Bad weather

[John Blaney]

My first deep sea trip on a cargo ship, the "Parramatta", was my introduction to the "Bay" at it's worst,
with the props coming out of the water whenever she took a dive, sending vibrations all through the ship,
I remember the re-assuring sound of the telegraph and the corresponding change in engine speed, possibly
a slight change in heading, I don't know, but the motion of the ship changed to a more comfortable roll,
and I always became aware of this on future trips, that the officers on the bridge end engine room were
aware of the situation and had her under control. Never ceased to impress me, I salute you gentlemen,
cheers
John B.

[Ivan Cloherty]

It was also known as self preservation John, look after the ship and she'll look after you, that's why ships are called she, they respond to a caress and caring hand!

[happy daze john in oz]

First trip, fierce weather in the channel and the bay, sick as a dog the only time I ever id get seasick. Went up on deck for some air on deck. One of the bloods was up there also trying to have a conversation with 'Huey' Problem was he was speaking to windward and his words kept coming back to him. Made me laugh, soon forgot my seasickness.

[John Arton]

On my first trip to sea I too was sick as a dog crossing the Bay of Biscay on a 80,000 ton tanker in ballast. The North Atlantic on the little Beaver boats always made me feel a bit queasy but the real power of the sea was demonstrated to me when coming down the S.African East coast on a fully laden VLLCC, nice calm weather and suddenly she took a dive into the swell that was running and for a second the whole ship seemed to come to a sudden stop. The Captain had just come through the wheel house door and was thrown across the wheelhouse into the bridge front windows. The whole ship was shuddering like a dog shaking itself dry and all the engine alarms were going off like crazy.
later on as Master it always amazed me when young junior officers could not recognise when the ship was pounding heavily or would always phone me to ask if they could reduce the propeller pitch to stop the pounding despite my standing orders stating that the engine controls were there to use at all times at there discretion in any situation where a reduction in speed was necessary for any reason, without having them to ask my permission.
Lots of them seemed to think that the ship was infallible and was stronger than the power of the sea.
rgds
JA

[j.sabourn]

Today in modern shipping is ok as most bridge officers aren't scared to alter engine speed as is bridge controlled. On the old telegraph method it was standard orders before using any engine movements the engine-room had to have at least 30 minutes warning. This was for going from heavy fuel to Diesel for manouvering. With variable pitch propellors is a whole new ball game. Was always advisable to phone the engine room and ask them to drop or increase revs. on the old steamers or earlier motor ships. Go slowing down without checking may cause more trouble than what bargained for. Anyhow going from Full Ahead to half Ahead without Checking could even be a big enough drop to lose steerage way. Full Away passage begins, meant that, the most important thing was getting the time in any lose minutes divisable by 6. So the likes of FAOP at 1818 or 1848 or 1854 the minutes were always divisible by 6 to make a straight .1 or .3 or .8 or .9 of an hour for the steaming time. Slowing down on passage sometimes if slowed down too much would have to log a passage suspended, as an excuse for the General Average speed dropping way back, and as an explanation to the charterers, although the weather was always to blame for any slow passages. When you were getting 50 per cent slip on propeller had to have a very good excuse for. Agree when a ship is pounding the only alternative is either slowing down or changing course. Otherwise may not get where you are going. JS

[Louis the fly]

The second call after the E.R. should always be made to the galley when changing course to prevent your dinner ending up all over the bulkheads and deck.

[John Blaney]

The second call after the E.R. should always be made to the galley when changing course to prevent your dinner ending up all over the bulkheads and deck.

Re informing the galley of bad weather, funny how the cook always seemed to know in advance, pretty sure the info was passed
via the ass. stwd. running the officers mess, but the the cook knew everything didn't he?, all information seemed to pass through
the galley grapevine,
John B.

[John Albert Evans]

I was galley boy on the Eagle Oil Tanker 'San Fernando' crossing the north Atlantic in either 1957 or 1958 and the weather was really bad, so bad that the Captain ordered all hands to wear life jackets even the three of us in the galley. No food could be cooked as nothing would stay on the stove so it was sandwiches for meals. It was the only the one time time that it happened to me. It lasted for about one day.

John Albert Evans.

[Captain Kong]

Default Re: Bad weather



On my first trip to sea I too was sick as a dog crossing the Bay of Biscay on a 80,000 ton tanker in ballast. The North Atlantic on the little Beaver boats always made me feel a bit queasy but the real power of the sea was demonstrated to me when coming down the S.African East coast on a fully laden VLLCC, nice calm weather and suddenly she took a dive into the swell that was running and for a second the whole ship seemed to come to a sudden stop. The Captain had just come through the wheel house door and was thrown across the wheelhouse into the bridge front windows. The whole ship was shuddering like a dog shaking itself dry and all the engine alarms were going off like crazy.
later on as Master it always amazed me when young junior officers could not recognise when the ship was pounding heavily or would always phone me to ask if they could reduce the propeller pitch to stop the pounding despite my standing orders stating that the engine controls were there to use at all times at there discretion in any situation where a reduction in speed was necessary for any reason, without having them to ask my permission.
Lots of them seemed to think that the ship was infallible and was stronger than the power of the sea.
rgds
JA

Hi John
It sounds as tho` you fell in to the legendary "Hole " in the sea which is quite common off the 600 fathom line, coming south down the Agulhas Current towards the Cape. I have seen quite a few vessels smashed up around there. A Ben boat was almost broken in half, the whole of the fore deck pointing 45 degrees to port from the ship. Another BP tanker had all the pipes and fittings on deck torn away. and so on.
the Warm Agulhas meets the cold Benguela on the 600 fathom line where the sea drops down and a vertical wall of water up to 100 feet high, the ship runs down hill fast uncontrollable, then the wall collapses onto the deck of the ship tearing it apart with Thousands of tons of water crashing down. Many, many ships have foundered there and others severely damaged.
We had many warnings about it when I was with ESSO with many roundings of the Cape on the Gulf Europe run.
Cheers
Brian

[John Blaney]

My first deep sea trip on a cargo ship, the "Parramatta", was my introduction to the "Bay" at it's worst,
with the props coming out of the water whenever she took a dive, sending vibrations all through the ship,
I remember the re-assuring sound of the telegraph and the corresponding change in engine speed, possibly
a slight change in heading, I don't know, but the motion of the ship changed to a more comfortable roll,
and I always became aware of this on future trips, that the officers on the bridge end engine room were
aware of the situation and had her under control. Never ceased to impress me, I salute you gentlemen,
cheers
John B.

Sorry should read "and" engine room, not "end".
John B.