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27th November 2019, 04:12 PM
#1
The 6 week trip that wasn't !
In January 1956, as an RO, I asked Marconi for a short trip because I wanted to go on the next training course to get my First Class PMG. They allocated me to the Tremorvah (Hains Line) that was sailing from Manchester (my home) going to New Orleans, picking up grain and returning to Glasgow, it was to be 6 weeks, just the right timing for me.
The first night out I picked up the message from the owners saying “Change of orders. After New Orleans proceed to Japan” This was just the start of what transpired to be an 8 month trip. After Japan it was back across the Pacific to Portland Oregon, then to Bombay via Japan to bunker, then East Africa and finally to our original destination of Glasgow.
Fortunately it was a good, modern ship, clean and well run with a good set of officers so it was a very enjoyable trip for me, visiting some interesting places. I was only young and single with no commitments so other than delaying my PMG qualification it didn't matter but for the married men it could not have been so easy to tolerate.
I passed my PMG First Class and then joined Union Castle.
Thanks for reading, hope it was of some interest.
Last edited by Trevor Bury; 27th November 2019 at 04:42 PM.
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27th November 2019, 04:34 PM
#2
Re: The 6 week trip that wasn't !
Hello Trevor. Perhaps a tiny typo - surely 1956 and not 1996. There is an edit facility if you need it.
Regards
Harry Nicholson
Harry Nicholson
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27th November 2019, 04:41 PM
#3
Re: The 6 week trip that wasn't !
Absolutely right Harry, thanks
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27th November 2019, 04:43 PM
#4
Re: The 6 week trip that wasn't !
1950's I joined one of Ropner's for a six week trip, came home 22 months later! Thankfully a happy ship.
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27th November 2019, 05:03 PM
#5
Re: The 6 week trip that wasn't !
My very shortest deep sea trip was a couple of hours.
I signed on the CASTLEDOR, in the shipping Office in Liverpool and told to join next day ready for sailing. 10 October 1957
The ships articles stated that it was a voyage to Buenos Aires and Rotterdam, was Two Year Articles, unless the vessel arrived in UK or Continent. She had a Two Year contract for wheat from B.A. to Rotterdam and coal to B.A.
That was Ok we could pay off even if the vessel arrived in Rotterdam.
I joined next morning and was with the crowd in the mess room having a smoko after preparing the ship ready for sea.
The Mate appeared and shouted OK , Fore and Aft, to let go. I went into the alleyway, the Articles were posted in a glass case on the bulkhead. I happened to notice that the words "OR CONTINENT" , was crossed out in ink.
i shouted to the crowd and pointed it out. all hands came back into the mess room. That meant we were going to be Shanghaied for two years.
The Mate came back in in shouting. we told him the Articles had been altered .
No they havent, now get fore and aft.
So we went down the gangway, I telephoned the NUS and then the Shipping Office in Cornhill telling them to send the Shipping Master down to the ship with a copy of the original Articles. The Captain was going berserk shouting to get back on board and sail. No Chance. The Union man and then the Shipping Master arrived and proved that the Articles had been altered by the Captain after we had signed.
The ship was stopped from sailing, Then they had to pay us all off at the Shipping Office and we got One Months pay for it.
A months pay for Two hours work was better than a two year voyage.
Brian
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27th November 2019, 05:33 PM
#6
Re: The 6 week trip that wasn't !
Well and truly beats my story Ivan
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27th November 2019, 07:37 PM
#7
Re: The 6 week trip that wasn't !
The S.SA. fruit season ended early August 1972. When we docked we were informed that the ship (Clan Ranald), would be going into layup at the River Blackwater as there was no work for her. Leave your gear pick it later.
Got a phone call ten days later, rejoin the ship, she is sailing.
On arrival relief crew were watching the Olympics, the thought it was a big joke as she was in no fit state to sail, engine stripped down, full sailing crew arrived over the course of an afternoon.
No one on the ship had any info on her sailing plans.
Next morning at smoko, the Mate announced that we were sailing Zeebrugge, Amsterdam and Rotterdam to pick a cargo of spuds for Argentina. We told him to p**s off, thought he was taking the mickey.
We eventually sailed arriving home 3 months later.
The C.E asked me why were all so bloody miserable at the start of the voyage, we've been Shanghaied, what do you mean? told him about the layup plans. Load of ******** was his reply, he knew of the intended trip weeks before we got back from the fruit run.
Vic
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27th November 2019, 08:43 PM
#8
Re: The 6 week trip that wasn't !
Originally Posted by
Trevor Bury
Well and truly beats my story Ivan
I should have known better, Ropner's had a reputation for long trips, lousy ships, and poor food, but I never found any of that in reality, and I had done six week trips with them before so was lulled into a false security. There were ups and downs of course, after about 11 months picking up the pilot at Balboa to transit the Panama to the Atlantic side and a chance to pick up a cargo for UK, but then drop him again as soon as the anchor was up and then up to Vancouver to load for China, another 10 months before we saw Panama again. There were a couple of desolate days on the way up to Vancouver, but then you just got on with it, plenty of overtime for crew and officers and the smartest ship in the fleet, and a 10 day drydock in Shimonoseki eased the pain quite a lot. A dippy Chief Steward, but a very good one and she was an excellent feeder and the old man (Capt Churchill) a stickler for uniform and correct dress and wouldn't let standards slip, whether an officer or steward, which I think helped keep moral up. He was always fair and made sure that all members of crew had best voyage they could. He was one of those Master's you would have followed anywhere. Chippy and myself built a bar in officers lounge and then Chippy and bosun built one in crews lounge (yes they had one) this was to encourage people to mix and not drink in their cabins, it worked.
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28th November 2019, 11:54 AM
#9
Re: The 6 week trip that wasn't !
Ivan, You know what they say about the guy who drinks alone and usually goes over the top as the bar never shuts, Not a good sign that's the reason I never drank while at sea keeping sea watches, And that 8 2 12 was the worst watch for it you could be a right billy no mates.
{terry scouse}
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29th November 2019, 04:58 AM
#10
Re: The 6 week trip that wasn't !
Terry, as officers steward the best watch for us was the 12 to 4.
We had to take their lunch order to the first class galley.
Very few ever turned up so we got to have the meals they ordered.
But in time you can get a bit sick of fillet steak every day, and some of them did not like it cooked the way I did.
One third engineer a South African by the name of Utenbogart, used to make his own grog with pineapple skins, would order the steak almost every day, never recall him ever eating it though.
Told him to have it rare, but no he wanted medium rae, not good enough.
Last edited by happy daze john in oz; 29th November 2019 at 05:00 AM.
Happy daze John in Oz.
Life is too short to blend in.
John Strange R737787
World Traveller
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