Assist?

[Gulliver]

1./ Hi Vernon.That video was very absorbing of the Patris leaving Piraeus.It kind of draws one into the action-I could feel the heat and smell the waterfront--very evocative.
BUT--I now don't think that could be her in your Madeira pic-as the inaugural run to Fremantle,Melbourne and Sydney wasn't until 1959,and they went via Suez anyway....
About that video--- looks like another boatload of new emigrants destined for your country?-how about that couple though SITTING ON THE BOLLARDS! 'Elf and Safety wouldn't allow passengers to do that that these days!..All it takes is for the vessel to surge back and forth and KERR RRACK! TWANG! (Shudder).......


2/.I agree with John C. that Zim Israel called occasionally into Madeira ,as mentioned in this schedule:-
Sailings February 1957-January 1958 (issued April 1957) Vessel(s) Ports of call
Israel and
Zion
Haifa, Naples, Malaga (most voyages), Gibraltar (most voyages), Ceuta (a few voyages), New York.
Return voyages: New York, Madeira (a few voyages), Gibraltar (most voyages), Naples, Piraeus (a few voyages), Haifa.

Theodor Herzl
Haifa, Naples (most voyages) or Genoa, Marseilles.
A few voyages returned directly to Haifa.

BUT Just one thing:- the only Zim passenger vessel of the era with twin funnels three-quarters aft was the Shalom which wasn't built until 1964,all the others mentioned in the above schedule were single midships funnel.

http://www.photoship.co.uk/JAlbum%20Ships/Old%20Ships%20Sa/slides/Shalom-03.html
So can't have been that one in 1958.
Re the twin funnels,I think such a design feature was also characteristic of some Spanish built passenger vessels though.....
Regards
Gulliver
　

[Doc Vernon]

Hi Davey
I will certainlylook into all the info you have provided!
Its good to have all the various answers,and makes it all the more interesting and 'hard" (you beggar haha!) for me to come to the correct conclusion on some of those Ships!
But then a challenge is something that i have always confronted head on!
So Bang On! i go again,head first haha!
Thanks again appreciate all this info from all!
Cheers

[happy daze john in oz]

Vernon I did the run enough times and know that no crew were ever allowed ashore in maderia, St. Helena or ascension Island. The ships only ever anchored in these ports and bloods went ashore in the ships life boats.

[Trader]

John,

I was on a regular run to Madeira on the Blenheim of Fred Olsen Lines and went alongside every trip. Maybe it was just Union Castle that anchored off.

Alec.

[Doc Vernon]

Hi John
Now not sure as to when all this happened (around 1958 or early 59),but i do know that i went ashore in St Helena,and they used a local ferry type boat,i reacll this John,as i went up Jacobs Ladder and still to this day recall the lovely Girl i met up at the top! I nearly missed my Ship too because of her!
Possibly later they may have stopped this!

Potential visitors should note that there is no quayside or breakwater on St. Helena, so passengers from Union Castle Liners Anchoring there are ferried ashore using small launches. In choppy weather, this can be very interesting and definitely not for the faint hearted!


Also in Madeira i remember Anchoring out of the Harbour,(never went ashore there) but recall seeing that Harbour!

Ascension Island as well the Ships used to Anchor out as you say!

Las Palmas as you know well we all went ashore there at some stage!

Which place was it that had those very High Divers that used to dive as you threw your Silver Coins in the Ocean!
Also had the locals at i think was either Ascension or Madeira that also dived from their little boats for coins and came up with it between their toes!

Cheers

[Doc Vernon]

Hi Trader
Yes i remember the Fred Olsen Liners there,and i recall one especially that had just arrived from London Tilbury Docks!
It was there i believe to load i think was Tomatoes od all things!!
She then was off again to London to disembark her passengers!
Cheers

[happy daze john in oz]

Think the coins was also Maderia and we used to pick up fish there. Very tasty but it had a vein of poison running along it's side which had to be removed first.

[Gordon Turnbull]

Obviously it is definitely Funchal. Ships a wee bit before my time though :-)

Windsor Castle (1972)we definitely anchored off and let the bloods ashore by tender. As it was my first foreign port after going to sea, I was pretty peed off that I never got ashore. Eventually went on holiday a few years ago and ended up buying an apartment there. Since sold it and bought a timeshare instead as we were just not getting the use of the apartment.

As for St Helena, I can assure you we could get ashore there. Never went with the Windsor but did many years later on a BP tanker (1985). Another long story that I wont go in to!!! And I should say, a damn fine run ashore it was too. Ashore many many times in Ascencion.

[Bob Hollis]

Like Trader I was also on the Blenheim and she tied-up in Madeira twice every trip, first port out, last port homeward. The ship alongside in the photo is definately not the one leaving Pireaus, in fact I think the video is not consistent, to my eyes there are two different ships being filmed .

[Pete Leonard (Bruno)]

I don't know the name of the ship that has been identified as Canberra but the date stamped on the photo is 1958. The Canberra didn't come into service until 1962.
Pete