Cargo ships from Hong Kong to Australia in 1981

The one company who ran a regular service from Fremantle to Vancouver via HK & Japan was The Bakke line. Ships were part refrigerated and ran at about 18 knots. Also carried 12 passengers who were fed very well.
Australian ports were Darwin, Wyndham, Broome, Geraldton and Fremantle.
My first pilot job, and only traing was the barge Pera with emergency fuel for the meat-works,power supply at 8 knots and neap tides anf took it out by myself. Next job was Martha Bakke and 18 knots plus spring tide. Down the narrow section did not steady once, just port easy, steady, starboard easy \. Water surface calm but ship rolling with the water boiling over rocks on bottom causing disturbance. Luckily, after berthing, very fine lunch with Master and passengers. Mostly cold meats ans pickles.
Mostly loaded frozen meat, wet hides and tallow in northern ports.

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Just remembered, for 'Bakke' read Knudsen Line. All the ships had the Bakke name.

Michael if you would like to look at a quick history of the Bakke (KNUTSEN )Line just google it and there is quite a good potted history with photographs in the Allen collection on the benjidog website

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Originally Posted by Colin Wood

The one company who ran a regular service from Fremantle to Vancouver via HK & Japan was The Bakke line. Ships were part refrigerated and ran at about 18 knots. Also carried 12 passengers who were fed very well.
Australian ports were Darwin, Wyndham, Broome, Geraldton and Fremantle.
My first pilot job, and only traing was the barge Pera with emergency fuel for the meat-works,power supply at 8 knots and neap tides anf took it out by myself. Next job was Martha Bakke and 18 knots plus spring tide. Down the narrow section did not steady once, just port easy, steady, starboard easy \. Water surface calm but ship rolling with the water boiling over rocks on bottom causing disturbance. Luckily, after berthing, very fine lunch with Master and passengers. Mostly cold meats ans pickles.
Mostly loaded frozen meat, wet hides and tallow in northern ports.

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Just remembered, for 'Bakke' read Knudsen Line. All the ships had the Bakke name.

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Hi Colin,

Thanks for the info. Could you tell me more about the journey back? Was it the same route, but reverse? If so, did the ship stop by the Philippines or Papua New Guinea? Would you know about the cargo as well?

Michael

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Originally Posted by john walker

Michael if you would like to look at a quick history of the Bakke (KNUTSEN )Line just google it and there is quite a good potted history with photographs in the Allen collection on the benjidog website

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Thanks for the tip. BTW, I've posted on the Gwulo... :cool:

Thanks Michael. As mentioned above mostly meat products plus general north bound and general southboud, though do remember the wharfies eating salmon sandwiches when Bakke boat in Port.
A stevedore supervisor built his weekender outside of Darin out of salvaged plywood dunnage. Darwin was wrecked by cyclone Tracy but weekender survived and supported several families for some time after cyclone.

Hello Colin,

And thank you for your reply and the details. :rolleyes:

Mike

Hi, I did this journey on a ship called Chengtu in 1975. My dad was Chief on board (Roger White) and I was 11 travelling aboard with my Mum and younger brother. The route took us from Sydney to Brisbane, Port Moresby, Rabaul, Kavieng, Madang, Lae, Kaohsiung, Hong Kong, Manilla, Solomon Islands, Tahiti, Pango Pango, Gilbert and Ellice Islands, Los Angeles, San Fransico, Seattle. Not necessarily in that order and some destinations may have been missed out. Happy to talk further if my info is of interest!
I believe China Navigation Co were still operating a similar route up until 1984, I think.
If you read a book 'Last voyage to Wewak' by Simon Hall, I think you'll find he details a similar journey. (He is also a member on this site)

Australian Co Burns Philps also ran a few ships on that route, passenger cargo from Fremantle,, Melbourne Sydney Brisbane and then up North.
Des

If one looks at the post by Michele White on here, they will see that her relative was Chief engineer on the Chensu.
|Des