todays vessels

[Geoff Smith]

Hi Richard,
Just looked at the video of the ship. Does it only have one lifeboat? Provided you don't go down by the stern everything should be fine

[Ian Hey]

Yes, I quite agree with you Cappy You could probably have turned her short round in the canal in the old days.

[j.sabourn]

#12.. I worked out of Great Yarmouth on supply ships for a while. Going into the town quay you were always pointing in the wrong direction for coming out.So had to turn in the river. The nearest part of the river wide enough to do this was about a quarter of a mile back down the river , so I used to back down the river to this point and turn there only had about 20 feet clearance each end. I wouldn’t of liked to do it on a regular ship , but we had twins screw and a bow thruster used to twitch all over when doing. How other ships who had the same problems never bothered to find out where they turned if they had to .The tides on the river can be strong there also and running in different directions at certain times. The only place In The Suez Canal that I can recollect for turning would have been the bitter lakes , but there again am no expert on it and used to rely on pilots for advice. Think if I remember correctly Great Yarmouth pilotage was compulsory going in but not coming out, or maybe getting mixed up with Lowestoft. Turning in the canal would probably have involved using an anchor ,and who knows what’s still lying on the bottom, the pilots hopefully .Cheers JS.

[Des Taff Jenkins]

Hi Cappy.
When I was on the NZ coat I saw the results that you are taking about. I sailed with an ancient bosun who was a pure sailing ship man, must have been 80 if he was a day, he never stopped talking about these newfangled ships with out sails, about the blankety blank smoke from the blankety blank funnel spoiling his paint work, he used to tell us tales of sailing around the Horn, and sailing ships all were so much different than what we were sailing on. He used to say anyone can learn to sail on these things , don't know how young chaps can be bothered.
I suppose different eras different people.
I don't know if I would sail on these new ships, but I would sail on a windjammer.
Des

[happy daze john in oz]

John #9, from what I have been told down at the Mission here in Melbourne the crew have to do what they can to get home or to board.
No special treatment now.
On the cruise ships it varies.
Some such as Princess will pay both ways for a crew member at the end of contract and for returning.
But not all do that, some will only pay one way and have heard that many do not pay at all.

[cappy]

Hi Cappy.
When I was on the NZ coat I saw the results that you are taking about. I sailed with an ancient bosun who was a pure sailing ship man, must have been 80 if he was a day, he never stopped talking about these newfangled ships with out sails, about the blankety blank smoke from the blankety blank funnel spoiling his paint work, he used to tell us tales of sailing around the Horn, and sailing ships all were so much different than what we were sailing on. He used to say anyone can learn to sail on these things , don't know how young chaps can be bothered.
I suppose different eras different people.
I don't know if I would sail on these new ships, but I would sail on a windjammer.
Des

Well des i think it is very true .....my old granda sailed down on a small open boat ....along with other brothers from the shetlands to the tyne were other family lived then sailed on windbags as he called the sailing vessels...his favourite saying .....which did upset others when i mentioned it before was they carry a knife on there ass and think they are seamen today ...the other granda not my blood said well i suppose if your in the galley you wont get hungary .....not like we were... his vessel went belly up financialy on the west coast of canada ......in the 30s and he bummed and rode the rails over to the east coast ...hoping for a ship there ...he was one hard man ....robin emile award ...for bravery ...plus loyds medal .plus mbe .....for action on the rescue of some of the crew of the ss leo of hull in an open boat while under stuka fire and vessels sinking in a east coast convoy....eventualy passed away falling asleep on his settee with his pipe setting it alight ...he lasted a few days in hospital then passed .......one tough old goose...and sadly missed even today60 years later ......cappy

[j.sabourn]

On my grandmothers side of the family Cappy I believe her father or grandfather was a windjammer master and they came from Blyth her maiden name was Chandler , maybe the word put me off being too inquisitive , otherswise the Sabourn’s were mostly fishermen. There was when I left still one of the fishermen side living in Notts flats in North Shields but maybe gone by now. As said one of them don’t know who, jumped ship in Australia In 1929 and they bred like rabbits, nothing to do with me. I was always a good clean living lad as you know. Cheers JS

[cappy]

On my grandmothers side of the family Cappy I believe her father or grandfather was a windjammer master and they came from Blyth her maiden name was Chandler , maybe the word put me off being too inquisitive , otherswise the Sabourn’s were mostly fishermen. There was when I left still one of the fishermen side living in Notts flats in North Shields but maybe gone by now. As said one of them don’t know who, jumped ship in Australia In 1929 and they bred like rabbits, nothing to do with me. I was always a good clean living lad as you know. Cheers JS

1929 just the beggining of the terrible times worldwide ...perhaps a good time to skin out in oz ...at least it would be warm ...and hopefully as for many years there would be work in oz though i dont know about that ....i know we had family with a coble in cullercoats there only means of survival ....but led to believe they had all passed inthe early 50s...nice to see our friend back aboard .......cappy

[j.sabourn]

Ditto on that.. but will take time.. I still had some old picture of old family mostly women selling fish outside the fisherman’s cottages in Cullercoats , believe they have all been pulled down by now. I remember my grandmother just after the war when I stayed in Kingston , she was only about 58 but looked about 98. Most of it was brought on I think by the second youngest son who was MIA when Singapore fell and she didn’t find out whether alive or dead until 5 years later in 1947. Cheers JS

[Michael Black]

#17, John, don't know if same family, but I knew a Freddie Chandler when I was rigging at Blyth power station in 73_91. He was from Blyth, 25 years later I had a young rigger working with me from Blyth called Ben Chandler, he was Fred's grandson.
Still a few Chandlers in Blyth, still keep in touch with young Ben, he had been working in Melbourne when this pandemic struck so he had to come back.
Regards Michael