Painting the Deck

[Calvin Kent]

Did a trip on Shells Plagiola and there was no chipping of decks as hammers would have gone right through in many places. We used to spend half a day at a time throwing buckets of gas oil on the decks to lift the larger flakes of rust.

Loading bitumen in Curacao we had a massive blow-out and the fore and after deck together with midships accom' was well covered. Shell duly provided us with some unmarked 45 gallon drums of degreaser before we sailed as well as some extra buckets and tank cloth. Next morning all of us on the cleaning woke up with webbed hands and subsequently shed several layers of skin up to mid-arm where we'd been dunking the cloth. Never did find out what the chemical was.

[John Pruden]

we had a blow out in dry dock elderslie Glasgow{mcgregor's men} again the deck crew refused to clean it up the captain told the crew in was tantamount to mutiny but the crew won the workers p.ssed of while taking on and left it? like a bloody ice rink.JP

[Capt Bill Davies]

Hi Shipmates, Hi Capt bill Davies, Gunk ? was that the stuff that made the oil like milk?

Hi Louis,

You have it! The one that makes the oil like milk.

It was very effective.

Brgds

Bill

[Stan Carter]

We had a blow out while loading in abadan, hell of a mess. that was on the british builder in 55. took us a long time cleaning up afterwards. also well remember tank cleaning the old way, only good thing about that was the tot of rum after your shift.
regards stan.

[Des Taff Jenkins]

Hi Stan.
I was on the British Builder from Nov 55 to Sep 56 worst trip ever and was the reason I give it away and went on a few coasters untill I imigrated to NZ and went on the coast.
Louis.
BTC used to use Teepol for washing
Cheers Des

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[Colin Pook]

Hi Wagga. Similar thing happened on a Esso ship was on. Coming through the Med., it was all hands to paint the fore deck and aft deck gloss black. So as to have the ship looking superb?, berthing at Fawley, the last job on deck was to paint all the cleats, ring bolts and butterworth plates gloss white. All went well until a alteration of course put the slight sea onto the port beam. A wave came over, hit 2 or 3 cans of white gloss and consequentially spread the lot over most of the newly painted black deck. Successive waves spread the lot even further. To finish the job off, it started to rain,and with more water coming over the scuppers it was now an impossible job to clean it up before we berthed. For once I didn't get the blame!!

Cheers,
Colin.

[Pete Leonard (Bruno)]

I was always led to believe that the equipment used for flushing out the tanks was called the Fleming system. This was in the 50's though so it may have been superceded.

[John Albert Evans]

I remember being on an Eagle Oil tanker crossing the Pacific one time, and the deckies were painting the main deck (They were always chipping and painting the decki ) it was lovely sunny day but in the distance was a huge black raincloud and whoever was on the bridge changed course in order to avoid the rain raining of the deck
It was around 1959. I cann't see them doing that nowadays.

John Albert Evans

[Don Rafferty]

.'........... it was lovely sunny day but in the distance was a huge black raincloud and whoever was on the bridge changed course in order to avoid the rain raining of the deck'.

.............can remember doing that on the Orcades, during daylight hours, but also doing the opposite at night, heading into a raincloud to give the ship a good wash down.

[Captain Kong]

I was on the Corrales, skin boat heading north from the Cameroons, I was on the wheel and the crowd were in chairs painting the foremast, Ahead was a heavy Rain shower, it was drifting from port to starboard and would have missed us, so I followed and went through it, It was heavier than I thought it wopuld be, The screams coming from the Mast as it disapeared into the Rain was terrible. Then we came out of the other side and clear again. They nearly got swept off the mast. I got loads of abuse off the Sailors, `That is what you go to sea for , to get wet.` I said. they were not amused.
Brian