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Thread: Bue

  1. #1
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    Default Bue

    As the discussion with Louis was tending to bear away from the topic of P & O ferries will carry on as a new post.
    Louis after the new shipping and regulations you refer to I like to think I may have had a minute input into this. It was in 1991 just before I moved to sunnier climes , and had been with two shipowners after July 1988 that I accepted a job with ,the third as with a new company just starting up . It was from an ex director of BUE ( British Underwater Engineering ). who was an ex master at sea himself and saw more than a dosey bunch of office workers what was required as a mininum standard for such vessels. He bought an ex US Gulf of Mexico supply boat and the American crew delivered it to Sunderland for conversion , and sent me to relieve the US master. The conversion consisted mainly of 2 FRCs, Gas Alarms fitted all over the vessel, As you know there are many tanks on such vessels so fresh water was no longer a problem, and fresh water showers were fitted all over the vessel especially outside on the working decks , he built a whole new housing on the after deck with modern hospital facilities, tv cameras were put in on all blind spots on the vessel and shown on monitors on the Bridge. supplied proper radios with throat mikes for boat crews and proper boat suits. There were other betterments made , however would take too long to go into. Another final very important one which I was always bringing up and he increased
    the crew size to 13 from 9. This was the recommended number the Enquiry found and was stated by Lord Cullen, and was the reason why I left the previous employers who wanted me to sail with 1 deckhand, I rather think Tidewater bought them out at a later date.
    i believe you sailed with the Maersk Supply vessels. Myself I found the Maersk Runner was very helpful on that particular night in question maybe the only vessel apart from the one who passed Lube oil to us was.
    Out here in Australia sailed on three of them the Lifter, Retriever, Supporter , and found them good vessels to handle.
    The US converted vessel in Sunderland was the Veesea Topaz and the new company was Vector Offshore , and I sincerely hope she was the start of better things to come. Cheers JS PS The ex BUE director also paid a more appropriate salary to the job. JS
    Last edited by j.sabourn; 30th April 2022 at 02:20 AM.
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    Default Re: Bue

    The change in crew numbers and position is it would appear a constant changing factor of modern shipping.

    On some companies container ships they have what they call utility crew.
    They are the crew who have to deal with all day to day work no matter what kind it is.

    Speaking with the manager of the Mission here in Melbourne a couple of years ago and he told me thta they could be asked to check the fixings on containers then be asked to check what clothing or bedding required washing and do it.

    Funny times now but cost must be kept as low as possible.
    Happy daze John in Oz.

    Life is too short to blend in.

    John Strange R737787
    World Traveller

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    Default Re: Bue

    That is an accountants story only. Probably his salary will be in the upper reaches of the portage account. Cheers JS
    Ships crews today bear very little reference to what they did 50/60 years ago. JS
    Last edited by j.sabourn; 30th April 2022 at 07:30 AM.
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    Default Re: Bue

    I was on Maersk Ruler at the time one of the best shipping companies I sailed with.
    It is the way of the world that is takes a great tragedy with loss of life to force a change. I agree companies must make profit to stay in business but not when money is more important than the lives of employees.

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    Default Re: Bue

    The same men still sailed the ships Louis but it gave them a better shot at success and their own lives in a survival situation in the case of that particular disaster everyone involved was a survivor , which most don’t understand . Certainly not shore people . To come out of that inferno was another miracle in itself. I have no doubt of the 15 seamen involved I know at least 5 are now dead probably more , that those still alive will still well remember that night. JS
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    Default Re: Bue

    As we all have had to work for a living unless of course Daddy had a yacht. I think it should be recorded here for prosterity the once not too far back the conditions of some of these out of sight owners which I had the privilege of either working for or knowing others who had. Let me say they were not bums and stiffs one of my friends was a double barrelled chief engineer who took the poor conditions rather than what some call bludge on the country. The chief engineer with me on the night of the disaster was a first class motor engineer with the same problem lack of available work. The conditions were in the lower standards of vessel, you paid your own travelling expenses to the port of engagement and your own way home after 5 weeks or whatever it took. You signed a piece of paper to say that any courses the company put you on such as FRC, sea survival, first aid etc. that if you did not stay with the
    company a year then you had to remunerate the owner the cost of these courses , there was little or no paid leave, If the ship was late getting in the owners would only pay for accomodation in the seaman’s mission.Your
    pay started when you joined the ship and ended when you left. Some paid the seaman as little as 16 pound a day in 1988 that maybe a good wage to some I seem to forget those days now. The accomodation conditions most seamen will know . There is and always will be people who will take any job to keep their head above water, and to me they were them . Don’t let anyone kid themselves they were not bobbies jobs. To get oneself into that position especially when it’s not your fault is extremely hard to get out of , as a testament to that you can see them to this day sleeping rough in our marvellously clean and upright cities. But most were true seamen and some even ex servicemen . JS
    Last edited by j.sabourn; 30th April 2022 at 09:50 AM.
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    Default Re: Bue

    Quote Originally Posted by j.sabourn View Post
    As we all have had to work for a living unless of course Daddy had a yacht. I think it should be recorded here for prosterity the once not too far back the conditions of some of these out of sight owners which I had the privilege of either working for or knowing others who had. Let me say they were not bums and stiffs one of my friends was a double barrelled chief engineer who took the poor conditions rather than what some call bludge on the country. The chief engineer with me on the night of the disaster was a first class motor engineer with the same problem lack of available work. The conditions were in the lower standards of vessel, you paid your own travelling expenses to the port of engagement and your own way home after 5 weeks or whatever it took. You signed a piece of paper to say that any courses the company put you on such as FRC, sea survival, first aid etc. that if you did not stay with the
    company a year then you had to remunerate the owner the cost of these courses , there was little or no paid leave, If the ship was late getting in the owners would only pay for accomodation in the seaman’s mission.Your
    pay started when you joined the ship and ended when you left. Some paid the seaman as little as 16 pound a day in 1988 that maybe a good wage to some I seem to forget those days now. The accomodation conditions most seamen will know . There is and always will be people who will take any job to keep their head above water, and to me they were them . Don’t let anyone kid themselves they were not bobbies jobs. To get oneself into that position especially when it’s not your fault is extremely hard to get out of , as a testament to that you can see them to this day sleeping rough in our marvellously clean and upright cities. But most were true seamen and some even ex servicemen . JS
    My uncle Joe had a yacht, still got thrown out of the Royal Yacht club house in Hamble. Discharging at Hamble on H boat, went down the village to the White Hart then after closing in afternoon walked into the RYA club and ordered beer. I was asked if I was a member or visiting crew, to which I relied, yes, uncle Joes yacht is alongside up the road; still had to leave.

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    Default Re: Bue

    Perhaps the yacht wasn’t big enough Tony ? I can give at least one case of inverted snobbery as is seen out here where life is more laid back. We had some acquaintances out here on holiday from the UK. He immediately disliked Australia for its lack of formality. He went to the local Golf club and was quite agitated that no one was wearing a tie or jacket , couldn’t get over it.
    As regards yacht clubs we have many out here a friend for some years who also just lives around the corner in the village was the ex Commodore of one locally , he was also the president of the sea rescue local branch. There is no airs and graces about him he is an ordinary working man , and when working was a fly in fly out steel worker , working mainly on ship repairs.
    If you have to have snobbery and class distinction , Australia would be a harder place to find it than England. Although I have seen traces of it returning in the past 31 years been out here. Cheers JS
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