helmsman

[happy daze john in oz]

Well I can assure you the balls were the wrong way around.
There was a wheel in front and the compass just behind, the red port ball was on the green starboard side.

But at the end of a session in there I found the compass good to find way back to the cabin.

[Graham Shaw]

Further to #40 HARP and the Tarros class of early 1970's--strange and somewhat ambitious small ships -not really successful.- some Technical Data:-It was suggested they might well be called by the acronym RoLoLoRo' s, meaning Roll On,Lift On-LiftlOff,Roll Off . (Dear God,no!)


From Marine News-Dec.2013


SEA CONTAINERS’ TARROS CLASS
By John White

The ordering of cellular container vessels for Sea Containers Chartering Ltd., the
U.K. arm of Sea Containers Inc. of America continued with various builders and
the next twelve vessels became known as the TARROS class.
The use of the same hull as the HUSTLER class but with a stern ramp to give
access to the main deck for vehicles loaded with containers was a new idea in
container handling. The superstructure was raised to give a throughway onto the
main deck and it was there that a rail mounted gantry crane was installed to
unload the containers and set them in position either in the hold or on the deck
-or in reverse.
The crane was not quipped to load over-the-side in any way. The layout of the hatches on the main
deck was suited to vehicle access for up to 30 tons capacity. The cargo capacity
was 120 TEUs with 48 below deck and 72 on deck. There were seven pontoon
hatches. The principle was maintained that each vessel could be unloaded and
loaded on one tide, as with the HUSTLER class.
The vessels were 85.2 m (o.a.) x 13.7 m x 4.17 m draught giving a deadweight
of 1,680 tons. They had a 3,200 b.h.p. Werkspoor 6TM410 diesel driving a Lips
controllable pitch propeller with a speed of 15½ knots. There was bridge control
of the machinery for manoeuvring purposes. A bow thruster was fitted. They had
a crew of 13.

Harp 1973-1980.jpg

[Des Taff Jenkins]

Definitely a Lawrence Llewellyn-Bowen designer jobbie Ivan,or the one in the bar of Happy Daze John's cruise ship,which apparently has the wrong- coloured painted balls.I couldn't find,whilst googling a pic of an old weather -beaten compass,usually long-neglected up on the monkey island, usually painted in battleship grey and rust,with paintflaking off the red and green balls,and an unspeakable item lodged in the voicepipe down to the wheelhouse steering position...I may have to curtail googling Lord Kelvin's Balls.


By the way,going back earlier I discovered McKenzie Ball is an actress-I think......

Probably Lucille's sister.
Des

[j.sabourn]

That would have been Virginia ? JS

[Des Taff Jenkins]

Shows that the site can bring back memories. John S post 27# I had forgotten all about the periscope for steering, I used to hate the bloody thing, bad enough when steering by quarter points, and rod a chain Don't know how those German sub commanders ever saw anything.
Des

[j.sabourn]

The Germans were always well known for their cameras and glass prisms, copies of which Japan followed after the war and they got better and better over the years , the same as their whiskey . Cheers JS .

[j.sabourn]

re. the submarine periscope all the British submariners i ever spoke to reckon that 95% of all torpedo attacks were conned from the conning tower and not inside the sub. they seemed to think the U- boats did the same. The submarine was ballasted with just the conning tower above water. Only John Wayne and a few other prominent actors thought different, maybe made it easy to learn their lines, like " Up Periscope " and " Down Periscope ". JS

[Graham Shaw]

Re famous people called Ball.

Probably Lucille's sister.
Des

Yes,there are so many famous Balls around these days-geddit?

.... and that there Michael Ball is absolutely everywhere today -musicals ,recording CD's especially with Alfie Boe , Children in Need, Chat shows, author of children's books, his own autobiographies,national radio show on Sundays..He is so ubiquitous. Actually he's a good singer,I grudgingly admit,but how can one man have it all? (yes,I believe he has that too) Where was I was when vocal chords were being handed out in 1952, and I was cruelly and abruptly ejected into a world that I wasn't ready for,nor it for me. He probably came out singing a future song of his from 'Hairspray' or 'Les Mis' ,whereas gargle-voice here came out gagging and squawking. This is a cruel and unfair world.




........♪ Merry Christmas Everyone ♪ ,from Shakin'Stevens no,- Garglin' Graham.
Xmas PC (2).gif

[j.sabourn]

What about spot the ball , or was that only in the Newcastle Evening Chronicle ? JS

[Graham Shaw]

ThePrisms....... re Germans were always well known for their cameras and glass prisms, copies of which Japan followed after the war and they got better and better over the years , the same as their whiskey . Cheers JS .

Slightly wandering off course for a few seconds (after temporarily pausing the chart room course recorder so the Old Man won't know.-don't worry,the Chief won't feel the vibration either,as he's well out of it courtesy of his pre-prandial rums and his post-prandial brandies) I wonder why Wilde named a character Miss Prism in his 'The importance of Being Earnest' ? I know it's a satire,but Miss Prism is not remotely a funny name ,or is it? Does anyone know,or was it funny to a Victorian audience back then,and our sense of humour has really moved on? [Prism-a glass or other transparent polygonal solid, often having triangular ends and rectangular sides, for dispersing light into a spectrum or for reflecting and deviating light. ' ] Now how hilarious is that,thought our Oscar,I shall name the school governess Miss Prism !-why,the audience will be falling off their straightbacked chairs and positively rolling in the aisles ! And,and,I shall name the reverend ...wait for it......Dr.Chasuble ! [Chasuble - a sleeveless liturgical vestment worn by a priest whilst celebrating mass,rather like a vicar's hassock-or cassock,I get them mixed up,but long enough to reach the ground and hide his stockings and suspenders] Yes,Oscar was probably beside himself with glee,thinking how hilarious the audience would find it,the gentlemen loudly snorting the accumulated snuff bits from their nostrils,and the ladies fanning themselves nineteen to the dozen and sniffing their little bottles of sal volatile (though quite a few no doubt had a snifter of gin in theirs,and more than a few wishing that a would be inventor would invent Tena LadyPads really soon,to make watching such satires a more comfortable,less embarrassing experience...
ROFL Santa (2).jpg