? Maybe he has lost some fingers over the years !! There are more than 3 ports in Western Australia for a start, shipping huge amounts of iron ore, gas, livestock, grain, etc etc to say nothing of the huge coal ports in NSW and QLD. Yes shipping has suffered the same downturn with the government letting more and more foreign ships transport cargo round the coast, but there are moves afoot to stop this, and if there is a change in government in May .................... watch this space. Like others, if it were possible I would go back to sea tomorrow (under Aussie conditions of course) !!

Happy retirement to all those who have been forced to swallow the anchor.

My time at sea was like a football match , a game of two halves.
The first half was the best time of my life. I could walk into the Pool and there would be three or four ships to choose from. I chose the ships from the run they were on , always somewhere sunny and if possible to ports I had not been to before or to ports I had enjoyed myself in the past. It did not bother me to miss Christmas and New Year at home , avoiding the cold snow and ice of winter months and coming back in spring was far better. A crew of like minded people who worked hard at sea and took a pride in their work , going ashore together having a great time. It was not always good there were bad times too , but when we met up for a drink after a trip the bad times were forgotten and we laughed at the things that happened on the trip.

The second half I did not see coming , it all seemed to happen so fast. Shipping companies with long histories vanished , flags of convenience , unheard of ports of registry and foreign crews. The Pools closed and maritime agencies sprung up , the crews you had sailed with also vanished. The laughs were gone our way of life had gone , it became every man for himself. This is the time I should have left but I clung on as long as possible sailing on tugs and any other jobs I could find. I once had a call from an agency in Guernsey asking if I wanted to join a British survey ship. When I arrived in Yarmouth I found the British survey ship was actually a salvage tug registered in St. Vincent and the Grenadine Islands.

[J Gowers]

####british endeavour sure rings a bell keith....regards cappy

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###british endeavour built hawthorn leslie tyneside sea trials 1949 ..regards cappy

Hi
I think the ship you saw could have been a Denholms tanker the Burmah Endeavor.
I was with Denholms from 1974 to 1984 then did a few trips with Northern marine and Stena after that eventually in the mid 80s went offshore on semi sub drilling rigs as Chief Engineer and eventually on drillships. I retired a couple of years ago but the move to drilling rigs was the best move I made, good money short trips 2 weeks on 2 off in the north sea and when I went abroad 4 weeks on 4 off. Started of with a drilling company called Wilrig which was taken over by Transocean and I was with them for about 26 years.

[Terry Bryce]

You must have been originally with Sedco, then Sedco Forex before it morphed into Transocean?

[John Blackwood]

My time at sea was like a football match , a game of two halves.


When I arrived in Yarmouth I found the British survey ship was actually a salvage tug registered in St. Vincent and the Grenadine Islands.

Can relate to all you said, joined in 73 and it was great, choose a ship the length of journey the ports of call, from Tankers, Bulk carriers, containers, Cargo ships, didnt realise at the time how lucky we had it, first ten years deep sea, last ten coastal, from Thownsend Thorenson, to converted trawlers as stand by vessels for rigs,safety and the fun sucked out by every man for himself rather than as it used to be, still
best days of my life at sea although it wasnt all good would go back but wouldnt know how to get a ship or if they would have me, 61 but still fit.